The fund is part of the government’s $5.7 million initiative to secure a preschool education for all children in the 12 months prior to formal schooling.

It is also targeted towards areas of regional and rural NSW where building additional preschool infrastructure will help to ease an undersupply of preschool places.

The Nationals Duty MLC for Cessnock Trevor Khan welcomed the news and said that the preschool would receive the money to allow for the construction of extensions to existing facilities.

“In addition to the demonstrated need, submissions were assessed on the value for money and quality of the proposed construction, and on the continuing financial viability of the planned addition to services,” Mr. Khan said.

“I congratulate all those associated with the Bellbird Preschool proposal, they have done their community proud.

“I am confident that the projected 12 additional places will help to alleviate the demand for places.”

Bellbird Preschool director, Michele Chern­ia­yeff, said that the she couldn’t be happier with the funding and said that it will go a long way.

“We are very grateful to the previous government for recognising the importance of early education and to the current government for honouring their commitment to funding,” she said.

Mr. Khan said that the project demonstrated the progress the NSW Government is making towards the goal of giving all children a preschool education delivered by a qualified teacher in their year before kindergarten.

“The available evidence clearly demonstrates that children who attend pre-school in the year prior to entering kindergarten have vastly better outcomes in their early years of schooling,” he said. 

“This initiative will help narrow the gap in educational outcomes between children living in our cities and those living in regional and rural settings.”