The program operates on a calendar year, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 with quarterly payments. Funding for eligible services is calculated using the Annual Preschool Census data from 2025.

The approximate timeline for funding payments below is indicative only to assist providers and applicants with their planning and may be subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to providers and applicants:

• Quarter 1 payments (January to March 2026) expected by 19 December 2025
• Quarter 2 payments (April to June 2026) expected by 30 April 2026
• Quarter 3 payments (July to September 2026) expected by 31 July 2026
• Quarter 4 payments (October to December 2026) expected by 31 October 2026.

2026 funding letters were sent via email in November 2025 and funding information is available in the Digital Hub.

Providers of services which have been approved for funding under the Mobile Preschool Funding Program in earlier years generally do not need to re-complete the application form.

In limited circumstances, the department may ask providers to re-complete the application form for funding where significant provider or service changes have occurred, including, but not limited to:

• service delivery changes, such as adding additional services or reducing the community preschool service, and
• relocation of the preschool with a significant change to the service being provided.

Providers of new services can apply for funding at any stage throughout 2026. Interested organisations who would like to apply for funding through the program should review the eligibility criteria and write to the department at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au to receive a link to the online application or access the online application through the NSW Grants and Funding Finder.

Mobile Preschool Funding Program funding is based on enrolment data, not attendance. Children who are enrolled on pupil free days, public holidays, and professional development days will have the hours counted towards the required 600 hours per year of preschool education. Services have discretion on the fees charged for pupil free days, public holidays, and professional development days.

Please note, families are entitled to the full amount of fee relief across 2026, and services will need to determine how best to apportion the fee relief across each term based on factors such as term length, and days where fees may not be incurred.

For a child to be eligible for fee relief under the Mobile Preschool Funding program, they must be aged 3 years or above (i.e. have a birthday on or before 31 July 2026), be attending an eligible early childhood education program, and not be in compulsory schooling, including homeschooling. See the NSW Education Enrolment Policy for further information about school enrolment.

Children who are 6 years old or above may be eligible for funding. Where required, a Certificate of Exemption as per the Exemption from School Procedures policy from compulsory schooling must be in place.

The department does not take citizenship and residency status into consideration to determine eligibility of children for funding under Mobile Preschool Funding program.

No, a Certificate of Exemption does not need to be in place from the start of a year for a child to receive funding under the Mobile Preschool Funding program, however the exemption should be in place by the time the child turns 6. It is the responsibility of families to seek formal exemption from the NSW Department of Education.

Children who are 6 years old will be eligible for funding where they have been granted a formal exemption from the NSW Department of Education and have a Certificate of Exemption.

Quality early childhood education and care improves outcomes for children, particularly those experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability. A rating of ‘meeting’ the National Quality Standard is the minimum standard expected for quality service delivery.

Services that receive Mobile Preschool Funding program funding and do not meet the National Quality Standard may be directed to participate in quality improvement programs to lift their rating. The department may withhold funding to services that consistently do not achieve a “meeting” rating.

Services may be directed to participate in quality improvement programs.

Services may be directed to participate in quality improvement activities facilitated by the NSW Early Learning Commission. Information on Quality Support Programs can be found on the Commission's website.

This may involve support such as resources (ECEC Resource Library and Sector Strengthening Partnership), professional learning (ECEC Professional Learning program and Early childhood careers hub), or mandatory participation by a service and/or provider in quality uplift activities or in the department’s Quality Support Program or any other program, to lift ratings to ‘Meeting’ or above, as directed.

There are many resources in the ECEC Resource Library which may be helpful including webpages on regulatory guidance to uplift quality practice across all QAs, or read more information about Quality Areas (QA).

Fee relief will be passed onto families from their service as a reduction to the child’s fees. Services will let families know a fee relief reduction has been made to their fees, such as via a regular invoice, statement or other means. Families will still need to pay any remaining fees and/or levies after the fee relief has been applied.

While families can access Start Strong fee relief at only one community preschool or long day care service for their child, mobile preschools funded under the Mobile Preschool Funding program are exempt from this rule.

A child is enrolled at more than one ECEC service, there will be no impact on program payment funding amounts for any mobile preschool service the child attends. Each mobile preschool will be provided the full allocation of program payment funds in line with the program funding calculations for each eligible enrolment.

Fee relief funds that are not currently being applied to a child’s enrolment fees are considered unspent fee relief funds. Unspent funds are to be used in accordance with section 5.2 of the program guidelines.

It is a business decision for services to decide how to manage enrolment and attendance policies. Funding under the Mobile Preschool Funding program is calculated on enrolments not attendance so extended absences do not impact funding rates.

Services have discretion over charging fees when a child has a period of non-attendance, such as when the child and family are unwell, travel or observe Sorry Business.

