Thank you for standing up for community preschools!

On Wednesday, 15 October, more than a thousand supporters joined us in Martin Place for our Day of Action rally. Hundreds more mobilised in Lismore and Coffs Harbour. Preschools across the state took part in the IEU Day of Action to demand that the NSW Government fund community preschools fairly.

Thank you to everyone who showed up in support of our fight to ensure early childhood teachers are respected, valued and paid what they deserve.

The fight is not yet over, and we must continue to work together towards fair pay and conditions for community preschools. However, we are only as strong as our members who stand alongside us.

Right now, the best thing you can do to support our campaign is to join the IEU.

Not only will you help us strengthen our collective voice in the Fair Work Commission and in discussion with the NSW government, but you’ll gain access to a wealth of industrial support, advice and professional development.

The IEU is the union for university-qualified teachers in early childhood education and care. When you join the IEU, you become part of a strong and diverse community of teachers and education professionals. This includes our passionate team of IEU ambassadors (you know them as Start Strong Pay Fair) who have been a driving force behind this campaign.

Join the IEU

Rally pictures – Facebook

Watch this space as we continue to fight for fair funding for community preschools. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our dedicated ECEC Facebook group, to stay up to date on the campaign.

The NSW Government must fund fair pay and conditions for community preschools!

After months of bargaining with your union, the IEU, the NSW Government has rejected our proposal for increased funding to help you get the wages you deserve. They refuse to take responsibility as the main funding body for community preschools in NSW.

The Expanding Quality Access program, announced by the NSW Government on 16 September, won’t fix the problem.

We need the NSW government to stand with community preschools and pay their teachers and educators what they deserve.

Our letter to MPs

Posters and Resources

Read the story so far

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NSW community preschools are in crisis

Community Preschools are not-for-profit services dedicated to inclusive early childhood education and care. They cater to all children, including children from backgrounds of economic disadvantage and children with additional needs.

Currently, they are facing a workforce exodus.

Poor pay and conditions have meant that community preschools have struggled to attract new staff to their services and are losing staff to other sectors.

Community Preschool teachers and educators are drowning under increasing workloads, and intense pressure to maintain a high standard of care.

This can’t go on.

We need fair pay for community preschool teachers now.

Community preschools are safe, trusted and built around children’s needs. Many have long waiting lists, reflective of the role and value that they hold in the community.

Quality

Community preschools set the standard for early childhood education and care, and are 3x more likely to be rated high-quality than for-profit services.

Safety

Community preschools have low rates of safety breaches because they are:

staffed by professional and experienced teachers
managed by volunteer committees of parents

who prioritise children’s education and safety – not profit!

Pay

Community preschool teachers and educators are paid up to 30% less than teachers and educators in schools with the same qualifications and roles

We call on the NSW government to fund community preschools fairly.

Community preschools set the standard for high-quality early childhood education and care

Community preschools provide high-quality early education and care. Around 52% of community-based preschools are rated as exceeding in the National Quality Standards (NQS ratings), compared to around 18% of long day care services.

They are the benchmark for ECEC services.

Read our letter to MPs

Why community preschools matter

There are around 710 community preschools across NSW, ranging from metropolitan areas to remote and rural regions.

Community preschools are managed by volunteer parent management committees and are 100% not-for-profit.

They provide a vital service to educate and care for children aged three to five years, their families and communities. These are the critical years before children commence primary school. The difference access to safe, high-quality early childhood education can make to a child’s educational development and wellbeing is transformative. To make sure these children start school strong, we need to make sure their teachers and educators are paid fair.

Over 95% of community preschool teachers and educators are female.

Low rates of pay are a result of systemic, gender-based undervaluation of the work they perform. If the NSW Government does not address the workforce crisis in community preschools, these highly qualified professionals will not be able to continue to provide a vital service to our community. We must continue to fight to ensure community-preschool teachers and educators get the recognition they deserve.

Find the full set of Campaign Updates here

October 13: Media Alert: Preschool teachers urge NSW Government to provide funding for fair pay

23 September: Letter to Employers

17 September: Media Release: Workforce crisis continues – NSW Government misses the mark on preschool funding

17 September: Letter to Parents

10 September 2025: Media Release: Community Preschools in crisis – Union demands action from NSW Government

18 August 2025: Urgent Call – Stand with community preschools

7 August 2025: Supported bargaining update

1 July 2025: Supported bargaining update

7 May, 2025: Supported bargaining update

2 April, 2025: Supported bargaining update

13 March, 2025: Supported bargaining update