A sod turning ceremony was hosted by Jerilderie Preschool on Friday, May 28 to mark its long-awaited start.
Works will continue until at least December.
The centre sought funding for new facilities after a 2016 survey found the current centre was not meeting local families’ childcare needs.
The new centre will cater to a maximum of 48 children at a time, with facilities suitable for babies from six weeks old up to children five years of age.
The multifunctional design boasts a nursery with sleep room catering to eight babies, a toddler room, a preschool room, a communal dining hall and a multiple allied health section.
For the sod turning ceremony, preschool students decorated the shovels — which were used by guests, teachers and committee members to lift the earth — with colourful designs.
A 2016 survey found many families across Jerilderie were unable to access the childcare they sought.
Committee member Carina Rorato said it was a long journey to get the $1.5 million project funded.
‘‘It’s been a long time, but it’s very exciting to finally see the fence go up and to have the builders engaged,’’ Mrs Rorato said.
She said the new Jerilderie Early Learning Centre would not only offer accessible childcare, but it would also provide jobs for additional early learning professionals, a cook and a cleaner.
The preschool was granted $994,000 funding from the Stronger Country Communities fund in 2018, with another $300,000 from Murrumbidgee Council granted shortly after. Since then it has received another $30,000 from the NSW Government, $40,000 from the Community Building Partnerships Program, $60,000 from FRRR Tackling Tough Times Together, and $15,000 from the Quality Learning Environments Grant program.
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