2025 Start Strong for Long Day Care

The 2025 Start Strong for Long Day Care program provides funding to deliver affordable quality preschool education to children aged 3 and above who are enrolled in eligible long day care services in NSW. The program value is approximately $340 million to $370 million.

The 2025 Start Strong for Long Day Care program operates on a calendar year from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. Initial funding allocations for eligible services are generally calculated based on NSW enrolment data provided by the Australian Government from the representative week of 24 June to 30 June 2024 (June 2024 Data).

Funding is provided for children in the 2 years before school and incentivises enrolments of 600 hours per year. Evidence shows that this level of participation in a quality early childhood education program in the 2 years before school is associated with better outcomes for children.

Start Strong for Long Day Care provides funding through 4 streams:

1. program funding for children aged 4 and above (4YO+ Program Payment), scaled for enrolments above and below 600 hours, with loadings for:
   • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
   • services located in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage.
2. fee relief for families of children aged 4 and above (4YO+ Fee Relief Payment)
3. program funding for children aged 3 (3YO Program Trial Payment) with loadings for:
   • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
   • services located in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage.
4. fee relief for families of children aged 3 (3YO Fee Relief Trial Payment).

Start Strong for Long Day Care supports eligible services to:

• improve the service they provide through supporting capability uplift of early childhood teachers (ECTs) and educators, the attraction and retention of ECTs and educators, purchase of educational resources and program development
• reach out to their community to offer and promote quality early childhood education
• reduce the cost of early childhood education for families by providing up to $2,174 per year in fee relief for children aged 4 and above, and up to $515 per year in fee relief for children aged 3.

The Start Strong for Long Day Care program is an open non-competitive program as this best supports the delivery of affordable quality preschool education for 3- to 5-year-old children enrolled in eligible long day care services in NSW.

The department determines eligibility of funded services annually (or more often where required) which is generally based on NSW enrolment data provided by the Australian Government from the representative week of 24 June to 30 June 2024 (June 2024 Data). The department may consider any other details provided by the provider or other parts of the department to assist in the determination of funding eligibility. See 3.1.3. Identifying eligible services and assessment of eligibility process.

The eligibility of a service remains at the absolute discretion of the department consistent with the Start Strong for Long Day Care program guidelines.

Funding for eligible services is calculated as outlined in Section 4. Calculation and payment of funding.

Providers are not required to apply for this program. As outlined in Section 4. Calculation and payment of funding, the department determines eligibility of funded services based on June 2024 Data. For new services, the department will conduct regular checks to identify eligible services, and their providers based on the February 2025 Data and June 2025 Data.

In addition, the department will conduct an application process in approximately March 2025, July 2025, and January 2026. Providers with services that opened and are providing education to enrolled and attending children after the collection date may be eligible for funding and will receive email communication from the department. Information supplied in the application process will be assessed for eligibility.

Providers should note that the service’s opening date may be later than the service approval date. All eligible approved providers will receive communication from the department. See Section 11.1 New services for further details.

This form is not monitored.

Applications for Start Strong for Long Day Care are not being accepted via the NSW Grants Finder webpage application.

Please email ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au if you have an enquiry about Start Strong for Long Day Care.