State Budget 2012-13: Supporting our Community - New facility for Child and Parent Centre in the Pilbara

• $600,000 invested to establish new Child and Parent Centre at South Hedland PS

• New facilities are part of a $28.8m investment over the next 4 years to establish 10 Child and Parent Centres in WA

Education Minister Liz Constable today announced details of a new Child and Parent Centre at a public school in the Pilbara.

South Hedland Primary School will benefit from a major refurbishment worth $600,000.

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

"This centre will provide support and services to some of the most vulnerable children and their families in the Pilbara region," Dr Constable said.

"The centre 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 to be offered as soon as a co-ordinator is appointed later this year, while the new Child and Parent Centre is expected to officially open in January 2014.

South Hedland Primary School principal Narelle Ward said having the centre at the school would make a huge difference to local families who needed to access services.

"We are extremely excited about being chosen for a Child and Parent Centre and see this as a perfect opportunity to support local families," Ms Ward said.

"The school already has shared links with community groups which provide services including occupational health and speech therapy, particularly with our kindergarten children.

"One of the important features of the new centre will be the closer relationship between the school and the community.

"This will be a central location for parents to access services they might otherwise not use.

"There is a joint responsibility for children's education, and it starts with building a strong relationship between the school and parents.

"Around 70 per cent of our students are Aboriginal and the services we plan to provide at the centre will target these students' specific needs and requirements."

      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