NSW offers community preschools up to $50,000 to plan long day care transition

New capital planning funding supports eligible not-for-profit preschools preparing to change their service model, with registrations closing on 24 November 2026.

Community preschools in New South Wales can access up to $50,000, excluding GST, per eligible service to help meet the upfront planning costs of a transition to long day care.

The Capital Planning Funding opened for registrations on 9 October 2026. It supports applications under the existing Expanding Quality Access program. 

For approved providers and preschool management committees, the opportunity is to develop a clearer picture of the proposed transition before committing to construction or a different operating model.

Funding can cover activities such as architectural plans, space calculations, fire and traffic reports, quantity surveyor advice, builders’ quotations and financial analysis.

Eligible services can also receive up to three hours of support from ShakeUp Architecture to identify the planning work and professionals needed.

The funding is administered through approved expenditure: ShakeUp pays agreed costs and seeks reimbursement from the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Board.

Providers must meet the relevant eligibility requirements, have selected their proposed long day care model and identified local demand.

Registrations close on 24 November 2026. Planning activities must be completed by 30 November 2026, which is also the closing date for round one Expanding Quality Access applications. Providers can register interest by emailing [email protected]

Receiving planning support does not guarantee success in the broader funding program. 

The Expanding Quality Access guidelines provide for a $100 million allocation, including grants, administration and evaluation.

The program targets existing not-for-profit community preschools funded through 2026 Start Strong for Community Preschools and rated at least Meeting the National Quality Standard.

It supports transitions to not-for-profit long day care through capital works, operations support and transition support. Applications are demand driven and non-competitive, but still undergo assessment.

Different models accommodate different age groups, including a preschool-age-only option. Services must operate for at least 48 weeks annually and secure Child Care Subsidy approval by 30 June 2028. 

For a community preschool, changing the operating model involves more than preparing building plans. Longer annual operation affects staffing, budgets, administration and relationships with families.

Management committees can use the planning process to test whether their proposed model is workable. That means considering how the service will maintain its educational approach, meet family needs and support educators through the change.

The practical starting point is a defined proposal: which children the service intends to cater for, what operating arrangements it proposes and what changes its premises require. Providers can then use the published funding terms to establish which planning activities are eligible for support.