Parents welcome NSW preschool investment, call for fair pay and national reform

Parents have welcomed the NSW Government’s $100 million investment in community preschools, saying it will boost access to quality early learning for families across the state.

The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said the grants, which will help preschools expand their hours and age groups, are a positive step towards ensuring children get the best start in life.

“This investment will make it easier for families to access preschool education in NSW,” Ms Dent said. “Community-based, not-for-profit preschools have a strong record of delivering high-quality early learning, and families deserve more of these options.”

But Ms Dent warned the reform will only succeed if it is matched by fair, professional pay and conditions for early childhood educators and teachers in community preschools.

“Unless educators and teachers are valued equally across every service type through professional pay and conditions, the workforce crisis will deepen and children will be shortchanged,” she said.

The Parenthood also highlighted the urgent need to rebuild trust in early learning after recent safety crises.

“This investment builds on proposed NSW legislation to strengthen safety, including a legal obligation for the sector and regulator to put the rights and best interests of children above all else. These are important steps forward,” Ms Dent said.

However, she said state-led reforms can only go so far.

“Every child in Australia has the right to be safe in their early learning setting, no matter where they live. That requires robust national coordination. That’s why we’re calling for a National Early Childhood Commission to oversee safety and quality reforms across the country. We encourage Premier Minns and Minister Houssos to champion this nationally.”