NSW expands health and development checks in ECEC with new grant funding

The NSW Government has announced the latest round of the Health and Development Participation Grant program, with up to $7,500 awarded to 1,428 early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across the state.

The funding will support participating services to deliver the Health and Development Checks in ECEC program, helping more families access timely information and support for their child prior to starting primary school.

The program reflects a growing policy focus on early identification and intervention, recognising the critical role ECEC services play in identifying developmental, behavioural and health needs in the years before school.

By embedding health and development checks directly within early learning environments, the initiative removes common barriers to access, particularly for families who may not engage with traditional health pathways.

For many services, this approach strengthens their role as a central access point for families, enabling educators and health professionals to work more collaboratively in supporting children’s development.

Services receiving funding can use the grant to support a range of implementation activities, including:

• Coordinating on-site health and development checks
• Strengthening partnerships with local health providers
• Supporting educator engagement and release time
• Improving communication with families about developmental milestones
• Facilitating follow-up conversations and referral pathways

The flexible funding model acknowledges the diversity of service contexts across NSW, allowing providers to tailor implementation to their local community needs.

Open to all eligible services

All preschool and long day care services across NSW are eligible to participate in the Health and Development Checks in ECEC program, regardless of whether they received funding in this round.

This universal access approach is designed to drive broad sector participation and ensure more children benefit from early screening and support.

A system-level investment in school readiness

With more than 1,400 services funded, the program is now operating at a scale that has the potential to significantly influence early childhood outcomes across the state.

The initiative aligns with broader national and state priorities focused on:

• Improving school readiness
• Reducing developmental vulnerability
• Strengthening integrated service delivery across health and education
• Supporting families to access early intervention pathways

For the ECEC sector, the program reinforces the increasing expectation that services operate not only as education and care environments, but also as key contributors to children’s broader health and development outcomes.

As workforce, access and equity challenges continue to shape the early childhood landscape, initiatives such as the Health and Development Participation Grant highlight the importance of integrated, place-based approaches.

By positioning ECEC services as a gateway to early support, the program represents a practical step toward a more connected and responsive early childhood system, one that better meets the needs of children, families and communities. 

For more information about the program, visit the NSW Department of Education’s Health and Development Participation Grant program page.