KU Annual Report KU Annual Report 2018 | Page 17

KU 20 18 a range of early education and intervention programs in response to the identified needs of local families. In late 2018, KU was pleased to be awarded the lease for an additional service in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Again, working in response to local community need, KU has developed a bespoke range of services to be delivered from the new site. The centre will come into operation in 2019 following renovations to better align the design of the building with the services KU plans to offer. The almost universal increase in demand for integrated early intervention services as a result of the NDIS, provided KU the opportunity to review our existing services and identify opportunities to increase our offering to families. In 2018 this included the piloting of in-house paediatric speech pathology and psychology services. Working closely with some of KU’s longstanding corporate clients, 2018 saw the upgrade and expansion of some existing work-based childcare centres, as well as the commissioning of several additional brand-new centres. KU recognises the significant financial investment that employers make in choosing to provide work-based childcare, and we are proud to partner with organisations that continue to make, and in some cases increase, that commitment. 11 Finally, the opening of KU’s new Victorian Office in Fitzroy facilitated the delivery of an increased number and range of services, both in support of KU’s existing centres in the State, and also in the delivery of professional services to the sector, such as Professional Learning and specialist consultancy. As we continue to navigate an ever- changing market, responsiveness and adaptability are critical. We are confident that by taking a diversified approach to expansion, KU can continue to grow sustainably in the years ahead.