Monash Memo - articles - 19 February 2002

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Early Childhood Centre for Peninsula

Construction of a $1.5 millionstate-of-the-art Early Childhood Centre will begin on the Peninsulacampus this year.

The centre will incorporate a new childcarefacility for up to 60 children, observation areas and researchfacilities for early childhood and nursing students and staff, as wellas teleteaching links to university lecture theatres.

Peninsula campusmanager Ms Jill McLachlan said the new facility will replace the currentchildcare centre, which is based in portables.

"When the currentcentre was established 15 years ago, it was classified as temporary,"she said. "However, places at the centre are still highly sought afterand there is a long waiting list of community users.

"A centre thatwill not only accommodate the growing demand for local child carefacilities but also support the development of our future child careprofessionals is of great value to the campus and the community."

Thecentre has been designed in line with the teaching philosophies of theFaculty of Education, with particular attention being paid to theoutdoor area.

"The centre provides a unique opportunity to focus onthe creation of an outdoor environment that could be developed in linewith the research and expertise already existing on the campus," MsMcLachlan explained.

Ron Unger Architects have been engaged to handlethe project, which will also include rooms for five different age groupsand large communal areas that can be used for wet-weather play,community meetings and a range of other activities.

It is anticipatedthat the centre will be completed by mid-2003.