Nine (9) new ECEC services at NSW public schools funded by the Federal Government

Federal Ministers the Hon Jason Clare MP, Senator the Hon Jess Walsh and NSW Deputy Premier the Hon Prue Car MP announced on 21 May 2026 of the Federal Government's $59m funding the creation of 6+3 new early childhood education and care services that will have a projected 400 places (at $147,500 per place):

• 6 new early learning services to be co-located at the following existing public schools:

  • Muswellbrook Public School

  • Cessnock East Public School

  • Eden Public School

  • Chester Hill North Public School

  • Wattawa Heights Public School

  • Inverell Public School

• 3 new early learning services to be co-located at the following new public schools:

  • the new Calderwood Public School

  • the new West Dapto Public School

  • the new Googong Public School

The $59m funding allocation is part of the Federal Government's Building Early Education Fund (BEEF). The BEEF has a total of $1b allocated (ie $500 million to build and expand ECEC services and another $500 million for the Federal Government to build, own and lease ECEC services).

ACA NSW can confirm that these 9 new services are in addition to the NSW Government’s:

• $769.3m plans for 100 new preschools at public schools (at $128,216-$192,325 per place) by March 2027; and

• $5b NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund (at $106,382 per place) by 2032-2033.

Based only on what the Federal Department of Education has since shared, what remains unclear are:

1. given these nine new early childhood education and care services are now to be long daycare services:

   1. will they be operating 50+ weeks per year and typically from 7.30 am to 6 pm;
      

   2. will they also offer before-and-after-school-care services for children from aged 6 years old;
      

   3. will they also offer vacation-care for children from aged 6 years old; and

   4. will they all be owned and operated by the NSW Department of Education?
      
      

2. how were these sites/public schools chosen and the number of places determined (ie how was oversupply or undersupply considered)? Was the NSW Department of Education's Assessment Panel Decision Making Framework used? If not, what was the alternate methodology(ies) used? Were these sites chosen due to deficiencies in children’s outcomes (eg as expressed in the Australian Early Development Censuses’ (AEDCs) results)? Or is it a combination of those?
   
   

3. at $147,500 per place for 400 places, how was this costed when applying to the Building Early Education Fund to justify receiving $59m?
   
   

4. in the NSW Government’s proposal for funding allocation by the BEEF, what are the
   anticipated substantiable long-term children’s outcomes (eg from kindergarten to Year 3 at
   least) that will be achieved as a result of taxpayer investment?
   

ACA NSW is now awaiting the NSW Department of Education's response.

For any further information/clarification, members can contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

UPDATED: 28 MAY 2026

FIRST PUBLISHED: 22 MAY 2026