More than 2000 children in Calare will benefit from the Coalition Government’s National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education. Federal Member for Calare, the Hon John Cobb said $840 million in federal funding will be available for quality preschool programmes across the country, and that these benefits would be felt across Calare. “The agreement guarantees funding for 600 hours of quality preschool in the year before school, and includes a focus on lifting participation rates for children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds,” Mr Cobb said.
All states and territories including New South Wales have signed up to the National Partnership Agreement seeing the funding flow into local preschools. Mr Cobb said,” this funding will help the 2128 preschool children aged between four and five who are enrolled at local preschools in Calare get the best start in life.” The National Partnership funding is just one aspect of the Federal Government’s commitment to early childhood education.
The Coalition Government has committed to reforms worth $40 billion for early childhood education and care over the next four years, including more than $3 billion to ensure the system is more accessible, affordable and fairer for families. The funding is the single largest investment in early learning and child care that this country has ever seen, and guarantees support for 15 hours of quality preschool education a week for children in the year before school,”. Director of Parkes Bluebird Early Learning Centre, Rachel Westcott, said
“We are really excited for this funding as it will help us to continue to grow our preschool programmes and resources. Our aim is to provide a great foundation for our pre-schoolers who are going off to school next year.”