More childcare places for Riverland families

The expansion of the Berri Regional Child Care Centre has hit a major milestone, with a new learning centre craned into place and infrastructure works underway.

The new centre will create an additional 30 long day care places – boosting capacity by 50 per cent, from 59 to 89 places, and giving more local families access to quality early childhood education and care across the region.

The upgrades will improve safety at the Fiedler Street site for children, families and staff, enhance disability access and help meet growing demand in the area.

The $2.6 million project includes purpose-built learning areas, replacement and enclosure of verandas, installation of a new boundary fence, upgrades to the fire and egress system along with new bathrooms, a kitchen and a staff office.

A new inclusive outdoor play space and upgraded car park with a new accessible parking space providing direct access to the pram ramp and footpath also feature.

All works are expected to be completed and the new learning centre open early next year. The current site remains operational.

The South Australian Government is supporting the project through a $2 million Flying Start Infrastructure Grant and a further $124,000 delivered under the Thriving Regions Fund. Berri Regional Child Care Centre is contributing $500,000.

The investment will help the centre deliver Flying Start 3-year-old preschool from next year, upgrading facilities to enable future expansion.

The roll-out started this year and is accelerating in regional and rural areas, with more than 20 additional sites commencing in the Riverland and Murraylands in January.

Across 2027, more than 7,500 three-year-olds across the state will have access to two years of quality preschool as part of our $1.9 billion Flying Start reforms – the most significant commitment to early childhood education in a generation.

By 2032, every South Australian child will have access to 15 hours a week of three-year-old preschool, helping their development during the critical early years.

The Flying Start Infrastructure Grant program is a key part of these reforms, a co-investment initiative to unlock new or expanded sites where they are needed.

Other recipients include the upgraded Carrol Murray Children’s Centre at Bordertown and a new expanded hub at the Kadina Child Care Centre.

Quotes attributable to Lucy Hood

We are paving the way with more places and improved access to early learning for local families.

These upgrades are a big step in ensuring the centre continues to support working families and is ready to roll out three-year-old preschool.

Our Government is investing in regional childcare infrastructure and services to create more opportunities for children to thrive.

Quotes attributable to Berri Regional Child Care Centre Director Kristy Coombs

This expansion is a great step forward in providing high-quality early childhood education and care for families in the Berri–Barmera region.

This development allows us to not only increase our capacity and support more local families, but it also enables us to be able to deliver the Flying Start three-year-old preschool program.

Ensuring children have greater access to quality early learning in the critical early years, while supporting families and strengthening outcomes for our community, is something we are incredibly excited about. We look forward to the new facilities being operational soon.