SAVE

WINDSOR COMMUNITY

CHILDREN’S CENTRE

Our community-led kindergarten is being evicted from public education land for private development. We need the Liberal Party’s commitment to prevent us being closed by Christmas.

Contact the Liberal candidate for Macnamara and Shadow Ministers for Education now:

Benson’s office - benson.saulo@vic.liberal.org.au

Angie’s office - (07) 5504 6000 | angie.bell.mp@aph.gov.au

Senator Sarah Henderson - (03) 5221 5900

Important Update!

Windsor Community Children’s Centre proudly welcomed Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, Member for Macnamara Josh Burns, Mayor of Stonnington Melina Sehr, Deputy Mayor Tom Humphries, Cr Samantha Choudhury, Samantha Page, CEO, Early Childhood Australia, Julie Price, Executive Director, Community Childcare Association, and Bindi Smith, National Coordinator, United Workers Union to Windsor Community Children’s Centre to our beautiful centre.

We are honoured to have had these passionate advocates join our community in support of a place that has meant so much to local families and educators for over 40 years.

Since June last year, our community has been campaigning to save WCCC from permanent closure. We are a community-run, not-for-profit service – one of the last of its kind in an area increasingly dominated by for-profit providers. At the heart of our campaign to save WCCC are the voices and rights of children now and into the future.

The announcement from Amanda Rishworth MP and Josh Burns brings real hope. The Labor Government has committed $4.3 million to secure WCCC’s future if re-elected. This commitment would be delivered in partnership with the Stonnington City Council who has stood side by side with our community committed to retaining the land at 131-133 Union Street, Windsor in public hands for early childhood education.

We warmly welcome announcement. This commitment brings real hope for the future of WCCC. Retaining WCCC would mean keeping public land for education, and protecting both high quality early learning and a place that families rely on for care, connection and support.

The commitment is a significant step forward in our campaign. It is our hope that all candidates for the seat of Macnamara commit to protecting WCCC and stand with Windsor families.

  • The Age

    Melbourne kinder in jeopardy after state rejects plea to buy site

    22 February, 2025

    Read now

  • The Age

    Toddlers at the centre of fight for Prahran

    15 January, 2025

    Read now

  • Channel 7

    Political Pushback

    15 January, 2025

    Watch now
  • Herald Sun

    Herald Sun

    Liberal, Greens and Federal Labor unite to save Melbourne kinder.

    15 January, 2025

    Read now

  • The Guardian

    Backlash grows over Swinburne’s move to evict kindergarten from land donated by state

    15 January, 2025

    Read now

  • Stonnington City Council

    Council Pushes to Save Windsor Community Children’s Centre

    15 January, 2025

    Read now

  • The Sector

    City of Stonnington joins WCCC in closure fight

    16 January, 2025

    Read now

  • The Age Letters

    Inner-city childcare

    17 January, 2025

    Read now

STATEMENT FROM SAVE WCCC IN RESPONSE TO FOUR CORNERS ON 17 MARCH 2025

The Four Corners program, which exposed the deeply troubling realities of the private childcare sector, has sent shockwaves through the community. The episode underscored the value of not-for-profitcommunity-led services that, on average, provide higher standards and have a reputation for quality and affordability.

Windsor Community Children Centre (WCCC) is run by a volunteer Board and Committee, made up of parents, educators and sector leaders, that ensures that care is tailored to the children’s needs, a model not replicated by private providers as revealed on Four Corners.

WCCC stands as a beacon of quality, personalised care, and its survival is now more critical than ever.

WCCC families and educators continue to fight to provide exceptional early childhood education and care for 80 local families. WCCC’s closure would force more families into profit-driven services that lack the community connection and high-quality care WCCC provides.

We call on every candidate for Macnamara to pledge support for WCCC and support Stonnington Council to secure WCCC’s future. The government must step up to protect this essential community service that shapes our children’s futures.

Windsor Community Children’s Centre is being rezoned and sold off by the Victorian Government and Swinburne University. It is one of the few remaining not-for-profit centres in the City of Stonnington.

The proposed sale of the land threatens the future of this vital not-for-profit community-based cooperative facility, which has served generations of Windsor families with dedication and excellence.

All community members are urged to contact the Minister for Planning as well as the Minister for Education and Minister for Children. Why should they care? Because it's their responsibility: Ensuring high-quality education for young children is a fundamental responsibility of the Education and Children's Ministries.

Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning

(03) 9658 4301 | reception@kilkenny@transport.vic.gov.au

Jacinta Allan, Premier of Victoria

(03) 5443 2144 | jacinta.allan@parliment.vic.gov.au

Lizzie Blandthorn, Minister for Children

1300 607 665 | lizzie.blandthorn@minstaff.vic.gov.au

Get in touch with us.

WCCC needs your support now more than ever. Get in touch with the Save WCCC Community Group, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Education first and foremost

    “The Victorian Government is committed to opening 50 new childcare centres as part of the Best Start, Best Life program, but is going to let their Swinburne arm profit by closing a fully operational centre that has been serving the community for decades? This is clearly a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.”

    Frances Hynes (Parent)

  • Preserve an urban sanctuary

    “The outdoor facilities at WCCC are unmatched, providing a natural sanctuary for children in the heart of Windsor. My child has thrived here, and it would be devastating to lose such a precious environment in this community.”

    Dom Abbott (Parent)

  • Profit over childhood early learning

    "Swinburne University has ripped the heart out of our community and the State Government is letting it happen."

    Dale Martin (Parent)