The funding, to be awarded to settings in Gloucestershire as part of theEarly Years Capital Funding scheme, will be used to build newaccommodation and create extra places, improve facilities, and providenew IT equipment and new outdoor play resources.
New settings will be built in three parts of Gloucester, where there isa shortage of daycare provision.
The plans will enable many settings, including Hartpury pre-school andPippins nursery in the Forest of Dean, and Little Meadows pre-school inQuedgeley, to expand their provision.
Jane Seaborn, supervisor of Pippins nursery, which is currently locatedin a church hall and can only take 12 children, said, 'We are allabsolutely thrilled. Most of the staff have worked at Pippins for morethan ten years, so they have been waiting a long time for this. We havevery limited space and a very small playground, but the new buildingwill be purpose- built and we will be able to take up to 24 children andoffer out-of-school care.
'This has been a long time coming for the children, who deserve a bettersetting.'
Most of the projects to receive funding have already been identified,but money has been set aside for others to be confirmed at a laterdate.
All projects are due for completion by December 2011.
Councillor Stephen McMillan, cabinet member for young people, said, 'Wewant to be able to provide childcare which is affordable, flexible andaccessible to everyone. It can be very hard for parents who want to getback into work to find suitable childcare and we hope this investmentwill make that challenge much easier.'
