Wheatbelt childcare provider REED to expand services as State Government stumps up $2.9m

WA’s biggest not-for-profit rural childcare provider will expand its footprint beyond the Wheatbelt and Mid West after securing a share in $2.9 million of State Government funding. Regional Early Education and Development Inc services will be available in the Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance, and South West regions as part of the expansion. REED was one of three not-for-profit community organisations to share in $2.9m of grants, announced late last month, aimed at improving regional early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. REED chair Wendy Newman said the organisation had a proven model of providing “viable, quality care” to small communities. “Staff are able to be well supported with attraction and retention incentives, professional development, and continuity of employment,” she said. “This is critically important if we are to address workforce shortages.” Based in Narrogin, REED currently offers services in 25 locations across the Wheatbelt and Mid West as part of its “cluster model”. Ms Newman said the funding would support the establishment of four new REED clusters, the exact locations of which have yet to be announced. REED general manager Kylie Helgeson said 11 existing services would have the opportunity to merge with REED under the expansion. “This is a win-win for both REED and regional and remote communities to ensure services can continue where market failure and increased complexity of governance is threatening the continuation of services,” she said. The second grant recipient, One Tree Community Services Inc, will use the funding to deliver its Regional Early Years Learn and Lead program in the Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance, Kimberley, Mid West, and Pilbara regions. The third, Child Australia, will deliver the Support, Empowering Regional Services WA co-ordination support model program in the Great Southern, Peel, South West, and Wheatbelt regions. Early Childhood Education Minister Sabine Winton said attracting, developing, and retaining a high-quality early childcare workforce was particularly challenging in regional WA. “Access to quality early childhood education and care is vital to meeting the needs of young children and families in regional communities,” she said. “The State Government is committed to building the capacity of the community services sector to find innovative ways to deliver early education services in regional areas.”