Queensland to receive five new early learning services under joint funding boost

Five new and expanded not-for-profit early learning services will be delivered across Queensland under a $49.94 million joint investment aimed at improving access for families in regional communities and fast-growing outer suburbs.

Announced by the Australian and Queensland Governments, the projects will be funded through the Commonwealth’s $1 billion Building Early Education Fund and developed on state-owned land.

The new services will be located at:

• Rosewood State School
• Yarrabilba State School
• Clermont State School
• Yorkeys Knob State School
• Chinchilla South

The investment is expected to create at least 352 new early learning places by the end of 2028, helping address shortages in communities where access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains limited.

Each service will be established alongside existing schools, reinforcing the co-location model increasingly favoured by governments.

The approach can ease pressure on families by reducing multiple drop-offs while also supporting smoother transitions from early learning into formal schooling.

For providers and policymakers, the model reflects growing interest in more integrated education pathways and stronger local service planning.

Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare said the investment would help ensure children can access quality early learning regardless of where they live.

The Government said the fund is designed to target areas of need, particularly regional centres and outer suburban growth corridors where demand continues to outpace supply.

Improved access to early learning also supports broader workforce participation by helping parents and carers return to, or remain in, paid work.

Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh said expanding infrastructure was an important step toward a more universal early childhood education system.

The announcement aligns with broader national reform efforts focused on improving affordability, increasing participation and strengthening the early learning system.

Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the new services would complement the state’s Free Kindy program.

Queensland has also committed $20 million to support the early years workforce through:

• scholarships
• Kindy Uplift
• Kindy Inclusion Support

The additional workforce measures are likely to be critical as new services come online, with staffing shortages continuing to challenge many providers.

For the ECEC sector, the announcement signals several clear trends:

• continued government preference for co-located early learning models
• increased capital investment in undersupplied communities
• stronger links between infrastructure spending and workforce planning
• ongoing movement toward more universal access to early learning

As governments continue to prioritise participation and equity, Queensland’s five new services may provide an important template for future expansion nationally.

Read the full media release here.