Sixteen early childhood services across NSW will receive more than $2.8 million in funding to adapt their offerings and hours to fill the needs of local families.
The funding is part of a new $20 million government program called the Flexible Initiatives Trial, which aims to fix some of the barriers parents face when it comes to workforce participation.
The idea is that under the trial, childcare services can introduce some new offerings, like providing flexible pick up and drop off times, to help ease the accessibility issues facing parents.
The government said some examples of the changes could include services extending operation hours beyond traditional working hours, making pick and drop off times more flexible, allowing parents to make ad hoc arrangements, establishing new day care services in rural and remote areas, and offering additional places.
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car, said the trial is supporting existing services to expand their offerings and respond to the needs of their local communities.
“This will look different in different areas across the state, with more flexibility and expanded offerings, which is a great outcome for parents and our youngest learners,” Car said.
Plumpton Long Day Care and Preschool is one of the services taking part in the trial, and will develop an early intervention program and increase its number of licensed places by 10.
Meanwhile, Possum Early Childhood Centre in Hazelbrook will extend its operating hours by three hours each day.
The 16 services to receive grants are in the first round of the trial include:
- Little Genius Cottage, Chifley
- Possum Early Childhood Centre, Hazelbrook
- Nurture and Grow Early Learning Centre, Miranda
- Dee Why Children’s Centre, Dee Why
- Plumpton Long Day Care and Preschool, Plumpton
- Tyndale Early Learning Centre, Blacktown
- Diocese of Broken Bay Early Learning Centre, Forestville
- Bundgeam Preschool, Kyogle
- Bowral Street Childcare, Bowral
- Denison Street Early Learning Centre, Tamworth
- Menindee Children’s Centre, Menindee
- Federal Community Children’s Centre, Federal
- Yarm Gwanga Preschool and Early Education Centre, Armidale
- Clarence Community Preschool, Grafton
- Yamba Early Learning Centre, Yamba
- A new family day care service, to be run by Bega Valley Family Day Care
Feature Image: Prue Care at Plumpton Long Day Care & Preschool.