Services looking after our littlest learners in the Cobar Shire will share in $370,000 of NSW Government relief funding during this tough drought period.
State Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries said this will ensure preschool services can continue to operate during the adverse economic conditions associated with the drought period.
Cobar Preschool is to receive $25,200, Cobar Mobile Children’s Services has been awarded $5,000 and $7,200 will go to the Murrin Bridge Preschool in the south of the shire.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Drought Relief Payments will ensure early childhood education services can continue to operate.
“Services can use this funding to assist families and children in a range of ways, including transport arrangements to maintain preschool participation, crisis planning or fee subsidies to further support families,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Minister for Early Childhood Education Sarah Mitchell said it is crucial the NSW Government helps ensure children always have access to top quality early childhood education, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are.
Minister Mitchell said there were numerous social and economic flow-on effects for businesses and communities from the drought.
“Our goal is to help alleviate some of the pressure on families by supporting early childhood services where attendance may have dropped due to socioeconomic pressures, and also to boost service operators coping with additional challenges.”
Funding was allocated to services based on their enrolment numbers and location, and has been scaled according to the level of drought intensity.
