Parents will be able to order barista coffee to go as they drop their young children at Bundaberg’s newest childcare centre, Grow Early Education, when it opens its doors.
Australian Childcare Solutions Development Director Darren Jonsson said the daycare centre currently being built in Bundaberg North would bring the next generation of childcare design to the Bundaberg Region.
The state-of-the art early education centre will offer positions for 24 children aged under two, 15 children aged between two and three, and 41 children aged between three and six, and employ up to 13 full-time staff members.
Darren said Australian Childcare Solutions had done the research and identified Bundaberg’s need for another childcare centre.
He said the current market had an under supply of long daycare places and they were confident in the need for the essential service with the region’s growth forecast.
“We found there was an under supply, especially in the Bundaberg North area,” he said.
“We had to find a location that was flood immune, and we ended up purchasing two blocks of land with an old house and store on them, in a prime area between the primary and high school.
“It’s been well received by the community with a good response, with some saying they were glad to see the old rundown buildings removed.
“I am sure it will encourage new growth over in Bundaberg North, with families travelling from places such as Moore Park Beach and the CBD to enrol their children at the centre.”
Darren said Grow Early Education would offer the new wave of childcare with its modern design, parent lounge, and fulltime chef offering not only barista coffee that could be conveniently ordered via sms by parents and ready for collection as they dropped their children to childcare, but also healthy meals for the children on site.
The Grow Early Education menu will be age and development appropriate and include a wide variety of nutritious food of different tastes and textures consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, using seasonal and local produce.
There will be a landscaped outdoor facility with a kitchen garden with chicken coop and vegetable garden, sensory garden, recycled timber teepee and water pump with interactive play area.
Local companies build new childcare centre
Darren said part of Australian Childcare Solutions mantra was to use local contractors where possible.
“It will be a small community childcare operator, but it will be there for a long time and very much about community,” he said.
Local construction company Christensen Industries is currently building the childcare centre on the corner of Barber Street and Mount Perry Road at Bundaberg North.
Estimator Jason Tulk said the new childcare facility was a boost for not only Bundaberg North, but it also showed growth in the entire Bundaberg Region.
Jason said Christensen Industries had been busy for the first three quarters of the (financial) year and he believed at least 90-95 per cent of the subcontractors and materials were sourced locally for the childcare project.
“It’s certainly an elaborate and detailed design,” he said.
“It’s a $2.1 million project for us, and it's reassuring to know local companies have been used for the project.”
Grow Early Education is set to operate by fourth term of this year and will be open from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.
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