15/10/2025
Yesterday was the Community Preschool Day of Action (Oops, I am a day late!) The photo is of me standing in front of the amazing Blaxland Preschool but this post relates to ALL preschools.
As a psychologist working with little ones and their families, I see every day how much community preschools matter. And I don’t often post about political advocacy but this one is a no brainer.
I’ve gone into preschools and early childcare centres and have seen firsthand how stretched educators are. I have seen the genuine tears of educators who want to support the kids more but have limited resources to do so. I have seen staff numbers drop. I have seen the impact this has on the kids that attend and the lives of their families.
Preschools are under-funded. Preschool fees are being pushed onto parents. Educators are leaving. And our teachers and educators are being stretched too thin. They give so much of themselves, yet their pay doesn’t reflect the depth of their skill, care, and responsibility.
Now, with the federal government’s recent decision to remove autism from the NDIS, even more pressure will fall on early education settings. These children will still need support and educators will be the ones providing it, without the support of an allied health team, and without the resources and funding to do so. It’s a way to save money without having to pay the people and services actually doing the work. Yes, children should be supported in their natural environments, but this can only happen with proper funding and supports so these systems can provide support and not just be traumatic for everyone involved.
Without fair funding, our beautiful community preschool model is at risk. And when educators struggle, children and families feel it too.
I stand with our community preschool teachers and educators. They deserve to be valued, supported, and fairly paid. 💕
