Find your back-to-school savings

As parents and carers shift from holidays to back-to-school mode, it's time to check what government subsidies you may have access to. Trust me, your wallet will thank you.

Service NSW has a Savings Finder page where you answer a few simple questions and it provides a list of potential rebates you may have access to. Parents may be able to access the following:

• Back to School NSW Vouchers – 3 x $50 vouchers, totalling $150 for each eligible student towards the cost of school uniforms, shoes, bags, textbooks and stationery;
• Create Kids – a $100 voucher to put towards the cost of lessons and fees for creative and cultural activities;
• First Lap Voucher – children aged 3 to 6 years who are not enrolled in school can apply for a $100 voucher towards the cost of swimming lessons;
• Active Kids – a $100 voucher for school-enrolled children to lower sport and active recreation costs each year;
• Before & After School Care Voucher – children aged 4 to 13 who attend a primary school in NSW can receive a $500 voucher per child to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of before and after school care.

Be sure to check the site for an extensive list.

Start Strong preschool fee relief

In December, the NSW Department of Education announced that, from 2023, preschool will become more affordable thanks to the Start Strong fee relief program, which provides a subsidy for early childhood education and care.

Gillian White, Deputy Secretary, Early Childhood Outcomes said $1.3 billion would be invested in preschool education providing fee-relief to families over the next four years. “Through our Start Strong program, we will improve the affordability of early childhood education, improve quality, boost outcomes for children and see enrolments and attendance increase in the years before school.”

Here’s a snapshot of the Start Strong preschool fee-relief for families with children aged three and four:

• Children aged 3 and above enrolled in Community and Mobile Preschools will benefit from fee-relief funding of up to $4,220 per child;
• Children aged 4 and above enrolled in Long Day Care / Centre-based Day Care will benefit from fee-relief funding of up to $2,110 per child.

To access the preschool fee relief, families need to complete a declaration and consent form and provide it to their child’s service. Talk to your preschool or visit education.nsw.gov.au/startstrong to find out more and download the form.