All smiles: Save The Children Kindergarten Mooroopna students and staff are excited for the future. Pictures: Holly Curtis Save The Children Kindergarten in Mooroopna will spend a $300 000 Victorian Government grant to extend a classroom, allowing 13 more children to be enrolled. The money will also provide for an overall revamp of the centres outside play area, with the completion of a childrens kitchen, a new cubby house and a new sandpit. We were so excited to learn of our funding success on Tuesday when member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes visited us to deliver the good news, centre director and educator Andrea Woodward said. The funding will allow us to service more families who really need this service and create a vibrant space for our students and staff. Its been a long time since we have received funding like this. The early learning centre in Mooroopna has 54 students and is focused on providing a good start to the schooling life of indigenous and vulnerable children. It already has a waiting list for four-year-olds next year. What we want to do here is make sure we help the children become comfortable with teachers and educators so theyre ready to start school, Ms Woodward said. The works are expected to start in the 2016-17 financial year as a result of the grant that comes from the state governments $50 million investment in the early childhood sector. Through investments like this the Labor Government is delivering infrastructure to areas with the strongest demand for high-quality early education and care services, Ms Symes said. This is an investment in our future, which will help meet the growing demand for kindergarten places in Mooroopna so our children can get a strong start in life.