Flexible Initiatives Trial - Round 3

Following two successful rounds, FIT Round 3 also offers an opportunity to trial extended hours care options for preschool-aged children. Additionally, it provides ongoing support for the establishment of Family Day Care services in inner regional, outer regional, remote, and very remote areas.

There is strong evidence that a lack of flexible early childhood education and care (ECEC) service offerings is a significant barrier to work and study for NSW families, particularly for parents and carers who are in part-time, casual or shift work. ECEC services also face a range of a barriers to meeting this need.

The Flexible Initiatives Trial has been especially designed to target barriers by providing grants for early childhood education and care services to test and trial new or adapted operating models, including:

• extending hours of operation beyond traditional working hours
• providing flexible pick-up and drop-off times

• establishing new family day care services in rural and remote areas

• partnerships between 2 different service types to provide extended or wrap around care arrangements.