State Budget 2012-13: Supporting our Community - Two Child and Parent Centres to be built in Stirling

• $1.9m invested over 2 years in asset investment for 2 new Child and Parent Centres on public school sites

• Works include a new building at Westminster Junior Primary School & an upgrade at Warriapendi Primary School

Education Minister Liz Constable today announced capital works for two new Child and Parent Centres at public schools in Stirling worth $1.9million.

New facilities worth $1.5million will be built at Westminster Junior Primary School, while Warriapendi Primary School will benefit from a $400,000 upgrade.

The State Government will spend a total of $10.9million around the State on new buildings, refurbishments and 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 Stirling area," 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. Westminster Junior Primary School's Child and Parent Centre is expected to officially open in January 2014 and Warriapendi Primary School's opening is planned for January 2015.

Westminster Junior Primary School principal Peter Mulcahy said the centre would build on the success of the services which the school already offered families.

"Our parents are very excited about the Child and Parent Centre because they know it will give their children a solid start in their education before they start school," Mr Mulcahy said.

"We are hoping to incorporate a garden scheme with our new centre to educate parents about nature play and the advantages to play that go beyond physical exercise.

"The more we can support families, the more they start to trust us."

Warriapendi Primary School acting principal Madeleine Boekeman said families who found it difficult to access services would be able to get them in one place.

"In a low socio-economic area like this, many parents don't access services because they don't know how," Ms Boekeman said.

"Having the Child and Parent Centre on site will make these services easily available to families in a place that they are already familiar and comfortable with.

"We're looking forward to expanding the early childhood assessment program which is already working well at the school."

      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