The Minns Labor Government has announced that 36 early childhood education and care services will receive more than $5.9 million to trial extended hours and create an additional 350 places for children.

The recipients are part of the second round of the Minns Government’s Flexible Initiatives Trial (FIT). The first round in April 2024 saw 16 services across the state supported to offer longer hours, weekend operating hours and additional places.

In the Liverpool electorate, Head Start OOSH in Cecil Hills will receive funding for a transition program for Kindergarten children & special unit children under six.

The trial will support services to test new and expanded operating models to better cater for local families’ needs, increase availability of places where and when they are needed most, and reduce barriers to workforce participation.

The grants will help services create up to 350 additional places in long day care services and community preschools, extend hours to include before and after school and on weekends, fund new educator and teacher positions, open new rooms, expand programs and establish five new family day care services.

This is part of the NSW Labor Government’s long-term commitment to support children and young families in the early years, which includes an historic $769 million investment to build 100 new public preschools in NSW – the first of which opened in Liverpool last year. This is the largest investment in public preschools in the state’s history.

The Flexible Initiatives Trial is a $20 million trial program launched by the Minns Labor Government in 2023, through the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund. The program aims to improve equitable access to affordable quality early childhood education and care services.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring children across NSW get the best start in life through high-quality early learning – no matter their postcode.

“The Flexible Initiatives Trial is supporting our valued early childhood services, teachers and educators to trial new ways of meeting families’ needs.

“Not only does this program increase access for children in our state to early quality education and care, it also removes a barrier facing parents who wish to re-enter the workforce or enter it for the first time.

Charishma Kaliyanda MP, Member for Liverpool said:

“Improving access to early childhood education and care in South Western Sydney is vital for our local young families.

“This is fantastic news for the parents and little learners of Cecil Hills.

“This is all a part of the Minns Labor Government’s long-term plan to rebuild education in NSW, ensuring every family gets access to high-quality education from preschool onwards.”

CHARISHMA KALIYANDA MP

MEMBER FOR LIVERPOOL