That ICPA (Aust) requests the Australian Government provide state and territory reporting under the Preschool Reform Agreement, including funding allocations, expenditure and preschool participation rates by metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas, to provide transparency on how funding is being used to deliver 600 hours of preschool education and to identify areas where children are unable to access their full preschool entitlement due to a lack of available places.
The Preschool Reform Agreement was established to ensure all children can access 600 hours of quality preschool education in the year before commencing full-time schooling.
However, families in Far West NSW continue to experience difficulties accessing the full 600 hours due to a shortage of available preschool places. While funding is provided by the Australian Government to support preschool access, many families are unable to secure enough hours for their children because local services do not have the capacity to meet demand.
There is limited publicly available information showing how Preschool Reform Agreement funding is allocated and spent across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas. Without this information, it is difficult to determine whether funding is reaching the areas of greatest need or whether additional investment is required to increase preschool capacity in remote communities.
Children living in Far West NSW should have the same opportunity to access preschool as children living in metropolitan areas. Greater transparency will help identify gaps in service delivery and support advocacy for increased preschool places where they are needed most.
