Baby boom leaves our playgroups…

By Bridget Brady
TODDLERS in Lynbrook are being turned away from full playgroup sessions.
Casey’s baby boom is putting a strain on playgroups in the area that are struggling to keep up with the demand, with the City of Casey home to Victoria’s largest population of zero to four-year-olds.
A lack of infrastructure including available community spaces in the rapidly growing Lynbrook and Lyndhurst areas is one of the reasons playgroups cannot take on more numbers, organisers say. There are an estimated 630 zero to four-year-olds living in the Lynbrook and Lyndhurst areas.
Kate Sweet runs a playgroup in Lynbrook and said she could receive up to 20 phone calls a week from parents wanting to get their children into a session.
“We’re really booked up. We couldn’t take on any more with the limited space,” she said.
Ms Sweet said she knew other playgroups were available in different areas of Casey, but said parents liked the convenience of a session in their town and did not want to travel too far from home.
“I just have to apologise and say, look, I’m fully booked and I can put you on a waiting list but unfortunately it could be up to three years because a lot of our mums are pregnant so we have a whole new group coming through.”
Pastor Julie Ohlson from Busy Bees Playgroup in Lynbrook said they had a waiting list for one of their sessions at the Lynbrook Children’s Centre and their newly-established second one was almost full.
“We need a community centre in Lynbrook that’s multi-purpose,” she said.
Pastor Ohlson said playgroup was an important social activity for children and parents.
“It’s part of the mums networking with each other and them getting to know people in the area and building relationships.”
“I’d like us to be able to run another one, but we are too busy to do it.”
The Busy Bees playgroup is an initiative of the Turning Point Lyndhurst District Church and Pastor Ohlson said she encouraged other churches to run playgroup sessions if they could.
Mayfield Ward councillor Amanda Stapledon said she was strongly advocating for a neighbourhood community or learning centre in Lynbrookthat would provide facilities for additional playgroups.
“The Lynbrook/Lyndhurst areas are rapidly growing with many young families choosing to settle in these areas,” Cr Stapledon said.
“The challenge faced by council is to meet the needs of thecommunity as a result of this growth.”
A new primary school is due to open in Lynbrook next year.