A new preschool disability support program valued at $17 million is the next step in the NSW government’s plan to have children with a disability attending community preschools.
The move comes after a funding increase of 30-70 per cent for children with the highest needs.
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the program would help give children well-rounded learning experiences.
“Attending preschool is an important developmental stage in the life of any young child and it is important to extend this experience to young children with disability,” Mr Piccoli said.
“Clearly, all community preschools need extra assistance to support the inclusion of children with disability.”
The new program replaces Supporting Children with Additional Needs (SCAN) and Intervention Support Program (ISP) initiatives.
Children with low-level disabilities will also receive funding for the first time.
The funding will be evenly distributed according to the total number of children included in the preschool funding model.
Funding will be provided at three different levels, depending on the level of assistance needed for a child to take part in preschool.
It’s $45 a day for children requiring moderate help, $90 for children needing considerable adult assistance; and $120 for children requiring intensive support.
Applications will be open from November 2014 for the 2015 year.
■ Visit: dec.nsw.gov.au and click on the ‘funding’ tab.
