The opening of two new facilities in a week by Leichhardt Municipal Council has provided a boost to quality Sydney Inner West childcare.
Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous officially opened the improvements to Toxteth Kindergarten on February 17 following $10,000 in Council funding secured through environmental grants for stage 1 and 2 works.
“The provision of a tree umbrella, stilts, the rock climbing wall, activity wall and a vertical garden is a great way for getting young children active.
“These new facilities are also a great way to introduce kids to nature and environmental issues.”
Mayor Porteous also officially opened the new Montessori Academy in the heart of Leichhardt’s Norton Street within the Casa d’Italia building on February 12.
“It is the 17th Montessori Academy to open in Sydney and we especially welcome the Italian inspiration behind the Centre opening in the heart of our own little Italy.”
The new Montessori Academy will provide long day care centre through high quality educational childcare for 90 children.
“Council is also moving ahead with its plans to build a new Council-run childcare centre in Mary St, Leichhardt with the development application (DA) recently approved.
“Thanks to the strong advocacy of council on childcare we have also seen a boon in DA applications for new childcare centres across the local government area (LGA) within the last 18 months.”
According to a report going to Council next week, supply of childcare places currently exceeds demand by 49 places and if all potential centres come on line could exceed demand by up to 519.
“This is not however the whole story because there continues to be high demand for all of Council’s existing childcare centres.
“In fact most of the existing local childcare centres, council-run, community-run and private, report waiting lists of up to 200, although not all these places are needed immediately and there is duplication across lists.
“Council will continue to closely monitor childcare places locally to ensure demand is being fully met. Council is also working with schools, Parents & Citizens Associations, Out of School Hours Care Services and local parents to address the challenges families are facing for school aged children where a significant shortfall in Out of School Care places has been identified in the LGA.
“To address these shortages not only have we now approved three council centres as Out of School Care centres, but our new childcare centre in Mary St has, incorporated in the design, the flexibility to convert for use as an Out of School Care centre
in the future.”
