State Government grant gives Munro Centre a bright future
The long-term future of the Munro Centre at St Lucia is secure thanks to an $80,000 State Government grant for renovations to the child care centre.
The centre, housed by the University of Queensland but run as an independent non-profit business, has struggled for financial viability in recent years after cut-backs in Federal Government operational funding to child care centres.
Centre management committee president Dr Gordon Wyeth says the Department of Families, Youth and Community Care funding will be used for renovations to allow the building to better meet child care demands.
The University has also given a vote of confidence in the centre's prospects by extending the lease on the site for a further 10 years.
The renovations and the University's decision will see the centre's management committee introduce a new business plan based on providing more places for babies aged up to 15 months.
At present the centre has 12 places for babies up to two years old and 18 places for children between two and three. After completion of the work it was have eight places exclusively for youngsters under 15 months, 10 places for toddlers aged 15 to 24 months and 12 places for older children.
"We realised we had to specialise because the biggest shortage is for young babies," Dr Wyeth said.
"Our room for up to two-year-olds has always been full, but that hasn't been the case with the room for two to three year olds.
"We will be changing the centre so there is more space for the babies, and once they start walking they will move up to the other room."
Dr Wyeth said the alterations, to be undertaken when the centre closes for three weeks in the Christmas-New Year holidays, will provide for indoor and outdoor play areas so youngsters from the different age groups "have access to one another without being on top of one another."
He said the management committee was grateful to State Member for Indooroopilly, Denver Beanland, for helping to lobby the government for the funding, and to the University's Secretary and Registrar, Douglas Porter, for his support of the centre.
For further information, contact Dr Wyeth on (07) 3365-3770.
