Early Childhood State budget wins for the early childhood sector
We were pleased by the announcement of $217.2 million over four years in the 2022-23 state budget to continue the rollout of two years of preschool across the state.
This investment includes:
- $131.2m to maintain universal access to 15 hours of four-year-old kindergarten
- $20.9m to continue early intervention for vulnerable children, including the LOOKOUT support centres, access to early learning programs, and the expansion of the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy to all children known to child protection and those from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds
- $16.9m to improve outcomes for children with a disability or complex medical needs via tailored support
- $14.7m to support delivery of kinder kits for every child enrolled in three-year-old kindergarten in 2023–24
- $11.9m to build inclusive kindergarten services through the Building Blocks Inclusion Grants Program
- $5.5m to continue the Early Childhood Language Program throughout 2023
- $4m to extend outreach support to children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to access and engage in kindergarten.
