The idea for EarlyStart Family and Children Centre was born after demand increased for early childhood education and care from families in need of additional support across the Central West.

Children across the region will benefit from the official opening of the not-for-profit service in Bathurst on 29 November after the NSW Government provided $874,117 to help build the state-of-the-art learning centre.  

EarlyStart Children and Family Centre is a specialised service that will provide low-cost preschool and early childhood education and care to children aged 3 to 5 referred from community agencies. Almost half of the children in the EarlyStart program are from low-income families.  

EarlyStart Children and Family Centre supervisor Vanessa Miller says the service will offer specialised support to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, all at a low cost.

 “We have a huge waitlist for children, especially those that need that additional support, because there are not many services that do what we do,” she said.

“We are looking to implement allied health services, as well as working with support agencies working alongside families.”

The EarlyStart Children and Family Centre includes a new preschool building, administration office, kitchen, staff room, playground and carpark, with 20 licensed places a day so that 40 more children can receive early education and care each week.   

The centre is operated by West Bathurst Preschool and is located on the West Bathurst Campus of Charles Sturt University.

Peter Harvey, a Department of Education Early Childhood Outcomes Director who attended the opening, said the delivery of EarlyStart Children and Family Centre would help meet the needs of the Bathurst community.  

“The department understands that accessing early childhood education and care can be challenging, especially in regional and rural areas and we know that families here have been facing waitlists due to a high demand for affordable early childhood education and care,” he said.

“So, we are so proud this brand-new build will help meet local demand and cater to the region’s growing population by increasing enrolment capacity.

“Play-based early learning provides important opportunities for children to learn and develop and can help a child develop social skills, independence, and support their transition to school.  

“Research shows that 90% of a child’s brain development happens by the age of 5 and children who participate in a quality preschool education program for at least 600 hours in the year before school arrive at school equipped with the social, cognitive, and emotional skills they need to learn.”

The EarlyStart Children and Family Centre was funded through the department’s Start Strong Capital Works Program.