Preschool Fee Relief in Community and Mobile Preschools

Published on 15 November 2023

It is available to children in the year (or in some services 2 years) before they start school through the 2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools program.

The fee relief will be passed on to you by your community or mobile preschool service as a reduction to your fees. Services will let you know a fee relief reduction has been made to your fees, such as via a regular invoice, statement from the service, or other means. You will still need to pay any remaining fees and/or levies after the fee relief has been applied.

How is my fee relief calculated?

Fee relief funding is scaled by hours of enrolment to encourage 600 hours per year of early childhood education for children in preschools. If your child attends a community or mobile preschool, the fee relief will be calculated based on the number of hours your child is enrolled (up to 600 hours per year).

The amount of fee relief you receive each year may increase slightly in line with changes in the cost of living. You will be advised about any changes by your service.

More information on funding rates can be found in the Start Strong for Community Preschool Guidelines.

Example 1: If your child is enrolled for 15 hours across 2 days a week (based on a 40-week year), your fee relief will be $4,220 across the year ($105.50 per week).

Example 2: If your child is enrolled for 7.5 hours for one day a week (based on a 40-week year), your fee relief will be $2,110 across the year ($52.75 per week).

Can I get fee relief from more than one preschool service?

No, you can only access fee relief from one eligible service at any given time.

An eligible service may include a community preschool or long day care service.

All parents or caregivers are required to complete a declaration form that nominates which service you are choosing to receive your fee relief from.

Your service will assist with this process.

What happens if my child is sick and does not attend the service for the day?

Your fee relief amount does not change if your child is sick and does not attend one of their enrolled days.

You will still receive the reduced fee from your service. The fee relief is linked to enrolment not attendance.

What information will I need to provide to access the fee relief?

To access the fee relief, you will need to complete a declaration and a consent form, and your service will help you do this.

You will need to consent to your service sharing some of your child’s information with the NSW Department of Education.

Your service will provide you with a declaration and a consent form which explains what details are required and how the information will be used.

Will preschool continue to be free in 2024?

Community and mobile preschools are responsible for making their own decisions, including setting fees and additional charges, in consultation with their communities.

Fee relief funding will provide community and mobile preschools with sustainable long-term funding to deliver 600 hours of low, or no cost, preschool to eligible children.

Preschool services will receive fee relief funding to reduce the cost of daily fees for families for 600 hours per year. Families can expect to see fee relief applied to their daily fees across the preschool year.