For the rest of the year parents can send their children to preschool for free, in a scheme that will reduce the stress for families on the bushfire-affected the Far South Coast.
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On Wednesday, the NSW government announced an extension of the COVID-19 relief funding for community and mobile preschools to cover parent fees until the end of Term 4.
Cobargo Preschool early childhood teacher/director Christine McKnight said she was delighted to be able to provide fee relief for her preschool's families for the rest of this year.
"Our community is still reeling from the bushfires," she said.
"Being able to reduce the stress for families of having to think about fee payments means our children can attend preschool without parents having to consider the financial aspect.
"It also recognises the value of early childhood education for all children and the important learning and development that preschools provide."
NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said extending this relief funding will help families keep their children attending this critical year of early education.
"Research clearly demonstrates children who attend 600 hours of preschool in the year before they start school have better outcomes throughout their lives," she said.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said this funding will also ensure community preschools remain open and will not be forced to close their doors if enrollments fall.
NSW Labor welcomed the move, but also called for long day care to be made free as well.
"This will help families and children. Most importantly, this will help women who've been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, return to work," Jodie Harrison, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning, said.
"What we need now is for the federal government to match this move by extending free early childhood learning to the long day care sector and the Berejiklian Government needs to insist they do this."
In April, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced $51million to cover the cost of preschool fees for up to six months and up to $82 million to support council childcare centres ineligible for JobKeeper payments, the AAP reported.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
