The department’s grants and funded programs are designed to improve access to ECEC for children and families across NSW.

In NSW, the department:

• is the primary funder for community preschools, mobile preschools and public preschools
• delivers funding contributions to long day care, multifunctional Aboriginal children’s services, Aboriginal child and family centres, outside school hours care and vacation care.

Our programs and initiatives are aimed at driving quality outcomes for children, priority funding areas include:

• equity and inclusion
• child development
• delivery of quality early education programs
• affordability.

We also provide funding to the sector to meet the goals of the Preschool Reform Agreement and to ensure all children in NSW can participate in 600 hours of quality preschool programs in the years before school via Start Strong.

Australian Government funding

The Australian Government supports families to access ECEC by subsiding the cost. This is delivered through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which is paid directly to approved providers of:

• long day care (centre based day care)
• outside school hours care and vacation care
• family day care
• occasional care.

The Australian Government also provides other funding to increase participation and outcomes, including the Community Child Care Fund and the Inclusion Support Program.

Visit the Australian Government’s Department of Education website for more information.