On 19th September 1989, the Malvern Child Care was opened at the old Catholic school building on Telegraph Road. It provided for a need in the community, a place for children to come and learn and be cared for. The first day had 10 children attend with a total of 40 on the roll. The cost was $3 an hour.
Thursday 19th September 2019 will be our 30th Anniversary. We are now called Darfield Preschool & Nursery, based in our own purpose built building on Cardale Street and have 100 children on the roll, with up to 57 attending each day. The cost is $6 an hour.
We continue to be a community based centre with a Board of Trustees consisting of parents from our community. Charlotte Butler, Board chairperson said “It’s wonderful to be involved in the preschool community and being on the board gives a great insight to the education of our young minds.”
Many families have passed through our doors and it continues to bring joy to see what the children are doing and achieving in their lives as they move through the primary school to secondary schools and beyond. Centre Manager, Clare Clatworthy, has been with the preschool for nearly 18 years and commented that she loves to attend the high school senior prize giving to see what everyone plans to do when they leave school and remember them as toddlers in the sandpit or on the bike track.
We have started to see things come full circle and reconnect with the families, as previous children return as parents.
We will celebrate with the children on the day by making a birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday” and having a bit of a party.