NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall today announced families across the region would benefit from an $8 million funding injection from the State Government for capital works leading to 500 additional preschool places in areas of high need.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for local preschools to expand their current services to offer more places resulting in more opportunities for children to receive a quality preschool education,” Mr Marshall said.
The funding will support community preschools to:
- extend existing preschool buildings;
- build new preschool facilities;
- buy new motor vehicles for existing mobile preschool services; or
- deliver alternative, innovative solutions that create more preschool places.
“I know that some of our region’s preschools require assistance to meet the demand of their local areas,” he said.
“I urge all community preschools in the Northern Tablelands which have the need for more room to apply.”
Minister for Early Childhood Education Leslie Williams said research demonstrates that preschool education puts children on track for both academic and social success in the crucial early years of schooling.
“By funding the construction of new preschools and the expansion of existing services, the NSW Government is making more places available for four and five-year-olds to attend preschool before they make the leap to primary education,” Mrs Williams said.
Preschool services are invited to submit expressions of interest for capital works funding by 20 May 2016.
Priority will be given to services demonstrating that additional places would support access for children from Aboriginal and low-income backgrounds.
For more information, visit the Department of Education website at www.dec.nsw.gov.au/what-we-offer/regulation-and-accreditation/early-childhood-education-care/funding/grants-program