Operating at capacity with an expanding waitlist, Moama Preschool and District had outgrown the building it had been operating in for almost 50 years.

But the service can now cater for an extra 40 children through the relocation and building of a new facility in the growing Moama Education Precinct in the Murray region.

Construction included four adaptive learning rooms, two separate playgrounds, carpark, a staffroom, offices, bathroom and meeting room. 

Murray River Council Mayor, Councillor Frank Crawley, said the official opening was an exciting time for the Moama community who had been eagerly awaiting the completion of the new building for some years.

“We are thrilled that this important project is now finalised, enabling the Moama Preschool to provide quality educational services to so many more families,” he said.

The additional space means the not-for-profit community-based preschool can reintroduce its room for three-year-olds to run alongside rooms for four- and five-year-olds.

The need for a new building became a priority several years ago to ensure continued and improved early childhood learning opportunities for the growing population.

All three levels of government came together to fund the project, with the Australian Government committing $2.9 million and the NSW Government and Murray River Council each allocating $1.5million.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car welcomed the opening of the expanded Moama preschool. 

 “It is wonderful to see young families in the Murray will have access to a new preschool, providing our youngest learners with access to early education and care, and providing a boost to working parents,” she said.

 “We know that access to structured, play-based learning in the years before starting school sets children up for success and prepares them to transition into the first years of school.” 

Research shows that access to quality preschool education improves lifelong outcomes for children and families. 

Australian Early Development Census data shows that one in five children do not start school developmentally on track, and this proportion is higher for vulnerable children.