Aboriginal children in Camden will now receive additional support to participate in 600 hours of quality early childhood education in the two years prior to school.
State member for Camden Peter Sidgreaves said that two services will receive grants that will allow Camden preschool students to engage and learn in their earliest years.
“Grants of up to $10,000 have been approved for a range of activities to support participation by Aboriginal children and children from low income families in a preschool program,” Mr Sidgreaves said.
“Our community has faced a number of challenges over the past few years. Early learning services play a critical role in supporting children and families. It’s fantastic to see this funding being made available to support the work of these services in our community.”
For the first time, Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s Services and Aboriginal Child and Family Centres operating in NSW were included in this program.
Funding may be used for a range of activities that improve participation in early childhood education, including working with local Aboriginal community members to conduct Aboriginal art programs, and providing breakfast programs.
Minister for education and early learning Sarah Mitchell said these grants will enable services in Camden to provide educational activities that will strengthen the foundations of children’s learning in those crucial years before school.
“The NSW Government is committed to increasing educational access to quality early childhood education services, particularly for children from low income families and those from Aboriginal families,” Ms Mitchell said.
“They’ll also be able to provide access to specialised staff to deliver targeted support to children and their families in Camden.”
Payments to eligible and successful services will be made from late December 2021.
