The NSW Government has made further announcements in the lead up to the 2022/23 NSW Budget. The headline announcement is for more than $1.4 billion over four years for the Affordable Preschool Program. The Affordable Preschool Program will replace Start Strong Free Preschool from 2023 and will provide:
- up to $4,000 per year in fee relief for 3, 4 and 5-year-olds attending a community or mobile preschool
- up to $2,000 per year in fee relief for 4 and 5-year-olds attending preschool in a long day care setting
As part of the Affordable Preschool Program, the NSW Government will also invest $64.1 million for a two-year pilot to support more 3-year-olds attending preschool in long day care services.
The Affordable Preschool Program builds on the funding support to community and mobile preschools through Start Strong, as well as the COVID-19 Free Preschool and Start Strong Free Preschool programs of the past three years.
The NSW Government has also announced an additional $98.7 million program to continue and expand the number of Aboriginal Child and Family Centres across the state. The announcement is part of a $376.5 million Brighter Beginnings package for child development and family support in the years before school.
CCSA welcomes these announcements which respond to our advocacy priorities over the past few years: funding certainty for community and mobile preschools, increased affordability and accessibility to preschool programs for all NSW families irrespective of the setting, and a focus on early childhood education and care for First Nations children.
CCSA will continue to keep our members informed as further information becomes available through the 2022/23 Budget process.