Upgrade Your Preschool - Up To $15,000 Grants Available Per Service In NSW

A reminder for NSW Early Childhood Services, that The Quality Learning Environment program is offering grants of up to $15,000 (excluding GST). These are available to services to enhance their learning environments, for example with minor construction, equipment or other resources to help provide inclusive, safe and supportive preschools that contribute to positive experiences and outcomes for children. Submission close soon!

Services that meet the eligibility criteria and program requirements in their application will receive one payment by 30 June 2018. The grant must be acquitted by 30 June 2019.

Service eligibility

• To be eligible to apply for the Quality Learning Environments program, services must meet the following criteria:
• Be a not for profit centre-based or mobile preschool operating in NSW funded by the Early Childhood Education Directorate under Start Strong or a mobile preschool contract.
• 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 (providing a structured, play-based early childhood education) under the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education.
• Comply with the general Terms and Conditions of the Early Childhood Education Directorate Grants Programs.

Application requirements

The application must include:

• Part of the service’s Quality Improvement Plan that identifies area/s for improvement and how this relates to the quality areas in the National Quality Standards.
• A brief outline of the process for building or acquiring the resource.
• At least one quote per item.

Services that meet the service criteria and are able to address these application requirements will be eligible to receive funding, provided that the application item is not already funded by the department through another Early Childhood Education Directorate program, such as Start Strong Capital Works or minor capital works funding as part of the Disability and Inclusion Program.

The Quality Learning Environments program relates to enhancing the environment to address the general functional needs of all children, including children with disability additional needs. The minor capital works funding available as part of the Disability and Inclusion Program is child-specific and eligibility includes having an application submitted, or in progress, for high learning support needs.

Linking to the service’s Quality Improvement Plan

The Quality Learning Environments application will need to provide a link to the service’s up-to-date Quality Improvement Plan (a requirement under the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations).

The application must include the following elements from the Quality Improvement Plan:

• A self-assessment of the service’s need for the resource being applied for, as identified against the relevant National Quality Standard.
• A brief plan for improvement that includes a rationale that the resource or item requested will address the service’s need.

Spending rules

Centre-based preschools

Grants will be awarded for a resource that is not already funded by the department as part of another Early Childhood Education Directorate program such as Start Strong Capital Works or the Disability and Inclusion Program.

Grants will be awarded where a service can provide a link between the requested resource and providing a quality learning environment for children.

Mobile preschools

Grants will be awarded for a resource or item that is not already funded by the department as part of another Early Childhood Education Directorate program such as Start Strong Capital Works or the Disability and Inclusion program.

Grants will be awarded where a mobile preschool service can provide a link between the requested resource and providing a quality learning environment. Mobile preschools cannot apply for upgrades to mobile preschool venues that are not owned by the provider.

Grants will be awarded where a service can provide a link between the requested resource or item and providing a quality learning environment for children.

For information on how to apply: Smartygrants

Reference:
Quality Learning Environment Program, NSW Department Of Education