State Member Alister Henskens SC MP is urging all preschools in Ku-ring-gai to apply for funding as part of a $15 million injection from the NSW Government to ensure children attending preschools have the safest and most engaging learning environments.

Mr Henskens said this is yet another reminder the NSW Government is investing in the educational quality of preschools and helping to increase the number of children attending preschools in Ku-ring-gai.

“This is great news for preschools in Ku-ring-gai – this funding could cover items like new play equipment to encourage a child’s hand-eye coordination, replacing bark with soft fall in the outdoor play area to reduce risk of injury or new air conditioning to give children a more comfortable learning environment,” Mr Henskens said.

The funding is made up of the new $10 million Quality Learning Environments fund and the $5 million Capital Works Grants fund – both a product of the NSW Government’s Start Strong program.

Minister for Early Childhood Education, Sarah Mitchell, said the investment ensures all children across NSW have access to top quality early childhood education in the crucial years before school.

“This Government has invested more every year since being in Government than Labor did in their last year in office and I am proud early childhood education in NSW is finally getting the attention it deserves after years of neglect under former Labor governments,” Ms Mitchell said.

“The NSW Government’s Start Strong program is already making a huge difference to preschools across NSW. Data from the 2017 Community Preschool Census shows not only have average daily fees reduced by 25 per cent since the implementation of the NSW Government’s Start Strong program, we have also seen the number of children attending 600 hours of preschool increase by a huge 40 per cent.”

The NSW Government’s $332 million Start Strong program was introduced in 2016 and has been extended until 2021 – this investment is more than ever before.

The $5 million Capital Works Grants fund is aimed at increasing the number of 600 hours preschool places in NSW where there is demonstrated need and the object of the $10 million Quality Learning Environments fund is not only to enhance a child’s physical learning environment but also to optimise the health and safety of children attending preschool.

For more information on the grants and how to apply, visit: https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education