UWS opens its new child care centre for Bankstown
It was happy smiles all round as the University of Western Sydney community gathered to celebrate the official opening of its new child care centre for the Bankstown campus.
UWS Vice-Chancellor Professor Janice Reid was joined by The Honourable Jason Clare(opens in a new window), Member for Blaxland and Minister for Justice, Minister for Home Affairs and Cabinet Secretary, to officially open UWS Early Learning Bankstown – a state-of-the-art child care facility developed for the UWS staff, students and the surrounding community.
The $3.2 million centre caters for 67 children who are aged between 6 weeks to 6 years, providing them with the best education and learning environment.
The ultra-modern Early Learning Child Care Centre replaces the older child care building on campus, allowing the University to provide dozens more child care places and ensuring it can cater for the growing child care needs of students, staff and the local community for years to come.
The child care facility design was the result of extensive consultation with the families as well as leading child care experts in the field and was developed with their consideration in mind.
It comprises four teaching spaces, a dining room, quality kitchen facilities, family room, staff and planning rooms, office space, reception areas, and extensive internal and external spaces for the children to play, learn and explore.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Reid congratulated all those involved in the design, development and construction of the new facility, which she said was an asset to the local community.
She particularly thanked all the staff and parents of the Centre, who play such an integral role in the planning and implementation of the children’s programs.
“Not only is the University of Western Sydney delighted to have this wonderful purpose-built facility on campus for the children to enjoy, but we are very proud of our Early Learning Child Care Centre as a model of best practice,” said Professor Reid.
“It encourages and promotes the sharing of the very best child care research, knowledge and experience, and believes in the importance of giving all children the highest-quality education.
“The staff at the Early Learning Child Care Centre are committed to nurturing the potential of every child who walks through the Centre’s doors.”
Chair of UWS Early Learning Limited, Ms Susan Hudson, says that the Centre provides a stimulating and inclusive early learning environment that is in partnership with families and the community.
“We understand the importance of having a quality education service that we can entrust our children to when we have to work or study - or both,” says Ms Hudson.
“This new centre is now the envy of the other four UWS Early Learning Child Care Centres, and will be the benchmark for our new Parramatta centre when it is due to open next year.
“It has been wonderful to see the Centre come to life through the children’s eyes. The construction of the Centre nearly proved almost as magical for them as the finished product, particularly when it came to the construction workers who, to the children, bore striking similarities to the much-loved character, ‘Bob the Builder’ – hard hats and all!”
Ends
7 June 2013
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