Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall visited Grace Lutheran Preschool last Friday, announcing the centre’s expansion thanks to the NSW Strong Start Capital Works Program funding.

“This grant is a great win for the Moree community – boosting learning outcomes, parenting options and employment for the town,” Mr Marshall said.

“This grant provides almost half a million dollars to allow the preschool to construct another kindergarten room, offering early childhood teaching to 20 more students aged two to five from Monday to Friday each week.

“These new students will be able to enrol next year, doubling the centre’s capacity. The growth will enable Grace Lutheran Preschool to hire two new early learning staff – giving further benefits to local employment.”

Mr Marshall said research had shown that access to early childhood education has an important role in improving learning outcomes for later schooling.

“Early childhood education provides all the tools for learning – teaching youngsters critical thinking skills, reasoning and social abilities, as well as getting them used to the challenges of school,” he said.

“These two to five year-olds will be the doctors, teachers, agronomists, teachers and politicians of the next generations and this funding is an investment in their future.”

The announcement builds on the NSW government’s historic investment of more than $330 million to ensure more children have access to 600 hours of quality, affordable early childhood education until 2020, while also seeing fees reduced on average by 25 per cent across the state.

Grace Lutheran Preschool service leader Megan Fleming said the funding would provide a major boost to early childhood education in Moree.

“We’re currently at our capacity and this expansion, which wouldn’t have been possible without the NSW government funding, will allow us to cater for more local students very soon,” she said.

“It’s very exciting for us and we cannot wait to see the work begin.”