Twice weekly rapid antigen testing is giving early childhood educators, carers and teachers an extra feeling of security as students prepare for their first classes of 2022.
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Early childhood educators and school teachers will self test for coronavirus twice a week as part of a state government plan for a return to schools.
Jenny's ELC managing director Darren Reid said as well as regular testing, ensuring good ventilation and hygiene would remain imperative for many centres.
"To have access to rapid-antigen tests for staff to surveillance test twice a week gives an extra measure of confidence to staff as well as families," he said.
"Obviously early childhood has the most vulnerable children in our with children under five unable to be vaccinated. So it has been important for us making sure we have fantastic hygiene and ventilation is key.
"The best thing for us is to be able to access and be testing educators to increase staff's feeling of safety."
On Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews said kinder and early childhood center staff surveillance testing themselves was consistent arrangements agreed on with national cabinet and NSW premier Dominic Perrottet.
"(Kinder) students are not being tested," he said. "That is supported by public health advice and we'll monitor that. The key point is, despite challenges, we will have kids back in classrooms from (Monday)."
"Any child that is not well shouldn't be going to kinder, school or shouldn't be going out really. While there is a global pandemic on, we have to be extra vigilant to monitor that our kids are well.
"It was judged as common sense and by public health advice that it is too challenging to do rapid-antigen testing on two and three year olds."
Mr Reid said it was a fine balance between regularly testing children under four for COVID and ensuring they are happy.
"It's a fine balance between a child's physical well being and their emotional well being," he said. "It is really about managing as many risk factors as is reasonable and possible.
"While I'm sure certain groups would welcome RATs for children, the other side of that is the selection families that welcome the fact of if a child is unwell, the adults can be tested. It is less onerous for young child.
"We have children as young as six months of age in our care and it would be invasive. The balance was this is best as well as being fair and reasonable for families."
Also on Sunday, Mr Andrews announced 2700 services across Victoria will deliver at least five hours per week of three year-old kindergarten this year.
It is expected three-year-old kinder programs will increase to 15 hours per week by 2029 as part of a $5 billion early childhood education commitment.
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"Internationally, there is a lot of evidence that shows if you invest two years into early childhood education, it changes lives of young people as they get as gets older," Mr Andrews said.
"Today marks a huge milestone in our work to build the Education State and give every Victorian child the best opportunities, no matter where they live.
"This is a $5 billion project and I think it is a long time since any state government invested $5 billion in our littlest Victorians. I reckon everyone will benefit from this for years to come."
The increase to three-year-old kindergarten programs will also include an effort to recruit early childhood teachers and educators for 6000 positions.
Mr Reid said it was nice to have acknowledgement from the Victorian government of the importance of early childhood education.
"Its great to see after so many years early childhood services recognised," he said. "We have known about our importance for years and now the Victorian government is supporting that."
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