The NSW government today announced changes to its Start Strong preschool program from 2026, requiring services not meeting the National Quality Standard (NQS) to lift their rating or risk loss of funding.
The IEU acknowledges the NSW government’s efforts to address safety and quality issues in the early childhood sector.
The union anticipates these changes will have greater impact on long day care services that offer preschool programs rather than stand-alone community preschools.
Data from the Wheeler Review, commissioned by the NSW government, shows the overwhelming majority of preschools (98%) already meet or exceed the NQS.
In addition, preschools have only one-third the rate of breaches (per 100 services) compared with long day care.
But poor pay and conditions mean community preschools are struggling to attract new staff to their services and are losing staff to other sectors.
Without an increase in NSW government funding to lift pay and conditions, community preschools may be forced to cap enrolments, increase fees for families and, in some cases, close entirely.
Secretary Carol Matthews said: “This is why the union is urging the NSW government to address the ongoing workforce crisis by funding pay rises that properly value the work of preschool staff.”