The Hon Kristy McBain

Federal Member for Eden-Monaro

The Albanese Government is providing funding to four early learning services in Eden-Monaro, helping them to stay open and upgrade.

Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain today visited Merimbula Tura Kindergarten, which is receiving capital funding to undertake upgrade works.

Bega Valley Family Day Care, Narooma After School and Vacation Care and Thredbo Early Childhood Centre are receiving sustainability funding under the program.

These four services in Eden-Monaro are some of the more than 430 early childhood education and care services, in disadvantaged, regional and remote communities across Australia, that have been offered a share of over $500,000 of the $80 million of funding.

More than 380 services will receive sustainability support to help them remain open, with 90 services receiving capital support to undertake important modification work or expand to create more early childhood education and care places.

More than 80 per cent of the funding will support services in regional or remote areas, ensuring children can access the transformational benefits of early learning no matter where they live.

Families accessing these services will also benefit from the Government’s Cheaper Child Care reforms, which have made early childhood education more affordable for more than 1 million families across Australia including 265,000 families in regional areas.

The funding is being provided through the Government’s Community Child Care Fund (CCCF), helping address barriers to participation in early childhood education and care.

The more than $600 million CCCF program supports around 700 services across Australia, with around 85 per cent of funding supporting services in regional and remote communities.

For more information on the CCCF program visit education.gov.au/early-childhood/community-child-care-fund

Quotes attributable to Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain:

“I know first-hand how difficult accessing childcare in a regional community can be – and that’s why I’m so proud to see this funding delivered to ensure our childcare services remain open.

“This funding is critical to ensuring our local kids at these centres can continue accessing the transformational benefits of early childhood education and care.

“It comes on top of our Cheaper Child Care reforms, which are providing an enormous benefit to families across Eden-Monaro.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly

“This funding will help early childhood education services in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities across Australia remain open.

“Access to early childhood education and care is vital to ensuring families can make the choice that are best for them, particularly when it comes to balancing the early learning needs of children along with being able to work more hours and boost household income.”