Save Community Run Childcare in the City of Port Phillip

14/10/2022

****MEDIA STATEMENT****

Community-run early learning centres welcome Early Years Education and Care Centres Funding Agreement

Families and staff from Elwood Children’s Centre, Eildon Road Childcare & Kindergarten (St Kilda) and The Avenue Children’s Centre & Kindergarten (Balaclava) today welcomed the Victorian Government’s investment of up to $12.6 million to redevelop the community-run early learning centres.

Through the Building Blocks initiative, the City of Port Phillip (COPP) will partner with the Victorian Government to future-proof six much-loved early years education and care centres in the municipality. CoPP is contributing more than $18 million to the partnership.

Eildon Road Childcare & Kindergarten Committee President Caroline Thornton said the Committees of the three centres have worked tirelessly during the past 11 months to stop the sale of their buildings.

“Our centres have campaigned to keep our services operating since December last year, when Councillors voted unanimously to commence the proposal to sell process for our buildings.

“As key drivers of the funding partnership between the City of Port Phillip and the Victorian Government, we are really pleased to welcome this announcement.

“The funding means our centres and three others in the municipality will be redeveloped or renovated, which will allow our experienced and dedicated staff to continue to provide high quality early learning education and care to local families and the Port Phillip community.

“This will help parents, especially mothers to be a part of the workforce or study which is critical.”

The Avenue Children’s Centre & Kindergarten Committee President Louise Hird said the partnership will ensure the centres requiring significant renovation or replacement will be made fit-for-purpose and accessible for generations to come at the same locations.

“We know how important the early years are in setting our kids up for the future. Collectively, our three centres provide care and education for more than 200 local children each year, helping parents balance care-giving and work, and fostering connection and community among families.

“This partnership means thousands more families and children will be able to access quality, affordable early learning services for generations to come.”

Elwood Children’s Centre Committee President Claire Byrne thanked the local community for its unwavering support of our Save Our Centres campaign.

“We also couldn’t have achieved this outcome without the strong support and encouragement from Martin Foley MP, Josh Burns MP and Nina Taylor MP and their dedicated teams who really helped us keep going when we felt that the challenge was too great.

“We thank the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt and staff at the Department of Education and Training and the Victorian Schools Building Authority for recognising the need to retain and invest in community-run early learning centres like ours and unlocking significant funds to ensure our local children thrive, save families money and there is support women to return to work.”

Martin Foley MP Josh Burns Ingrid Stitt MP Marcus Pearl - Mayor, City of Port Phillip Louise Crawford - Labor candidate for Brighton Heather Cunsolo Cr Tim Baxter Nina Taylor MP City Of Port Phillip The Avenue Children's Centre and Kindergarten Elwood Children’s Centre

25/08/2022

In 10 months we turned the City Of Port Phillip around and they no longer have plans to sell out three valuable early childhood centres. Instead, they will renovate/rebuild our buildings!

What a massive achievement. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of staff, families, friends of the centres, neighbours, allies and the community.

If you:
- came to our picnic rally
- signed our petition
- sent letters of support to the centres
- put a sign on your fence or in the window of your business
- shared our social media posts
- shared our petition
- sent a submission to Council
- read and shared our emails
- followed our campaign on Facebook
- spoke to a councillor

Then thank you! We didn’t win this fight on our own. We won it because people like you believed in our centres and the community-managed not-for-profit model, and supported our campaign. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 💜

19/08/2022

We’re all still on a massive high after learning that Council won’t be selling our centres any more! Such a triumph. Thank you to everyone for supporting our community led campaign. X

18/08/2022

Joy is an understatement! We’re over the moon 🌙

Families and staff are celebrating after Port Phillip Council today announced it had ditched its controversial plan to sell off three local childcare centres.

18/08/2022

Community-run childcare to remain in City of Port Phillip

Families and staff from three City of Port Phillip early childhood centres were relieved to learn the outcome of a late-night Council vote that saw Councillors reject a proposal to sell off their community-run childcare and kindergarten services.

The decision means Elwood Children’s Centre, Eildon Road Childcare & Kindergarten (St Kilda) and The Avenue Children’s Centre & Kindergarten (Balaclava) will now be rebuilt or renovated, pending finalisation of funding arrangements.

The independent centres have campaigned to keep their services operating since December last year when Councillors voted unanimously to commence the proposal to sell process for the buildings from which the centres operate.

The parent-run management committees will now turn their efforts to working with Council to ensure the long-term future of the three centres.

18/08/2022

MEDIA RELEASE

Council abandons plans to sell off early childhood centres

Community-run childcare to remain in City of Port Phillip

Families and staff from three City of Port Phillip early childhood centres were relieved to learn the outcome of a late-night Council vote that saw Councillors reject a proposal to sell off their community-run childcare and kindergarten services.

The decision means Elwood Children’s Centre, Eildon Road Childcare & Kindergarten (St Kilda) and The Avenue Children’s Centre & Kindergarten (Balaclava) will now be rebuilt or renovated, pending finalisation of funding arrangements.

The independent centres have campaigned to keep their services operating since December last year when Councillors voted unanimously to commence the proposal to sell process for the buildings from which the centres operate.

The parent-run management committees will now turn their efforts to working with Council to ensure the long-term future of the three centres.

