For years, Our Lady of the Visitation Preschool has been more than just a school. For many families, including mine, it has been a nurturing environment where our children embarked on their first educational journeys. The recent proposal to shut it down and replace it with a large for-profit childcare provider is not just about reallocating resources, but about dismantling a community cornerstone that offers so much to so many.

OLV preschool has long been recognized for its exceptional approach to early childhood education, fostering an environment where kids thrive academically and socially. The dedicated staff has consistently provided an enriching learning experience tailored specifically to the developmental needs of preschool-aged children. To many of us here on the Le Fevre Peninsula, the preschool represents a vital part of our community that shouldn't be replaced by a commercial entity indifferent to the community's values and needs.

If the closure goes ahead, families will be left with fewer options for high-quality, dedicated preschool education and higher costs. Concerns are high that a for-profit alternative won't match the current preschool's dedication to nurturing and educating our youngest community members, but rather focus on its bottom line.

Moreover, the decision to replace our community-focused preschool with a for-profit model was made with little to no consultation with the community it will most affect. We believe strongly that major community changes should include voices from that very community, and this decision lacks transparency and communal involvement.

Thus, we call on Catholic Education South Australia to genuinely engage with our community through comprehensive consultations before any move is made to close Our Lady of the Visitation Preschool. Our children deserve the best start in their educational journeys, and our community deserves a say in such a critical decision affecting our next generation.

Please join us in urging for a halt to any plans of closing the preschool and for a full, transparent community consultation to be carried out before any further actions are taken. Sign this petition and let your voice be heard.