Glasgow-headquartered City Facilities Management (City), which has been operational in Australia since 2009, has announced a five-year partnership with Goodstart Early Learning’s Early Learning Fund to provide vulnerable children access to Goodstart’s services.
The program is designed to support 115 children experiencing vulnerability across Australia each year, giving them the chance to attend two days of early learning each week.
The places will be offered to children who need them most – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from families experiencing financial hardship, refugee and humanitarian entrants, and children at risk of abuse or neglect.
“What makes this partnership so powerful is that it guarantees ongoing access for children at scale – allowing us to keep building a strong evidence base about what works, and to continue advocating for system-wide changes so these children face fewer barriers to participation. Those barriers aren’t just financial – they include challenges around inclusion, language and access – and the Early Learning Fund is helping to break them down,” Goodstart Early Learning CEO Dr Ros Baxter says.
“Through City’s extraordinary commitment, we can reach more of the children who stand to gain the most from early learning – children who, without the Early Learning Fund, simply wouldn’t have this opportunity.”
Goodstart says the latest partnership is the largest corporate commitment in its Early Learning Fund’s 10-year history, and the largest charitable partnership City has undertaken in Australia.
The Early Learning Fund acts as a safety net for children who have exhausted all other government support but remain in critical need.
Through the Fund, the cost of two days of early learning each week is almost entirely covered through targeted fee relief, with families making a nominal $5 per week co-contribution.
Goodstart says its data shows children supported through the fund attend early learning at nearly the same rates as their more advantaged peers, closing participation gaps that otherwise persist.
City’s operations in Australia
In 2021, City announced a long-term partnership with Goodstart to deliver facilities management services to more than 670 Goodstart centres nationally.
“Our work with Goodstart has always been about creating safe, quality and welcoming spaces for children to thrive. Extending that partnership to help fund early learning places for children who need it most is something our people are deeply proud of,” City’s Group CEO of APAC and North America Chris Winchester says.
In addition to Goodstart, City’s other partners in Australia include Coles, Kmart Group, Bunnings, Lifeblood, mycar, Guzman y Gomez and aged-care provider Bethanie.
City provides a range of services across hard and soft FM touchpoints. These include maintenance of physical assets, such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, building works, fire and essential services and security systems.
It also facilitates service-based tasks supporting occupant comfort, such as cleaning, groundskeeping and security support.
Its other services range from energy optimisation and carbon reduction strategies to Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) and hazard reporting documents tailored to different clients.
Read more: Facilio wins major CBRE facilities management software contract
