|
This week's meeting
Foundation Boroondara and Kinda+
The importance to a child of a good start to their education and the number of Boroondara residents who may miss out on this proven instructional benefit without help was brought home clearly to the Rotary Club of Balwyn by three speakers to the meeting.
Foundation member and board member of the Foundation Boroondara, the Rotary Club of Balwyn’s Hugh Trumble introduced to the meeting two speakers on kindergartens – Di Cummins from the Foundation Boroondara and Denise Whitelaw who is the project officer from the Kinder+ organisation.
Di Cummins said that research had shown that children attending four year old kindergarten compared with those who did not had better cognitive function and social development and their long term education outcomes were better. Recent analysis of post codes in Melbourne suggested about a quarter of the population was disadvantaged – and the disadvantage extended to Boroondara, she said.
``Twelve per cent of families in Boroondara experienced poverty,’’ she emphasised. The disadvantaged were particularly benefited by pre-school education, she added.
Denise Whitelaw continued that Kinder+ supported families through contributions to those in need whose children would otherwise miss out on kindergarten education.
``Kindergarten fees of $1200 is quite a lot of money for people to put towards kindergarten education for their children. With Government help this can be reduced to $250 which is still too much for some families even in Boroondara. Kinder+ could cover those fees,’’ she said.
The Rotary Club of Balwyn’s donation of $25,000 to Kinder+ was particularly appreciated and it was supporting 100 families, she added. The RCB this year supported 38 families, last year it was 56 families and there were 42 families helped the year before.
Six per cent of families in the area were living on less than $38,000 a year and had Government concession cards. Of the community-managed kindergartens in Boroondara, 18 had applied for grants. Kinder+ had spent $12,407 at an average of $200 each to families.
Kinder+ raised money by donations towards a plant-a-tree program. Under this scheme, a $100 donation would have a tree planted which was tagged and registered. A donation of $500 brought the donor a tagged, registered tree to support the children and a certificate. There had been four donations so far of $1000 and a total of 47 trees had been planted.
A special tree will be planted in Beckett Gardens for Roy Boyce, a sadly missed RCB member who had wholeheartedly embraced the concept of Kinder+. Roy’s wife Ann, attended the meeting and was presented with a special certificate in memory of his contributions to Kinder+. An emotional and tender moment that will be remembered by many.
|
