50 years of community preschool is worth protecting

Balmoral Street Preschool faces a significant reduction in NSW Government funding. We need our community to help advocate for change!

What’s changing

You may have seen recent NSW Government announcements about expanding access to preschool, including the rollout of 100 new public preschools across NSW.

Children First supports making quality preschool available to more children and families. But as access expands, existing quality community preschools should not be left worse off.

From 1 January 2027, the NSW Government is changing how preschool programs are funded:

• At Balmoral Street Preschool, Start Strong funding will be replaced by the new Universal Preschool Funding (UPF) model.
• At Blacktown Road Children’s Centre and Plumpton Long Day Care, the current Start Strong for Long Day Care arrangements will change to Fee Relief for Long Day Care.

What this means for Children First

Balmoral Street Preschool has been part of the Blacktown community since 1977. In 2027, as we mark 50 years supporting local children and families, the preschool is expected to receive around $218,000 less in NSW preschool funding than in 2026.

The impact also extends to the preschool programs we deliver through long day care:

• Blacktown Road Children’s Centre: approximately $47,000 less
• Plumpton Long Day Care: approximately $38,000 less

Across Children First, that means approximately $302,000 less in NSW preschool funding in 2027 than in 2026.

Why does this matter?

Quality preschools need sustainable funding. Funding supports the people and resources that make quality preschool possible.

At Balmoral Street Preschool, a reduction of this size puts real pressure on how we continue to deliver our current preschool program and raises serious concerns about its long-term financial sustainability.

And Balmoral Street is not alone. Community preschools across NSW are speaking up about the impact of the new funding arrangements.

What Children First believes

More children having access to preschool is a good thing. But creating more preschool places should not come at the expense of the quality preschools families already have.

We are asking the NSW Government to review the new funding arrangements and work with affected not-for-profit providers on a sustainable funding solution that protects quality preschool beyond 2027.

Want to do more?

Children First is part of a much broader advocacy movement calling for sustainable preschool funding across NSW. For more information, campaign resources and content to share, follow:

• Community Early Learning Australia (CELA)
• Independent Education Union NSW/ACT (IEU)
• Start Strong, Pay Fair
• NSW Community Managed Preschools Association (NCMPA)
• Smart Start Campaign