State Budget 2012-13: Supporting our Community - New Child and Parent Centres in Wanneroo and Girrawheen areas

• $3m invested over 2 years in asset investment for 2 new Child and Parent Centres on public school sites

• Works include new buildings at Roseworth and Neerabup primary schools

Education Minister Liz Constable today announced asset investment for new Child and Parent Centres at public schools in the northern suburbs worth $3million.

New facilities costing approximately $1.5million each will be built at Roseworth and Neerabup primary schools.

The State Government will spend a total of $10.9million around the State on new buildings, refurbishments and transportable facilities to provide integrated services for children and parents including parenting workshops, playgroups and child health checks.

"These two centres will provide support and services to some of the most vulnerable children and their families in the Wanneroo and Girrawheen areas," Dr Constable said.

"The centres will ensure that children are well-prepared to start school.

"This is part of a $28.8million investment over the next four years to establish 10 Child and Parent Centres in Western Australia.

"With public schools in almost every community in WA, it makes sense to establish these centres at school sites where they can be easily accessed by families."

Services will begin as soon as co-ordinators are appointed at each school later this year, while the two new buildings at Neerabup and Roseworth primary schools will officially open in January 2015.

Roseworth Primary School principal Geoff Metcalf said the centre would build on the success of providing existing services of child health nurses, speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

"The Child and Parent Centre will allow us to expand these services and run them out of a fully operational child health clinic with increased hours of operation," Mr Metcalf said.

"In communities like ours, parents have problems accessing all the services their children need so this centre will bring health, education and child and family support services to one place where families already go.

"Parents are so positive about this new facility.  The school is the centre of the community and having this facility will mean they can be looked at as a whole family rather than isolated interventions."

Neerabup Primary School principal Brett Lewis said the centre would add to the work already done by the school to promote the value of early learning and child development among parents.

"We have done a lot of work already with the community to communicate the importance of children going to school every day," Mr Lewis said.

"Coupled with our playgroups, including one run by Ngala, parents have really been able to see the value of getting involved with the school and our services early.

"The ability to bring in services such as speech pathology will make a massive difference to ensure children are better prepared to start school. The involvement of parents and children in the school will now start well in advance of going into kindergarten - it will start from birth."

      Fact File

• The departments of Education and Health and the Department for Communities will work together to deliver services at each Child and Parent Centre

• Centre co-ordinators will begin working with their communities & agencies later this year

• WA Budget statements are available at http://ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au

Minister's office - 6552 5700