A new child and family learning centre in Glenorchy is a step closer to opening its doors early next year.
Education Minister Jo Palmer visited the site adjacent to Glenorchy Primary School on Tuesday to provide an update on the project.
She said the centre will be a “vibrant” space for families in the area.
“We know that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are just so important and we also know that families that are engaged in the educational journey of a child will see much better educational outcomes for that child,” she said.
“So these spaces are for families to come where there’s no judgement.”
The centre will feature a large play area, a kitchen and a variety of programs, including parenting support, shared reading and nursery rhymes.
“There’ll be stuff, there’ll be toys, there’ll be furniture, there’ll be parents and it’ll be a noisy and vibrant and wonderful space for these families,” Palmer said.
“It’s a beautiful place that is for families because we want our families to be really connected with each other in their community and really connected to their child’s very first touch of education.”
Centre leader Donna Lashmar said the local community has been involved in the project for the past two years.
“We’ve been meeting monthly to discuss how we want to be in the centre, how we want the centre to look and feel and the culture and the vision of the centre,” she said.
“So it’s great to finally get to a stage where we can see it taking shape and the families and the service partners in the community want to be involved in how we furnish it and how it operates and how we welcome the community into the space.”
The centre is expected to open early next year, with the exact date yet to be confirmed.
Four new child and family learning centres are being built across the state in Huonville, Smithton, Scottsdale and Longford.
