Today's announcement by Member for Bega, Andrew Constance that subsidised preschool education for three year olds in February 2019 has come as a welcome surprise to parents across the South East Three year olds across our region will be the first in Australia to benefit from Government subsidised preschool education as part of the NSW Government’s $197 million investment in the NSW 2018-19 Budget, Mr Constance said.
The new funding, part of the NSW Government’s Start Strong program, will mean more children across our entire region will be able to attend preschool and it will also improve affordability for families through a reduction of fees.
Mr Constance said this is fantastic news for local families and our preschools who have three year old children attending early childhood education.
“Early childhood education has a significant impact on a child’s future, and this additional commitment for three year olds will ensure children in our region have a head start in their educational development,” Mr Constance said.
Minister for Early Childhood Education Sarah Mitchell said this is just another way the NSW Government is improving the cost-of-living for families across the state.
“Because of this funding, average daily fees for three year olds in community preschools are expected to drop from an average of $51 to $36, saving families up to $1,557 by 2023,” she said.
“As a mother to young children myself, I know how important these savings are and I am excited to welcome the first cohort of subsidised three year olds in February 2019.
The NSW Government’s Start Strong program was introduced in 2016 and has already seen significant success for children attending preschool for 600 hours in the year before school – a reduction in average daily fees by 25 per cent and an increase in enrolments by 40 per cent.
For more information, visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education
