Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall pictured with students on a recent visit to Kingstown Preschool.
Wednesday, 14 September 2016
THE cost for parents of sending children to the 23 preschools across the Northern Tablelands will be slashed by up to 30 per cent, after the NSW Government today announced an additional $115 million in funding to make early childhood education more affordable.
“This is just fantastic news for families with young children,” said local State MP Adam Marshall.
“The government wants to ensure universal access to good early childhood education, so it is lowering the barriers to entry by reducing preschool fees for four and five year olds and removing nearly all fees for children from Aboriginal and low-income families.
“This funding boost will deliver the largest single fee reduction in NSW history, making preschool more affordable so that more children will be able to participate in 600 hours – or about 15 hours per week – of early childhood education in community preschools and long day care centres in the year before they start school.
“I know the wonderful preschools across the Northern Tablelands make a big difference to the lives of our children and that positive impact can carry on through later schooling and into adulthood.”
Starting in next year, community preschools across the State which enrol children for at least 600 hours in the year before school will receive increased subsidies from the NSW Government, enabling them to reduce fees for families.
The package also recognises the special challenges faced by regional and remote preschools.
“That is why we are providing a safety net for community preschools in regional, rural and remote areas,” Mr Marshall said.
“We are guaranteeing funding for preschools that are licensed for 20 places or less to ensure non¬-metropolitan preschools in small rural communities can keep their doors open despite varying enrolments from year to year.
“These preschools qualify for up to $132,000 each which will give them security of funding.”