Anglo American has donated $140,000 to Simply Sunshine Childcare’s new kindergarten service in Moranbah to fund a playground with learning facilities for local children. 

The additional service would provide a major boost to the availability of placements for families in Moranbah, which is experiencing a shortage of kindergarten vacancies.

Simply Sunshine Childcare’s Centre Director Amanda Stephan said the donation from Anglo American ensured the not-for-profit centre could open a second Moranbah facility to support local demand.

“This contribution has helped us to provide more Moranbah families with access to quality childcare,” Ms Stephan said.

“We’re very grateful to Anglo American for its ongoing support of the local community in Moranbah.”

An additional 44 weekly kindergarten places for children of local families would be created by the extra service at Moranbah State School and a further 22 childcare places would become available at the existing centre operated by Simply Sunshine Childcare in Moranbah.

Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business Tyler Mitchelson said the availability of quality childcare was a key priority identified by the Moranbah community through the company’s Social Way engagement process.

“As a major employer in Moranbah, we’re pleased to partner with Simply Sunshine Childcare, to support the expansion of early education opportunities in the area, Mr Mitchelson said.

“This grant is a demonstration of our commitment to supporting our communities through expanding kindergarten opportunities for Moranbah families.

“A central part of our Sustainable Mining Plan is to support thriving communities, and to achieve this we need to improve access to childcare services and education opportunities for children in mining communities.

“Kindergarten is an important stepping stone for children before they enrol at school and this investment will help ensure Moranbah kids have a great start to their schooling.”

Anglo American is the second largest metallurgical coal producer in Australia, employing around 5,000 people. The company operates five metallurgical coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, along with additional joint venture interests. 

Click here to download a copy of Anglo American’s Sustainable Mining Plan