It was with much pleasure that I visited recently the wonderful children and staff at the Leopold Early Learning Centre. I was visiting their kinder program last week, and as a mum, I clearly remember that excitement when the kids head off to kinder. It is such an important part of a child’s life.

At the centre a highlight for me was presenting the three-year-olds with their free kinder kits, and I can genuinely say they were snapped up with squeals of delight and high excitement by the children. The free kinder kit is fully funded by this state government and contains educational tools, books and other important resources for creating creative play and activities, and these kinder kits are a great way for families to get directly involved with their children’s education while having some fun.

It was my first visit to the centre, and I have to say it lived up to its fantastic reputation. It is managed and staffed by highly professional, committed educators, led by the centre manager Kate. The centre is only a few years old now and is a purpose-built facility with state-of-the-art learning areas and a terrific outdoor space that on the day was literally in full swing.

As a former teacher I know this once-in-a-generation kinder reform is not only giving our kids the best start in life but saving money for families and, significantly on International Women’s Day, supporting women with the choice to return to work. Just up the road Leopold Primary School is being fully modernised by this state government, and now with this early learning centre I know that Leopold families have great facilities in their community.