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Labour MP Maryan Street has welcomed an announcement today that Y Kids Early Learning Centre is one of 27 Early Childhood Education centres nationwide to receive a financial grant from the Labour-led government.

Y Kids is a successful Establishment Funding applicant and will receive $29,703 to upgrade their services.

"Earlier this year I announced that Y Kids was getting a government grant of $1,791,500 to help  establish its new early childhood education service and I recently attended its formal opening," says the Labour MP working in the Nelson region.

"We know that quality early childhood education makes a positive difference to the learning outcomes for children and it's great to hear the centre is benefitting from another grant."

The Ministry of Education's Discretionary Grants Scheme and Establishment Funding initiatives will increase the provision of early childhood education through the creation of 306 new child places in the early childhood services network and help retain 156 places in services that are required to relocate.

"These grants provide assistance to eligible community-based groups to plan for and build new early childhood services, extend existing services and meet costs associated with establishing a new service," said Education Minister Chris Carter.

Chris Carter said he was delighted that this funding announcement would directly benefit the Nelson community.

"Research shows that the greatest benefits are for children who traditionally have been less likely to access early childhood education."

Discretionary Grants and Establishment Funding initiatives have provided over $100 million towards early childhood education services since July 2000.

Applications for the second round of Establishment Funding for 2008 close on Friday 31 October.

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