Legend Park Kindergarten and Dover Street Preschool need more children

Two kindergartens in Monash are in desperate need of more enrolments to avoid shutting down. They are committed to work hard and appeal to their local communities to avoid that fate.

Sarah, 4, and other children are loving their time at Dover Street Preschool. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Two Monash kinders threatened with closure have been given a stay of execution but must boost their numbers or they will be shut down.

Legend Park Kindergarten in Glen Waverley was last week given a last-minute reprieve by Monash Council, while Dover Street Preschool in Oakleigh East also has to meet targets if it is to remain open.

The centres, which are based in council-owned buildings, are operated by bestchance, a not-for-profit organisation which runs 19 kindergartens across Monash.

They have to reach enrolment to “a financially viable level”, which means 20 four-year-olds and 10 three-year-olds, by June next year.

Legend Park supporters were angered by a lack of consultation with the community by the council and bestchance, only recently becoming aware of the possibility of being closed.

A change.org petition attracted almost 900 signatures to save the kindergarten.

Complicating the matter, Monash Council is also looking to expand the supported playgroup model it runs in King Arthur Drive in Glen Waverley, which has more than 230 families using it.

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Cr Paul Klisaris, who has been in the early learning space for 23 years, said kindergartens had “never been under more pressure from the private sector”, of which he is part of.

Legend Park working group organiser Paul, who did not want his surname published, said it was “a positive outcome”.

“There’s still a lot of work to do for the kinder group,” he said.

“We have to work together.”

More enrolments are needed at Dover Street Preschool in Oakleigh East if it is to stay open. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Dover Street kindergarten teacher Jo Greaves said the only reason bestchance agreed to extend their operation for another year was due to the financial support of families, who promised to cover any financial shortfall.

Mrs Greaves said kindergartens such as Dover Street were vital for the local community.

bestchance chief executive Kevin Feeney said the organisation had “marketing and kindergarten support teams which worked closely with the parent advisory groups” to promote and market the kindergartens specifically and programs generally.

Mr Feeney said bestchance was “constantly seeking to meet the changing needs and expectations of families and children through a range of services”.