“We’re thrilled to have reached a positive outcome after 10 months of campaigning to stop the sale of our beloved centres,” said Elwood Children’s Centre Committee President Claire Byrne.

“Collectively, we provide care and education for more than 200 local children each year, helping parents balance care-giving and work, and fostering connection and community among families.”

The Avenue Children’s Centre & Kindergarten Committee President Louise Hird agreed.

“The ramifications of selling our centres would have been long lasting with many carers unable to return to work due to a lack of affordable and accessible childcare options. The closure would also have resulted in significant job losses for more than 45 dedicated educators, and have broader negative impacts on the local economy. We’re relieved to see Council shift its thinking and agree to support community-run kindergarten and early childhood centres in Port Phillip. It is pleasing to finally see Council place value on providing services to their constituents.”

Eildon Road Childcare & Kindergarten Committee President Caroline Thornton said she hoped the long-term futures of the centres would now be assured.

“We’re eager to get to work on upgrading each of the centres and put the distractions of the council’s consultation period behind us. For 10 months, the staff at our centres have been in a place of unease while listening to stakeholders debate the future of their workplaces. This has taken its toll, and we have lost valued team members along the way. Last night’s decision means our teams can return their focus to doing what they love - educating and caring for our children, knowing that they have a secure future.

“Most importantly, future families in the City of Port Phillip will have access to quality, affordable care for their children without having to leave the local area for many years to come.”

17/08/2022

Do you know a child that loves colouring in? If yes, here’s a nice activity from the UNESCO Human Elephant Learning Program to celebrate world elephant day.

And there’s a prize to win.

To be eligible, upload your child's entry to Instagram or Facebook, with the competition hashtag
in the caption, and include the early childhood centre they attend and suburb so they can get in touch. Children up the age of six are eligible to enter.

The winning entry receives a beautiful elephant crystal from Swarovski (see pic). The top three entries get a certificate.

12/08/2022

Hi 👋 City Of Port Phillip Councillors
The children from Eildon Rd Childrens Centre have an important message for you. They want you to vote against the proposal to sell their centre as well as The Avenue Children's Centre and Kindergarten and Elwood Children’s Centre. Make your vote count at the next council meeting.

Marcus Pearl - Mayor, City of Port Phillip, Martin Foley MP, Cr Tim Baxter, Ingrid Stitt MP, James Newbury MP, Josh Burns, Heather Cunsolo, Katherine Copsey, Anne Aly, Louise Crawford - Labor candidate for Brighton, Cr Andrew Bond - Lake Ward City of Port Phillip, Rhonda Clark - Councillor for Canal Ward, Christina Sirakoff - Councillor for Lake Ward, Peter Martin for Gateway - City of Port Phillip, Elwood Children’s Centre.

27/07/2022

❤️🌈🧡

27/07/2022

Hi 👋 City Of Port Phillip Councillors,

The children from Elwood Children’s Centre also have a message for you.

For the last 8 months the threat of sale of their centre has been looming, so they wanted you to know why they love ECC and what they think you should do when it comes time to vote in August. 🫶🏽

Marcus Pearl - Mayor, City of Port Phillip Heather Cunsolo Cr Tim Baxter Katherine Copsey Louise Crawford - Labor candidate for Brighton Cr Andrew Bond - Lake Ward City of Port Phillip Rhonda Clark - Councillor for Canal Ward Christina Sirakoff - Councillor for Lake Ward Peter Martin for Gateway - City of Port Phillip Eildon Rd Childrens Centre The Avenue Children's Centre and Kindergarten Josh Burns Martin Foley MP Ingrid Stitt MP James Newbury MP Anne Aly

07/07/2022

Dear City Of Port Phillip Councillors,
The children from The Avenue Children's Centre and Kindergarten wanted to send you a short video message.

They know you’re getting closer to making a decision about the fate of their early childhood centre, so they wanted you to know why they love The Avenue and what they think you should do when it comes time to vote. 🫶🏽

Marcus Pearl - Mayor, City of Port Phillip Heather Cunsolo Cr Tim Baxter Louise Crawford - Councillor Canal Ward Katherine Copsey Cr Andrew Bond - Lake Ward City of Port Phillip Rhonda Clark - Councillor for Canal Ward Peter Martin for Gateway - City of Port Phillip Christina Sirakoff - Councillor for Lake Ward Anne Aly Elwood Children’s Centre Josh Burns James Newbury MP David Southwick MP Steph Hodgins-May Martin Foley MP Ingrid Stitt MP Eildon Rd Childrens Centre

28/06/2022

We are grateful that so many other people feel as strongly about safeguarding community-run early childhood centres as we do. One of the campaign's biggest supporters Martin Foley MP recently wrote to Marcus Pearl - Mayor, City of Port Phillip with a few requests. Thank you for your help Martin.🙂

The future of local community run and council backed Early Childhood Education is very important to delivering our vision of quality early learning for all 3 and 4 year old children.

Best Start, Best Life means councils need to join the State and Federal Governments on this journey.

That is why I have written to the City of Port Phillip.

Save Community Run Childcare in the City of Port Phillip The Avenue Children's Centre and Kindergarten Elwood Children’s Centre Eildon Rd Childrens Centre Josh Burns Nina Taylor MP