New early learning centre for Green Point includes purpose-built sections for older and younger children

A purpose-built out of school hours care section is one of the biggest drawcards of a new early learning centre in Hobart. SEE INSIDE >>

Director, Kellie Bruce with twin sisters Claire (left) and Emily Gallahar, 4 at the new Green Point Discovery Early Learning Centre. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

DISCOVERY Early Learning Centres’ new Green Point campus has more than doubled the capacity of its old Gunn St site and is still very close to capacity thanks to huge demand for outside school hours care.

The new centre, which opened Monday, has been purpose built to accommodate both day care-aged children, and older students in after-school or before-school care, with a separate building for each.

It replaces the 30-year-old Gunn St campus nearby, which Discovery Early Learning CEO Jo Walsh said was no longer able to accommodate the growing needs of the region.

Twin sisters Claire (left) and Emily Gallahar, 4 at the new Green Point Discovery Early Learning Centre. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“The families and the community have been waiting for a long time for the new service to be built,” she said.

“Gunn St could hold up to 60 children each day and the new one can hold 130, and we have already had to cap our out of school hours care enrolments because of numbers.”

The new Discovery Early Learning Centre services the greater Bridgewater/Brighton region for children aged from birth to 12 years, and includes a bus service to collect children from their schools and even drop them off at home if necessary.

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The service supplies nutritious meals prepared by a qualified chef, including breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea depending on the sessions children attend.

Ms Walsh said the region deserved the best facilities possible and after having to turn away so many people, she was pleased they were finally able to accommodate more and help families with no other care options.