Early Childhood Services Management

Children’s Capital Program

Overview of the Children’s Capital Program

young children

Since 1999 a total of $66.7 million has been invested in a range of infrastructure initiatives for early years facilities, including new facilities, upgrades, renovation and refurbishments, and minor grants for equipment and IT technology.

The Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development sets out the Government’s five-year agenda for learning and development from birth to adulthood. It is the next generation of reform to improve outcomes for children and young people.

It builds on and extends recent policies and reforms, including:

  • the Blueprint for Government Schools (2003)
  • Victoria’s plan to improve outcomes in early childhood 2007 (the ‘Plan’), which articulated a comprehensive framework for early childhood reform and drew on extensive contemporary research
  • the creation of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to pursue the integrated agenda for all Victorian children and young people.

Consistent with the Blueprint’s vision, the recently released Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (the ‘Victorian Framework’) has been developed to support all early childhood professionals to work together with families towards achieving common outcomes for all children.

The Victorian Framework provides a common language to describe children’s learning and common principles to guide practice. It complements the discipline-specific resources that support early childhood professionals working with children and families and assists all professionals to work together with families to support children’s learning and development. Supporting children’s transitions is a key component of the Victorian Framework, in particular the Transition Learning and Development Statements have been developed for early childhood educators and families to share information to support each child’s successful transition to school.

In addition the Victorian Government has a broad range of policy and programs to ensure all children have the best possible start through access to high quality early childhood services such as Maternal and Child Health, Early Childhood Intervention Services and Family Services.

These Victorian initiatives highlight the important role quality early childhood education and care services play in facilitating successful transitions to school.

Children’s Centres are central to this strategy to improve quality and accessibility of early childhood services by emphasising the importance of early learning and care.  Investment in Children’s Centres is realising more integrated early learning and care centres being located on or adjacent to school sites. Since 1999, the Victorian Government has committed to build 98 Children’s Centres of which 51 are currently opened and operating.

With a total investment of $38m over four years (2007-08 to 2010-2011), the Children's Capital Program includes four complementary capital grants packages:

  • Municipal Wide Infrastructure Redevelopment Grants (2007-08 only) - to accelerate infrastructure changes to support implementation of Victoria's plan to improve outcomes in early childhood to benefit all children and their families at the local level.
  • Children's Centre Grants - to contribute to the capital investment required to build a community based Children's Centre that combines a range of integrated services that a family may need to help raise young children.
  • Renovation and Refurbishment Grants - to assist kindergartens and child care centres to undertake additions, renovations, maintenance, create safer environments and encourage kindergartens to offer more flexible kindergarten services including offering extended hours; and
  • Minor Capital Grants - to upgrade facilities or purchase equipment to create safer, more pleasant environments in which children can play, learn and develop.
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2009-10 Children’s Capital Program

The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is inviting applications for the 2009-10 Children’s Capital Program funding round.

Funding is available for capital projects to establish new children’s centres or for upgrading existing early years’ facilities to achieve the best learning and development outcomes for children.

The 2009-10 Children’s Capital Program will provide funding for the following three grant categories:

Children’s Centre grants contribute to the capital investment required to build a community based, not-for-profit Children’s Centre. These centres will offer maximum convenience, flexibility and choice for parents by combining a range of integrated services that a family may need to help raise young children.

Renovation and Refurbishment Grants (Stage 1) will enable community based kindergartens and child care services to offer more flexible kindergarten services, assist to upgrade and better equip existing not-for-profit early years facilities.

Applications for Children’s Centre Grants and Renovation and Refurbishment Grants (Stage 1) close Thursday 25 February 2010 at 4.00pm

Renovation and Refurbishment Grants (Stage 2 – Universal Access to 15 hours of Preschool Education) will assist organisations funded to deliver kindergarten programs to increase their infrastructure capacity to deliver 15 hours of kindergarten to children in the year before formal schooling.

Applications for Renovation and Refurbishment Grants (Stage 2 – Universal Access) close Thursday 25 March 2010 at 4.00pm

Guidelines and Application Forms and Funding Agreement

For more information on the Children's Capital Program, see: Children's Capital Program - Frequently asked questions

Enquiries about the application process can be directed to email: childrens.capital.program@edumail.vic.gov.au or to (03) 9651 3492

For specific questions regarding your proposed application please contact your DEECD Regional Office 

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2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Children's Capital Programs

The following information is relevant only to organisations who were the recipients of grants during 2007-2009.

Minor capital and equipment grants

The Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development has allocated $3.93 million in 2009 to provide minor capital and equipment grants to community-based kindergartens and not-for-profit child care centres offering a funded kindergarten program. The grants can be used for the purchasing and replacement of the following items; air conditioning, fencing, furniture, educational resources, storage for equipment, outdoor play equipment or environment, shade structures for outdoor play areas or water tanks.

Upon expenditure of the Minor Capital and Equipment Grant the organisation must complete an acquittal form and send it to the DEECD regional office by 31 December 2009.

Municipal wide infrastructure grant

Planning grant