SNAICC in the News

7–13 November 2026

SNAICC has warned NSW preschool funding cuts could put some Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) early learning services at risk. SNAICC joined not-for-profit providers at NSW Parliament to oppose the cuts and welcomed Coalition and Independent pledges to reverse them.

Here is a look at where the conversation has been, 7–13 November 2026.

NSW Preschool Funding Cuts Put Aboriginal Community-Controlled Early Learning at Risk

ABC News reported growing concern from community preschools about the NSW Government’s new preschool funding program, which SNAICC has warned puts Aboriginal community-controlled early learning at risk.

Under the new Universal Preschool Funding Program in NSW, ABC News reported fears the changes could affect quality, force staff cuts and leave centres worse off.

SNAICC has identified Aboriginal-led Early Education and Care Centres across NSW that could be affected, including SNAICC members Dalaigur and Scribbly Gum Preschools in Kempsey, which, according to the NSW calculator, could each lose up to $100,000. At NSW Parliament, their director Debbie Swanson warned the cuts will affect her services. She said:

“Reducing the funding that we get to pay our staff just doesn’t make sense when the whole sector and the department is focused on uplifting quality, safety and implementing new child safety reforms.

How can we meet supervision needs without being able to pay the staff to be there?”

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, safety also means cultural safety, built on the trust ACCOs develop with families and community. Debbie said:

“As an Aboriginal community-led preschool, we have different wraparound services like our transport and meals which fall outside our core budget but are an important part of what we provide for our families.”

Services are now planning next year’s budgets and enrolments without knowing what their funding will be. For children, that puts the educators they know and trust at risk. Debbie said:

“With this change, there is uncertainty about how we can continue to deliver that level of care. We potentially lose excellent staff or our trainees that we’re trying to grow, which is added pressure on our workforce in NSW.”

SNAICC is calling on the NSW Government to scrap the $150 million cut, and on the Australian Government to implement the funding model as the commission is established.

Read the Funding Model Options for ACCO Integrated Early Years Services report.

Pressure Builds to Reverse NSW Preschool Funding Cuts

SNAICC has welcomed pledges from the NSW Coalition and Independent MPs to reverse the NSW Government’s preschool funding cuts, adding weight to SNAICC’s calls this week. The Coalition will reverse the cuts if elected at the March 2027 NSW election, The Sector reports.

The pledges follow growing pressure over the cuts. SNAICC joined not-for-profit providers at NSW Parliament this week to oppose them, and The Daily Telegraph reports NSW already has the lowest state preschool funding per child in the country, at $3,806, new analysis shows.

For Aboriginal community-controlled services, the impact could be severe. Acting Director of SNAICC’s Early Years Support Service for NSW Maurita Moran said:

“Cutting $150 million from preschool delivery in long day care risks destabilising the services that hundreds of Aboriginal families across NSW depend on.”

She warned the consequences could go further:

“This funding is used to pay staff wages and uplift the quality of early learning for children.

Cutting funding is putting Aboriginal community-controlled services under significant financial pressure, and may lead to closures.

This would be a disastrous outcome for Aboriginal children and families.”

Earlier this year, a NSW Parliament inquiry into early childhood education and care found not-for-profit services are generally higher quality and safer than large for-profit providers. It recommended the NSW Government revise Start Strong funding for community-run and not-for-profit services, fully fund community preschools to attract and retain staff, and advocate for a National Early Childhood Education and Care Commission. These recommendations reflect the case behind SNAICC’s proposed funding model for dedicated, needs-based funding for ACCO early years services.

Aboriginal community-controlled early learning services go further as they directly service and provide support to the communities they serve. Last year an independent Deloitte evaluation of SNAICC’s Early Years Support found they “often provide more comprehensive and complex support than mainstream ECEC services”. The cuts put exactly these services at risk.

SNAICC is calling on the NSW Government to reverse the cuts, and work with ACCOs and the community to invest in the services that deliver results.

Read the NSW inquiry report into early childhood education and care.