What's the NSW Government’s Start Strong Program?
- The Start Strong Program is an initiative by the NSW Government.
- It funds eligible early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, including community preschools and long day care (LDC) preschools (like ours at Goodstart!).
- The program aims to reduce the cost of preschool for families.
- It encourages families to enrol their children in quality early learning in the years before school.
- The program supports the ECEC sector by delivering at least 600 hours of quality preschool per year for all children enrolled in eligible services.
The goals of the Start Strong Program
The Start Strong Program has several key objectives, including:
- Improving the affordability of preschool education.
- Supporting the uplift in the quality of preschool education.
- Driving improved outcomes for children.
- Ensuring NSW preschools see an increase in their enrolments.
How Start Strong benefits your family
Families with eligible children enrolled in government-approved services can access fee relief for preschool through the Start Strong Program.
This fee relief significantly reduces the cost of preschool, making it more affordable for you and your family.
The Start Strong Program in LDC preschools
The amount of fee relief for children in long-daycare varies depending on the child's age and the number of hours enrolled.
The Start Strong Program in community and mobile preschools
Families may save up to $4,347 a year if:
- they have children between three and five
- they attend an eligible community or mobile preschool.
Accessing Start Strong if your child attends multiple programs
Suppose your child is enrolled in more than one program? It happens. Here's what you can do.
- Families can only access fee relief at one service at a time.
- You can nominate the service where your Start Strong funding will apply.
- You'll complete a fee relief declaration and consent form at that service.
Eligible children's ages for Start Strong preschool funding
To be eligible for Start Strong funding and fee relief, your child must generally:
- Be at least 3 years old on or before 31 July in their preschool year.
- Be attending a government-approved preschool program.
- Not be enrolled in compulsory schooling. Children six years old or above may be eligible for a formal exemption from mandatory education.
Priority of access is considered when services make enrolment decisions. If you need clarification about this, speak to your centre director.
Eligibility for preschool services
Start Strong funding relies on a strict set of criteria.
- Community and mobile preschools must generally be not-for-profit and meet criteria under the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations.
- Their preschool program must be designed and led by an early childhood teacher (ECT).
- Start Strong for LDC preschool programs were updated in 2025 to include:
- State-regulated services that provide occasional ECEC.
- Mobile ECEC services.
Extra resources to learn more about Start Strong
Learn more about the Start Strong Program on the NSW Department of Education's website.
We've also included links below with guidelines for community preschools and LDC preschool programs.
- Start Strong Funding Overview
- Start Strong for Community Preschools
- Start Strong for Long Day Care
- Start Strong for Families
We hope we've helped you better understand the benefits of the NSW Government's Start Strong Program.
Now, you can access high-quality preschool for your children at a more affordable price. If you have any questions we haven't answered here, call our amazing Family Services Team.