NSW clarification on community preschool funding for 3-year-olds

The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW has sought clarification from the NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning (the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC) about the "delay" in distributing NSW Government funding for 3-year-olds in community preschools enrolled since 1 January 2019.

NSW Gov funding for 3 year olds in community preschools delayed Banner

The NSW Government responded by confirming that:

  • the actual funding was not delayed but will be distributed from June 2019 onwards and backdated to 1 January 2019;
  • the funding distribution will be based on an ad-hoc census conducted in March 2019; and
  • all community preschools were advised of this in September 2018 and again in early 2019.

Regrettably, this response did not answer the central question, that is “how will parents see fees reduced from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019?”

On 19 June 2018, the Hon Dominic Perrottet MP as NSW Treasurer announced the funding of 3 year-olds who are enrolled at community preschools beginning 1 January 2019. On that same day, the NSW Department of Education held a meeting with the sector stakeholders to celebrate this announcement and provide further details.

The current arrangements as outlined by the NSW Department of Education would most likely:

  1. render community preschools unable to provide fee relief from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019;
  2. introduce confusion among many/all parents about fees as they are likely to be lowered:
    • from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019;
    • from 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019; and
    • from 1 January 2020 onwards; 
  3. have parents enrolling from 1 July 2019 because of the reduced fees are now at risk of not benefitting from the curriculum implemented during 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019.

ACA NSW believes the original objective of the 19 June 2018 announcement in NSW Parliament was to increase children’s participation in preschool, despite this policy positively impacting (when actually implemented) up to 24% of preschool-aged NSW children who are enrolled in a preschool program, compared to up to 76% are enrolled in long daycare services' preschool programs.

Most children are enrolled in preschools based on the calendar year and not the financial year. Moreover, all preschools and long daycare services plan and implement their curriculum on calendar years as well.

ACA NSW will provide updates to members from the NSW Government upon availability.