Community Update

With the recent withdrawal of Alpine Children’s Services from the EOI process for the Mayday Hills childcare and kindergarten facility, BCEYLC have continued to seek dialogue with both Indigo Shire Council and Beechworth Kindergarten, to find a solution that meets the immediate needs of our families and broader community.

We were invited to meet with Council late last week and are looking forward to  working together in a collaborative and constructive way. Council has indicated they intend to bring a new recommendation regarding the future of the site to the June Council meeting — we do not yet have an indication of what this recommendation will be. In our conversations and correspondence with Council we continue to stress the many risks of delaying this decision further, including wellbeing of staff and Beechworth families. We have reiterated that BCEYLC is ready to step up as the lessee of the facility, with a shovel ready plan to offer more places in response to community need. We highly value the services of Beechworth Kinder, and are in conversations with them to ensure we can both continue providing our services to the Beechworth community. 

Council have expressed a willingness to work with both BCEYLC and Beechworth Kindergarten in the hope of arriving at a shared solution. The history of early years education and care in Beechworth is long and deeply rooted in community effort and collaboration — something we are dedicated to continue, to guide our path forward and find a positive outcome for the needs of our community.

We know this ongoing uncertainty continues to cause stress and disruption for families. Our priority remains clear: to find a workable solution that eases this pressure and begins to address the urgent waitlist for early years care. At the same time, we are committed to shaping what early years care and education should look like for Beechworth’s growing community of families — not just for today, but for the years ahead.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in BCEYLC.