Nine (9) new ECEC services at NSW public schools funded by the Federal Government

Federal Ministers the Hon Jason Clare MP, Senator the Hon Jess Walsh and NSW Deputy Premier the Hon Prue Car MP announced on 21 May 2026 of the Federal Government's $59m funding the creation of 6+3 new early childhood education and care services that will have a projected 400 places (at $147,500 per place):

• 6 new early learning services to be co-located at the following existing public schools:

  • Muswellbrook Public School

  • Cessnock East Public School

  • Eden Public School

  • Chester Hill North Public School

  • Wattawa Heights Public School

  • Inverell Public School

• 3 new early learning services to be co-located at the following new public schools:

  • the new Calderwood Public School

  • the new West Dapto Public School

  • the new Googong Public School

The $59m funding allocation is part of the Federal Government's Building Early Education Fund (BEEF). The BEEF has a total of $1b allocated (ie $500 million to build and expand ECEC services and another $500 million for the Federal Government to build, own and lease ECEC services).

ACA NSW can confirm that these 9 new services are in addition to the NSW Government’s:

• $769.3m plans for 100 new preschools at public schools (at $128,216-$192,325 per place) by March 2027; and

• $5b NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund (at $106,382 per place) by 2032-2033.

What were not clear are:

1. whether these nine new early childhood education and care services:

   1. are to be preschools only (ie operating 40 weeks per year and typically between school hours); or

   2. are to be preschools with wraparound (free or CCS-supported) before-and-after-school-care; or

   3. are to be long daycare services (ie operating 50+ weeks per year); and

2. how these sites/public schools were chosen and the number of places determined (ie how was oversupply or undersupply considered)? Were these sites chosen due to deficiencies in children’s outcomes (eg as expressed in the Australian Early Development Censuses’ (AEDCs) results)? Or is it a combination of those?

The two Ministers' spokespersons directed ACA NSW to (formally) submit our questions to the Federal Department of Education. ACA NSW is awaiting the Federal Department's response.

For any further information/clarification, members can contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

PUBLISHED: 22 MAY 2026