Start Strong Pathways
Overview
The Start Strong Pathways program (Pathways program) first commenced in 2018 and is delivered by the department. This new 2024 Pathways program has a specific focus on encouraging participation of children aged 0-3 years old to engage with and transition into early childhood education and care settings.
The program enables a variety of place-based initiatives to provide early educational supports for children prior to preschool enrolment and helps promote the importance of ECEC to families.
Key information
The 2024 Pathways program provides financial assistance through a closed, non-competitive grant to not-for-profit services to support the early learning needs of young children (aged 0-3 years old), offering families a pathway into more formal ECEC. These services help expand children’s social horizons beyond family and home-based interactions.
Key dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 15 May 2024 |
| Closing date | 31 July 2024 |
| Application outcome date | From July 2024 (for applications submitted between 15 May 2024 and 15 June 2024) From August 2024 (for applications submitted between 16 June 2024 and 31 July 2024) |
| Project delivery timeframe (for successful applications) | 1 July 2024 – 31 December 2025 |
| Evaluation timeframe (for successful applications) | 1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027 |
Eligibility
To be eligible for the 2024 Pathways program, service providers must meet all of the following criteria:
be a not-for-profit service provider
be currently delivering activities and services under a previous Start Strong Pathways program or programs, which activities align with the new 2024 Pathways program’s objectives
be a service provider identified and registered in the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS), and agree to continue being identified for the duration of the program
engage a certificate III or diploma qualified early childhood educator, early childhood education teacher, or other person with a relevant tertiary qualification to run or design the service activities
have an established partnership or connection (including a referral network) that may support children to transition to preschool settings with an approved early childhood education and care service under the National Law and National Regulations
comply with the department’s Early Childhood Outcomes Programs Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions for 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 (2024 Terms and Conditions). Providers are also expected to accept and comply with the department’s new ECCMS terms and conditions for the period 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025, as provided by the department
agree to comply with the funding agreement (see section 5.2 of program guidelines for details).
More information
To learn more, read the 2024 Start Strong Pathways program guidelines.
Contact
Please contact us at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.