If fees are charged to the family, it is expected that fee relief will be applied to the fees charged. If fees are not applied, then the child's fee relief allocation will not be used and that amount of fee relief can be credited against future fees for the child or used to reduce other charges for that family in accordance with the spending rules.

Please note families are entitled to the full amount of fee relief across 2026, and services will need to determine how best to apportion the fee relief across each term based on factors such as term length, and days where fees may not be incurred. Funding under the Mobile Preschool Funding program is calculated on enrolments not attendance, therefore extended absences do not impact funding rates.

Providers will still need to retain reserved fee relief funds from the 2025 Mobile Preschool Funding program. The process of identifying and managing reserved fee relief funds will occur through the annual financial acquittals process. The department will review financial accountabilities and may issue invoices for repayment of reserved fee relief funds.

Fee relief funds that are not currently being applied to a child’s enrolment fees are considered unspent fee relief funds. Unspent funds become surplus at the end of the year.

Unspent fee relief funds can only be used to:

• Reduce the cost of additional charges to families accessing fee relief at the service. Additional charges may include, but are not limited to, charges for enrolment/administration, resources, excursions/incursions, and building/garden maintenance.
• If any unspent fee relief funds remain after all fees and/or charges are reduced to zero for families accessing fee relief, providers may then choose to allocate any remaining unspent fee relief funds to:
  • Reduce the cost of enrolment above 600 hours per year (for instance 'third day' fees), or
  • reduce the daily fee for 600 hours per year of enrolment for children 3 years and older not accessing fee relief at the service, for example children of families with greatest need

Services are encouraged to retain a portion of fee relief funds throughout the program year to support enrolment changes.

Providers have the choice to spend any unspent fee relief funds still remaining on either providing additional fee relief for children not eligible for the new maximum rate of fee relief, reducing third day fees or reducing daily fees for children not accessing fee relief at the service. Fee relief funds are required to be spent in this way because the purpose of fee relief is to reduce the cost of early childhood education and care to families.

Any unspent fee relief funds remaining at the end of the period will be reported in acquittals and the surplus management process will apply.

The surplus management process provides that surplus funds can be retained up to 10% of total allocation or $30,000, whichever is higher.

There is also provision for providers to apply to retain surplus funds above this threshold where there is an operational need.

Fee relief funds that are not currently being applied to a child’s enrolment fees are considered unspent fee relief funds. Services are encouraged to retain an amount of fee relief funds in case new enrolments arrive at their service and wish to claim fee relief.

Unspent fee relief funds and program payment funds will need to be reported to the department as part of the financial accountability process outlined in section 7.5. of the program guidelines.

Unspent funds become surplus funds at the end of the year. Surplus funds will need to be documented through financial accountability statements and must follow the surplus management process set out in the guidelines.

For Surplus above 10% or $30,000 (whichever is higher) providers are required to return the surplus funds above this threshold to the department.

Where a provider can show an operational need to retain surplus funds above the 10% or $30,000 threshold, they may submit a request to the department.

Providers are not permitted to increase their service fees to offset the benefits of the Fee Relief Payment.

Fees must be maintained at fee levels of the previous years adjusted for CPI. In circumstances where it is necessary to adjust fees above CPI, such as due to reasonable increases in operating costs or decrease in fee relief rates, providers must retain evidence to support the fee increase.

The department monitors daily fees and additional charges, through the Annual Preschool Census, annual reporting, and compliance processes.

Families do not need to complete a fee relief declaration form for children enrolled at a mobile preschool funded under the Mobile Preschool Funding program.

Only if a child is enrolled at a second service funded by the Start Strong for Community Preschools or Start Strong for Long Day Care programs, will the parent or carer need to complete a fee relief declaration form at that service.

Under Start Strong, families cannot access multiple allocations of Start Strong fee relief in 2026 from two or more services participating in the Start Strong for Community Preschools program or the Start Strong for Long Day Care program. However, mobile preschools funded under the Mobile Preschool Funding program are exempt from this requirement.

Accredited organisations such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Centre for Health Record Linkage and the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare may link the information collected in data collections conducted as part of the 2026 Mobile Preschool Funding program with other data to support important research and planning. This can only occur with approval from a Human Research Ethics Committee or other legal authority. Before any linked data is provided to researchers, identifying details (such as names and addresses) are removed so individuals cannot be identified.

The department recognises that increased or different enrolments in 2026 compared to those submitted in the 2025 Annual Preschool Census may result in services spending more fee relief than they received for the program year, resulting in a deficit in fee relief funds.

