The Albanese and Queensland governments have announced nearly $50 million to deliver five new and expanded not-for-profit early learning services across outer suburban and regional Queensland, in a move they say will create at least 352 early childhood education and care places by the end of 2028.
The $49.94 million investment will fund projects at Rosewood State School, Yarrabilba State School, Clermont State School, Yorkeys Knob State School and Chinchilla South, all on state-owned land.
The funding will be delivered through the Commonwealth’s $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, which is designed to support new or expanded early learning services in areas of need, particularly outer suburbs and regional communities. The governments say the model will also help deliver more centres co-located with schools, easing the “double drop-off” for families and helping children transition more smoothly into formal schooling.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said access to early learning should not depend on where a child grows up.
“The Building Early Education Fund will help deliver more quality early education places for families in communities that need them most,” he said.
“Where you grow up shouldn’t determine whether you can access early education. These projects in Queensland mean more families can access early learning close to home and more children start school ready to go and ready to learn.”
Federal Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the new services would help build a more universal early learning system.
“I am so proud the Albanese and Queensland Governments are partnering to deliver more early learning centres for Queensland children and families,” she said.
“Every child deserves access to quality early learning, no matter their postcode. Our $1 billion Building Early Education Fund is delivering more early learning centres for more families in more places, particularly in our outer suburbs and regions.” She said the projects would give more children “the best possible start in life” and described the investment as “an important building block of our universal early childhood education system.”
Queensland Education and the Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the state would support the new services through its Free Kindy program and early years workforce measures.
“We look forward to being able to provide funding to these services to expand our Free Kindy program, which is delivering improved access in regional communities and outer suburbs,” he said.
“Our $20 million investment in the early years workforce will support these new locations, providing access to scholarships, Kindy Uplift, and Kindy Inclusion Support.”
“The Crisafulli Government welcomes this partnership to provide Queensland families with more childcare services,” added Langbroek.
The announcement adds to the growing national rollout of the Building Early Education Fund, which Canberra says is intended to improve access to quality early learning in communities where places are hardest to find. For Queensland families in fast-growing outer suburbs and regional towns, the new centres are being pitched as both an education investment and a workforce measure, aimed at helping more parents return to work while giving children a stronger start before school.
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