NSW prioritises community preschools in 2022-23 Budget announcement

Families with three, four and five-year-old children in New South Wales who access community or mobile preschool settings will be eligible for up to $4,000 per year in fee relief from 1 January next year as part of a more than $1.4 billion commitment by the NSW Government to bolster early learning. 

Those with children attending preschool in long day care (LDC) settings will be eligible for up to $2,000, and those with children attending Department of Education preschools will receive “the equivalent of five days a fortnight of affordable preschool fee relief,” an announcement from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet noted. 

The Premier hopes that the program will ease cost of living pressures for families and ensure that more children receive high quality early education, which is critical for a smooth transition to school and better educational outcomes for their future.

“Preschool is where the building blocks for lifelong success are established so it is vital that quality early childhood education is more accessible for families in NSW, no matter what their circumstances or where they live,” Mr Perrottet said.

The NSW Government will also invest $64.1 million for a two-year pilot to support more three-year-olds attending preschool in LDC services.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean backed the announcement, pointing to evidence which shows a $2 return on investment for every $1 allocated to the sector, something he said “is a great investment for any Treasurer”. 

“A significant body of research shows that children who participate in quality preschool programs have improved lifelong educational, social and economic outcomes,” NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell added, welcoming the addition of community and mobile preschools to the mix. 

“Families using these services are not eligible for the Child Care Subsidy, so NSW’s commitment to long-term funding relief is significant and genuinely needed,” she said. 

Treasurer Kean has announced the 2022-23 NSW Budget will be handed down on Tuesday, 21 June 2022.