Community preschools in NSW oppose move towards more children, fewer staff

Sarah Kearney sends her daughter to a community preschool on the NSW far south coast, and says the care she receives there is "exceptional".The 42-year-old mother of two said a high staff-to-student ratio at the Moruya Preschool Kindergarten was a key factor."The staff pick up on any signs that she might need extra support," she said."They're there to support us parents, and they watch all the children really closely, which I think is what parents want."A group of protesters in Nowra last week called for the funding program to be scrapped. (ABC News: Grace Crivellaro)But there are fears that situation could change when the NSW government introduces a new funding model next year.The Universal Funding Program will actually increase funding for community preschools from $540 million to $625 million, but individual centres will have to take on more enrolments to maximise their share.Last week NSW Education Minister Prue Car urged community preschools to take in an extra 10,000 students across the state.She suggested they use a ratio of one staff member for every 10 children.Prue Car says it is safe to expand staff to child ratios to one to 10. (ABC News: Timothy Ailwood)"What a lot of these community preschools are saying is that they're full based on the ratios that they want to have, one to three or one to four," Ms Car said."We're saying you can expand those ratios to one in 10. It's still safe."There are 710 community preschools in NSW, funded primarily through government grants and subsidies, which are supplemented by parent-paid fees and local fundraising.They differ from public preschools, which are operated by the NSW government, and commercial operators.Community preschools are run by volunteer parent management committees, are not-for-profit, and have a particular focus on catering to all children with diverse abilities and backgrounds. Educators are angered by the 2027 Universal Preschool Funding program. (ABC News: Grace Crivellaro)An e-petition highlighting concerns about the new funding model has garnered more than 40,000 signatures after being launched by staff at Mittagong Community Preschool on November 2.Families and directors of not-for-profit centres have rallied across the state, including in Sydney, Nowra, Lismore, Queanbeyan and Coffs Harbour, with another protest held on Thursday outside NSW Parliament. Sleepless nightsAmong the protesters in Nowra was Sharon O'Brien from the Lyrebird Preschool, who used a funding estimate calculator published by the NSW Department of Education to gauge the effect of the change."We are $100,000 short on operational expenses that have been allocated under this new funding model," she said."We take well above our proportion of children with support needs, Aboriginal children with disadvantaged, who we actually financially support by enabling them not to pay fees at all."Myself and my team have had many sleepless nights since the data from the funding calculator has come out."The director of the Keiraville Community Preschool in Wollongong, Margaret Gleeson, said it operated with a ratio of one staff member for every seven children.Margaret Gleeson fears she will be forced to cut staff as a result of the new funding model. (ABC News: Grace Crivellaro)She said the centre was licensed by the NSW Early Learning Commission for a maximum of 40 children per day, based on an assessment of environment, equipment, and staffing."If I go over my 40 children a day, even by one person, I'm breaching the law. I can be fined," Ms Gleeson said. "We've been operating since 1952 and I'm scared that unless this funding model changes, that in 2028, we won't be able to open our doors."Keiraville Community Preschool was founded by three mothers 74 years ago. (ABC News: Grace Crivellaro)NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd, who chaired the Inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Care, said not-for-profit community preschools were known for providing high-quality early education."What I found in the inquiry was that amongst all of the really shocking stories of incidents happening in the sector, there was a really good story in there too, and that was community preschools," she said."Because they're not-for-profit, they often take the children with additional needs that other for-profit centres won't." According to a report by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, 75 per cent of community preschools were rated as exceeding in the National Quality Standard, compared to the 25 per cent of early childhood education and care services run by commercial operators.More than 100 protesters gathered outside South Coast MP Liza Butler's office in Nowra last week. (ABC News: Grace Crivellaro)Community preschool directors and parents have argued that imposing a ratio of one to 10 would compromise those standards."The bare minimum ratio is not quality," Jamberoo Preschool director Belinda Hibbert told a 100-strong rally in Nowra last week."Take more children, they say, but we're already maximising spaces and are still full with waiting lists."The education minister has said "transitional funding" would be available to help centres adapt to the changes.Ms Car said the directors of centres that did not have the physical space to increase enrolments should contact the Department of Education, so they can be assessed on a case-by-case basis.