The Minns Labor Government is continuing its work of building better essential services for NSW, with a $200.9 million boost to early childhood education for Aboriginal children as part of the 2025-26 NSW Budget. This NSW Government investment, through the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund, will be delivered in partnership with local Aboriginal communities.
Largest investment in Aboriginal Controlled and Owned early learning in NSW history
This investment over four years will increase the number of places in existing Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) early childhood services and establish new ACCO-led early childhood services across NSW. More than 15 new services will join the 41 existing ACCO-led early childhood services, with the first service expected to open in 2026.
ACCOs are not-for-profit organisations controlled and operated by Aboriginal people, delivering services that are closely connected to and informed by their communities. This expansion will create up to 870 new places for Aboriginal children.
This investment will support programs to grow and strengthen the Aboriginal early childhood education and care workforce, from study preparation and scholarships to mentoring, professional learning and peer support.
This package is vital to ensure Aboriginal children are getting a strong start in early childhood, to support them in primary school and beyond.
Nationally in 2021, only one-third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children starting school were assessed as being developmentally on track, compared to around 60% of non-Indigenous children.
Extending the First Steps Strategy
As part of this record investment, the NSW Budget will extend the First Steps Strategy, and continues funding for key programs that support Aboriginal children's early development and outcomes:
- the Ninganah No More program, which teaches Aboriginal languages to more than 2,800 Aboriginal children and 5,400 non-Aboriginal children will continue across the state
- the Aboriginal Families as Teachers program, which currently supports almost 2,000 children across 35 communities, will be extended. This program empowers Aboriginal families to support their children's learning through high-quality educational practices and helps grow the Aboriginal early childhood workforce pipeline
- implementation of the Aboriginal Cultural Responsiveness Framework to support the uplift of the cultural capabilities of Department of Education early childhood employees.
The First Steps Strategy supports all Aboriginal children in NSW to access high-quality education, providing a strong foundation for lifelong learning and growth.
Developed with Gudjagang Gulgul, the Aboriginal Early Childhood Education and Care Committee, the Strategy provides a roadmap for improving education and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal children aged 0-5. The Closing the Gap agreement aims to increase the proportion of Aboriginal children enrolled in early childhood education to 95%, and lifting the proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track to 55%.
This investment aligns with the 2020 Closing the Gap National Agreement.
Improving access to public preschools
This package also includes funding to support improved access, enrolment and attendance for Aboriginal children in public preschools. The Minns Labor Government is committed to increasing Aboriginal children's access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education and care to support their developmental and educational outcomes ahead of starting school.
This is funding complements the Minns Labor Government's record investment to rapidly expand the provision of public preschool in NSW. As the biggest expansion of public preschools in the state's history, the NSW Government's rollout of 100 more public preschools will provide access to high quality early learning for up to 9,000 children across NSW by 2027.
Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:
"The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is committed to increasing Aboriginal children's access to high quality, affordable early learning, which we know provides children with the best start in life.
"This Budget invests in Aboriginal-led services, grows the Aboriginal workforce and supports children develop a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
"This important announcement is extending the First Steps Strategy and expanding programs that are making a real difference to families and communities across the state."
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:
"I am proud to be part of a Minns Labor Government that is so committed to improving early childhood learning for Aboriginal children across the state.
"We know that this funding boost to early learning is crucial to helping us Close the Gap by ensuring children get off to a great start with high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education.
"This boost in funding forms part of our government's investment of more than $700 million to improve the lives of Aboriginal people, which includes $246 million delivered through Closing the Gap, in partnership with the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO)."
