Preschool funding cuts put educator jobs and trainees at risk, SNAICC warns

Preschool funding changes may impact educator retention and trainee support, according to SNAICC.

Dalaigur and Scribbly Gum Preschools’ director Debbie Swanson said the NSW Government’s funding calculator indicated funding may be reduced by up to $100,000 per service.

“We potentially lose excellent staff or our trainees that we’re trying to grow, which is adding pressure on our workforce in NSW,”Ms Swanson said in the SNAICC statement.

Funding pressure raises concerns about quality and supervision

Ms Swanson said she was concerned about being able to provide quality education, child safety and supervision with less funding.

SNAICC said funding pressures may reduce services’ capacity to retain experienced educators and support trainees.

The organisation warned that these workforce pressures could make it harder for Aboriginal community-controlled services to maintain culturally safe early education for children and families.

Can individual allocations sustain experienced staff?

The NSW Government states that the Universal Preschool Funding model will increase access to community preschools, fully fund three-year-old places and provide teachers and educators with above-award pay.

Combined community preschool and inclusion funding will increase to between $584 million and $642 million in 2027, compared with between $540 million and $625 million in 2026. SNAICC is requesting an urgent meeting with the NSW Education Minister to understand how the changes will affect community preschools.

For Ms Swanson, the question is whether each service will receive enough funding to keep its team. Retaining experienced educators helps maintain the relationships with children, families and communities that support their everyday work.

Read the SNAICC statement and the NSW Government’s funding announcement.