Providers who experienced a deficit in fee relief funds can submit a fee relief data submission in early 2027. The submission will require providers to outline their spending under the 2026 Mobile Preschool Funding program. Providers who complete a submission may be eligible for a one-off top-up payment in 2027. This is a voluntary process.

Completion of Transition to School Statements for children enrolled at mobile preschools funded under the Mobile Preschool Funding program is strongly recommended. The digital statement is a free, collaborative tool to support NSW children to transition to school. Where access to the digital statement is not possible, the Transition to School Digital Statement Form (PDF 434KB) can be completed and shared manually.

The digital statement can be used in conjunction with other methods that are convenient for service, families, and local primary teachers. For more information, please see the Transition to School Statement.

Completion of the Transition to School Statement is recommended for children in the year before they commence Kindergarten. It is recommended that statements are completed in Term 3 or 4 of the year before school. 

Yes, the Transition to School Digital Statement allows for a statement to be created at each service the child is enrolled in.

This allows multiple services to provide information about the child as they present at each service, providing a more holistic picture of their learning and development.

At this time, only public schools in NSW can access the Digital Statement. If a child will be attending a non-government or interstate school, services can save the statement as a PDF and share it manually.

If a parent or carer does not provide consent, a service cannot create a Digital Transition to School Statement for their child.

If consent is not provided for the Transition to School Digital Statement for eligible children accessing Mobile Preschool Funding program funding, ECEC services will need to record that consent was not provided and retain this information for record keeping.

A family that does not provide consent for a Transition to School Statement for their child is not required to return any fee relief funding that they have been allocated.

Yes, additional consent will need to be obtained from parents/carers for the Transition to School Digital Statement (TTSDS). ECEC services use the Transition to School Consent Form to authorise the NSW Department of Education to collect personal and health information about the child in the statement.

The TTSDS is a summative assessment of the child and provides information about the child’s development, strengths, and learning needs. The Transition to School Parent Consent form is the correct document to be uploaded onto the platform enabling the educator to then proceed with the completion of the TTSDS.

Mobile Preschool Funding Program funding is calculated on enrolments not attendance.

Funding rates outlined in the Mobile Preschool Funding program guidelines do not include GST.

Providers that are GST registered will receive funding payments that include GST and providers that are not GST registered, will receive payments without GST.

Providers will receive a payment advice from the department via email for each payment made. Payment advices contain the following three pieces of information:

• Reference Number: This indicates the funding stream the payment is related to. This will either be;
  • ‘MPFP ProgPay’ to indicate a Program Payment or
  • ‘MPFP FeeRelief’ to indicate a Fee Relief Payment
• Details: This indicates which service the payment is for
• Amount (A$): Indicates the payment amount for each service, inclusive of GST.

Providers registered for GST will also receive a Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI).

Your funding letter was emailed to you in November 2025 and is available in the Digital Hub.

Payment amounts for each service are also recorded in the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS). Follow these instructions to log in to ECCMS to view payments for each service:

1. To log into ECCMS, access the portal link and log in using your unique myID.
2. On the ECCMS menu, click Funding Specification.
3. Click the Preschool (PS) funding specification for the service.
4. Click the Payments tab.
5. View the payments made for each service. The payment type can be identified in the Schedule Name column.

Please note that the funding amounts communicated to providers via email and in the ECCMS (with the exception of the payment advice) are exclusive of GST. The funding providers receive may include GST – this depends on whether the provider is registered for GST.

Payment Advice is sent to the provider’s email address noted in the submitted Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) form. This email address may be different from a provider’s contact details in ECCMS.

Providers are recommended to first check their spam and junk email folders if they have not received a Payment Advice, Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI), or funding allocation email.

Providers can contact the department at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au to check or change the email address that Payment Advice and Remittance Advice are being sent to.

Please refer to your 2026 funding letter for your service information, including your 2021 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index for relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) Decile and Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) Classification. 2026 funding letters were sent in November 2025 and funding information is available in the Digital Hub.

No, funding cannot be transferred between providers directly.

The transferring provider is required to return any unspent Funds to the department and must not transfer any unspent funds to the receiving approved provider (i.e., as part of sale of business).

A provider who has acquired a service is not required to provide fee relief to the families of eligible children at the service until:

• service eligibility has been confirmed,
• the provider has accepted the 2026 Funding Agreement in ECCMS, and
• the service receives Fee Relief Payment funding into the nominated bank account.

The provider is responsible for any commercial consequences of an operational decision to provide fee relief prior to fee relief payments being received from the department or for any of the other reasons listed above.

In the meantime, providers may advise families that the department is in the process of confirming their service’s eligibility. Once this has been confirmed and funding has been received, fee relief funding will re-commence.

Providers may wish to contact the department to discuss the specifics of the service transfer before completion via email at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au or phone at 1800 619 113.