The NSW Government has recently announced it will be providing fee relief to families through the Start Strong Affordable Preschool initiative in 2023 as part of its $1.3 billion Affordable Preschool program from the start of 2023.
“With cost-of-living pressures being felt across Australia, the NSW Government is reducing stress for families across NSW by providing immediate fee relief,” NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said in a statement.
Thanks to this new initiative, all G8 early learning centres in NSW with a preschool program will offer this new fee relief to families from 2023. Our funded preschool programs provide active play-based learning led by passionate and qualified teachers and educators, along with the convenience of long day care meals and extended hours to fit in with your family’s schedule.
We have compiled some common questions from families to help you better understand the initiative. Click on the quick links below to jump to the relevant section.
How will it work?
How do I access the fee relief?
How much will I save?
Can families receive ACCS and the new fee relief?
Will I receive the fee relief if my child is enrolled in more than one preschool program?
What happens if my child is sick and does not attend the service for the day?
My child will leave the centre during the year. What will happen to the remaining fee relief?
Are families eligible for the Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the fee relief?
Why families love G8’s kindergarten programs
How do I enrol my child in the preschool program offered by G8 centres?
How will it work?
The new Start Strong Affordable Preschool program introduces a new fee relief to reduce the cost of preschool for eligible families.
Families attending a preschool program at a long day care service will receive up to $2110 per year subsidy for every child, who is at least 4 years old, on or before 31 July 2023 and enrolled in a funded preschool program.
The annual subsidy will be applied to your family’s accounts in monthly credit amounts at the beginning of each month from March 2023. This credit will be applied after any Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is paid and appears as a financial credit adjustment in their Xplor account.
For example, if a child is eligible for the full $2110 subsidy, the family will receive approximately $211 credit per month in 2023.
How do I access the fee relief?
You must confirm that your child is enrolled in a preschool program by completing this Preschool Enrolment Form. Failure to complete this form will mean you will not receive the subsidy.
You can only receive this subsidy at one funded centre at a time. This is confirmed by the completion of the above form.
You will need to consent to your centre sharing some of your child’s information with the NSW Department of Education and the Australian Government.
If you need any help with this, please speak to your centre manager.
How much can I save?
The affordability subsidy is a flat rate of $2110 per eligible child. It will be paid over 10 months to family accounts at $211 per month. You can break this down to a weekly fee relief of $40.57 ($2110/52 weeks).
G8 Education will work with the government to implement the new subsidy in 2023 and we expect it will be paid to families from March as preschool enrolments are confirmed for the year.
Can families receive ACCS and the new fee relief?
A child receiving ACCS may still be eligible to receive the fee relief, however, it will not be applied to the child’s account as the family will not have any out-of-pocket expenses to pay.
Will I receive the fee relief if my child is enrolled in more than one preschool program?
Fee relief can only be accessed at one community preschool or long day care service at any given time. At each service their child is enrolled in, parents/legal guardians must complete a declaration form to nominate which service they will access the fee relief from.
What happens if my child is sick and does not attend the service for the day?
The fee relief is linked to enrolment not attendance. If your child is sick and does not attend on one of their enrolled days, your weekly fee relief amount does not change. You will still receive a reduced fee from your service.
My child will leave the centre during the year. What will happen to the remaining fee relief?
If a child leaves a service part way through the year, they will only receive the prorate valued up until that time. The remaining balance is provided to a new incoming family. If this does not occur, then the centre can use it to support its preschool program. If the leaving family attends another funded preschool then they should be able to pick up the pro-rata value from their new service.
Are families eligible for the Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the fee relief?
Yes. The fee relief will have no impact on the amount of Child Care Subsidy families receive. See the case studies for a practical example of how the fee relief can be calculated.
Why families love G8’s kindergarten programs
At G8 Education, our preschool program provides children with opportunities to practice and learn how to:
- Use language appropriately to communicate their ideas, feelings and needs – strong oral language skills are the basis for literacy learning in school.
- Use numeracy skills through early mathematical play including patterning, counting, sequencing, comparing and sorting shapes, and spatial awareness.
- Develop social skills to make friends and play collaboratively with peers.
- Develop emotional skills including the capability to self-regulate emotions and behaviours.
- Develop motor skills and core strength to participate across the day and to help prepare their body for formal learning in school.
- Become more independent in self-care.
- Creatively express ideas and feelings through art, dance, and dramatic play.
- Develop the confidence to ask and respond to questions, explore, make predictions, and solve problems of interest.
Families are children’s first and most important teachers, so trust that we will learn from you about your child’s strengths, interests and needs. We will also support your family’s preschool journey by keeping you informed about their progress in learning and developmental outcomes.
How do I enrol my child in the preschool program offered by G8 centres?
Choosing the right program for your child is an important decision for families and we are here to help. To give your child a fantastic head start on their education journey, call into one of our centres in New South Wales, book a tour and secure your place.
If your child is already enrolled in one of our NSW centres, and they will be at least four years old, on or before 31 July 2023, let your centre manager know you plan to enrol in the preschool program for 2023.
Families must complete this Preschool Enrolment Form to receive the fee relief. You are only eligible to receive the fee relief at one centre at a time. The centre you nominate as your chosen ‘funded preschool program’ on this form will be the centre at which the fee relief is applied.
We look forward to your child continuing their early learning journey with us next year as they take the next leap in their education.