Funding secured for Cowra Early Childhood Precinct

Plans to establish a new pre-school and early childhood precinct on Crown land in Cowra have taken a big step forward with the NSW Government allocating $3.7 million to Cowra Early Childhood Services Co-operative Ltd.

In June last year, Crown Lands handed over management and use of a 10,550 square metre site in Short Street to Cowra Early Childhood Services (CECS) to assist its plans to establish a new pre-school and early childhood precinct.

The former Essential Energy depot was first cleaned up by removing old structures and over 900 tonnes of materials before the site was handed over to CECS as the new appointed Crown land manager of the site.

Now the NSW Department of Education has provided CECS with $3.7 million under its Capital Works Grants Program to support its plans.

Not-for-profit CECS, which has been operating since the 1950s, provides early and middle childhood education and care services to more than 500 families.

CECS employs 64 educators and staff and operates a long day care service, out of school hours care services, family day care through 17 residential services, and mobile long day care and preschool services at a range of sites.

The Crown land site and funding will support CECS plans to build a new 60 place pre-school to support up to 150 children a week and, over time, consolidate its many services into a centralised childhood education and care precinct.

Cowra Early Childhood Services General Manager Libby Ewing-Jarvie said CECS’ preschool age waitlists had grown from 30 to 80 and, even with several other providers in Cowra, there were still another 170 preschool age children who are not attending a preschool program. 

“With demand being so high, Cowra needs a preschool to support that, and we are thrilled with the funding outcome we have achieved, in partnership with the Department of Education,” Ms Ewing-Jarvie said.

“Discussions with stakeholders had been ongoing over several years, and we are grateful for the support of the community, sector partners, Crown Lands and the Department of Education in supporting the application to secure the grant funds. 

“These funds will allow us to develop this preschool and introduce more spaces, which ultimately means we more easily meet the community demand. In doing so, we help to secure the future of early childhood in our community. 

“By establishing a community pre-school we will be able to transition preschool age children in our long day care settings to a dedicated preschool environment, which in turn opens up places in long day care, and gives us the option to reconfigure our current venues to increase our licensed places for younger children.“

Crown land reserves play an important role supporting communities with everything from space for childcare and education services, parks and walking tracks to showgrounds, sporting ovals and community halls. 

The Cowra site and its surrounds are in a natural environment close to Billy Goat Hill Nature Reserve so also has potential for bush kinder and bush tucker programs to create a new level of active learning allowing children to get directly involved in their surroundings.