NSW Government announces fee relief for families 

Families in New South Wales can now apply for fee relief at their chosen early childhood education and care (ECEC) service for 2025, with eligible services passing on the savings in the form of weekly reductions in fees. 

The Minns Government is also investing an additional $40 million in 2025 to drive improved quality in long day services delivering preschool programs for three-year-olds. Funding can be used by the services to pay salaries of early childhood teachers and educators, buy educational resources and develop quality early childhood education programs.

From January 1, 2025, NSW families can receive:

• Up to $4,347 a year for three- to five-year-olds attending eligible community and mobile preschools
• Up to $2,174 a year for children aged four years and above attending eligible preschool programs in long day care (LDC) services. This can be received on top of the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy payment
• Up to $515 a year for three-year-olds attending eligible preschool programs in LDC services, on top of their Australian Government Child Care Subsidy payment

Recent data shows the parents and carers of a record 200,000 children were provided with fee relief for attending early childhood education and care throughout 2024, with additional insights including: 

• This investment helped the families of around 200,000 children last year, with parents or carers receiving a subsidy to reduce the costs of early childhood education and care.
• Families of more than 64,000 three-year-old children attending LDC were eligible for fee relief for the first time in 2024, under an initiative introduced by the Minns Labor Government.
• In 2025 the families of at least 200,000 children will be eligible to access fee relief.

Research shows that children who attend quality early childhood education and care for two days a week, or 600 hours a year in the two years before starting school, gain lifelong benefits. This supports their social, emotional, and cognitive development, with these benefits evident throughout their schooling years and into further study or the workforce.

“High-quality early childhood education and care should be affordable and accessible for all children across NSW, no matter their postcode or background,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said.

“That is why we are making a record investment in fee-relief – so more families can access quality preschool and long day care, where they can develop their language and social skills before starting school.”

“More affordable preschool means more support for parents to return to work, which can make a big difference to hardworking families.”

More information on Start Strong fee relief is available on the Department of Education website.