Families will save $825 a year on average, as NSW becomes the first state in Australia to provide government subsidies for three-year-olds who attend two years of preschool.
The NSW Government will invest $197.8 million over four years to provide subsidies for three-year-olds who are enrolled in community preschools from 1 January 2019.
Up to 4800 new community preschool places will be created in growth areas through the NSW Government's additional $42.1 million capital works investment.
The NSW Government will also continue funding Start Strong in line with population growth, to ensure all children in NSW have access to 600 hours of quality preschool education in the year before school.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said universal access to two years of preschool education will provide major benefits to children and the community, with particular benefits for disadvantaged and middle-income families.
“Benefits from two years of quality early childhood education can include stronger student performance in the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PICA), as well as longer-term benefits such as increased likelihood of university attendance, higher lifetime earnings and better health outcomes,” Mr Perrottet said.
Minister for Early Childhood Education Sarah Mitchell said she looks forward to seeing children across NSW reap the benefits of this new investment.
“The NSW Government’s Start Strong program was introduced in 2016 and has already had a huge impact for children in the year before school, with a reduction in average daily fees by 25 per cent and an increase in enrolments across NSW by 40 per cent,” Ms Mitchell said.