Families with young children in Ku-ring-gai will have better access to early childhood education after the NSW Government committed $280 million and secured an additional $560 million of new funding from the Federal Government.

NSW is the first state to sign on to the new National Preschool Reform Agreement, which will provide long term funding certainty to the early childhood education sector through a four-year funding deal to replace the previous Universal Access National Partnership.

Alister Henskens SC MP said the agreement will ensure children in Ku-ring-gai will have access to quality preschool options and are better prepared for their first year of school.

“Education is a high priority for families in our area and starting well is incredibly important. This funding agreement provides certainty to parents, educators and services in Ku-ring-gai,” Mr Henskens said. “This agreement will help every family with a young child in Ku-ring-gai and give them the opportunity to attend at least 15 hours of preschool a week in the year before they start school, which will have long term benefits.”

Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new funding deal will provide stability to the sector and provide more access to early childhood education for young children.

“Every child deserves the best start in life, and this reform means more children will have access to a quality preschool education right across NSW,” Ms Mitchell said. “This agreement builds on our commitment to support young families through our free preschool program, which we know has made a positive impact in Ku-ring-gai.

By boosting funding for long day care services to provide high quality preschool programs, Ku-ring-gai families will get more flexibility and choice when it comes to early education for their child.”