$15,000 Grants Available For NSW Childcare Services To Purchase Resources To Improve Learning Environments

The Quality Learning Environments program aims to support not-for-profit community preschools (centre based and mobile) and not-for-profit long day cares to apply for grants of up to $15,000 (ex GST). Grants can be used to purchase resources and activities which improve physical or educational learning environments.

This may include quality improvement initiatives to meet the needs of services impacted by bushfire and recent severe weather events or other emergency situations such as COVID-19.

Improvements to physical learning environments can include the completion of minor capital works and investment in infrastructure items. Improvements to the educational learning environment can include specialised educational programs and activities.

Applications must demonstrate a link between proposed resources and activities and the service’s identified areas for improvement, outlined in their Self-Assessment documentation or Quality Improvement Plan.

Applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria, application requirements and spending rules.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding through the 2020 QLE program, a service must meet the following criteria:

• be a not-for-profit community preschool (centre-based or mobile) or not-for-profit long day care (as identified in the National Quality Agenda IT System or where other sufficient evidence is provided upon request; and including local government managed services) operating in NSW
• be an approved early childhood education and care service under the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations or the Supplementary Provisions Act
• deliver an early childhood education program designed by a degree qualified early childhood teacher in accordance with The Early Years Learning Framework under the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education
• be registered, or be willing to register, with The Department of Education (the department)’s Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS)
• accept and comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Early Childhood Education Grants Program.

Services are only eligible to apply for QLE funding once per service approval (for mobile preschools, you can only apply under the Service Approval of your parent service, not the mobile venues).

Applications open from 22 June to 25 September 2020. 

For more information, please read the follwing: Quality Learning Environments Program