1. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the Additional Targeted Equity Loading (ATEL) program and outline the program’s objectives, activities, expected outcomes, reporting and evaluation approach.

The NSW Department of Education (the department) is the decision maker and primary agency responsible for administering the 2024 Additional Targeted Equity Loading program.

These guidelines form part of any funding agreement with successful services and may be amended or replaced by the department from time to time.

The purpose of this program is to provide funding to community and mobile preschools to deliver activities that support increased inclusion and participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) for eligible cohorts. ATEL program guidelines will be made available on the department’s website.

2. Program context

ATEL is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to increasing investment in ECEC and ensuring all children have access to quality ECEC. This program strengthens support available to services to meet the diverse needs of children in NSW in the two years before school.

3. Program description

3.1 Description

ATEL provides funding to services for children aged 3 years and above and families from targeted equity cohorts to improve participation and inclusion in preschool.

ATEL supports children aged 3 years and above in eligible cohorts and builds the capacity of services to be inclusion ready.

4. Program overview

4.1 Principles

The guiding principles informing ATEL are:

• accessible: ECEC services are equipped with the resourcing and skills to engage children from eligible cohorts and their families in ECEC
• inclusive: children and families participating in ECEC feel accepted, welcome, safe and that their child’s needs are understood and met
• equitable: children and families from eligible cohorts are supported by services to participate in ECEC
• evidence-based: the program is grounded in evidence that children who participate in a quality preschool education program for at least 600 hours in the year before school are more likely to arrive at school equipped with social, cognitive, and emotional skills they need to engage in learning.

4.2 Program logic

An ATEL program logic has been developed to show the relationship between the program activities and its intended outcomes to support continuous quality improvement in the delivery of ECEC services to eligible cohorts.

The ATEL program logic is attached in Appendix A.

4.3 ATEL and Start Strong for Community Preschools

ATEL is provided to services which are eligible for Start Strong for Community Preschools, or the Mobile Preschool Funding Program. ATEL provides funding based on equity criteria where the loading is not already being provided through Start Strong for Community Preschools, or the Mobile Preschool Funding Program. ATEL is in addition to funding received under these programs.

5. Program eligibility

5.1 Service eligibility

To be eligible for funding, services must meet all the following criteria:

• Services must be a community or mobile preschool eligible for and receiving funding under the NSW Start Strong for Community Preschools or the Mobile Preschool Funding Program in 2024.

• Services must be an approved ECEC service under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law) and Education and Care Services National Regulations.

• Services must accept and comply with the relevant funding agreement which will be provided to services eligible for funding.

• Services have submitted a representative fortnight of data from a period in 2023 in response to the preschool census or an ad hoc submission.

5.2 Child eligibility

Funding is calculated using information submitted by preschools during the 2023 representative fortnight in the preschool census.

To be eligible for ATEL funding, a service must have had a child who is at least 3 years old enrolled on or before 31 July 2024 (the child must have a birthdate on, or before, 31 July 2021) and

• enrolled in a community or mobile service that has a 2021 SEIFA decile 1 or 2 (IRSD, SA2, NSW Ranking), and meets at least one ATEL eligible cohorts
• enrolled in a community or mobile preschool with any SEIFA decile and meet two or more of the ATEL eligible cohorts.

ATEL eligible cohorts are:

• children who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• children from a Language Background other than English who require English Language Assistance (ELA)
• children with disability or additional needs
• children from a low-income households.

The department does not take citizenship and residency status into consideration to determine eligibility of children for funding under the ATEL program.

6. Program activities

6.1 Spending rules and activities

ATEL funding is to be used by services to benefit children from the eligible cohorts listed in Section 5.2: Child eligibility and increase eligible children’s inclusion and participation in ECEC, for example:

• additional funding to reduce fees after all Start Strong funds have been exhausted and/or
• inclusive education and/or inclusion readiness activities, such as through:
  • salaries and wages
  • educational resources including reducing and/or eliminating indirect costs of attending the ECEC service for eligible children
  • other operating costs: These are expenses that go beyond staff salaries and educational resources. They can include rental and license costs, maintenance, upgrades to and cleaning of the facility, utility expenses, professional development, language or cultural programs, technology or software costs, accounting and audit expenses, etc.
  • activities that support child and family engagement and which increase participation such as community outreach activities to build positive relationships with families and increase parental awareness of the benefits of ECEC.

ATEL funds must be spent by 31 December 2024.

Funding cannot support initiatives already completed or existing. Funding can be used to extend existing initiatives.

Approved services are not to increase the cost of daily fees or other costs to offset the benefit of ATEL.

6.2 Rules related to funding to reduce fees

Services are able to expend ATEL funds at their discretion within the requirements of the spending rules. Where ATEL is used to reduce fees it can only be applied after all Start Strong Fee Relief funds have been exhausted. Services are also able to use ATEL funding to offset other costs such as enrolment and excursions costs.

Services must communicate fee reductions to families through regular invoices and statements or other means if there are no invoices or statements available. Funding to reduce fees should also be included in annual financial accountability reporting. See Section 10: Financial reporting and data collection.

7. Key dates

8. Funding model

ATEL will be delivered directly to services. Funds will be delivered via the Early Childhood Contracts Management System (ECCMS). ATEL is based on eligibility criteria and does not require an application.

If services are not registered on ECCMS, information will be provided from the department steps to register. Services are advised to contact the department for more information. See Section 11: Enquiries for department contact details.

9. Roles and responsibilities

Providers must accept the terms and conditions in ECCMS prior to receipt of funding. These terms and conditions set out annual accountability and compliance requirements. Providers are required to certify that funds have been spent in accordance with the terms and conditions. The department will manage the coordination of the program and reporting.

10. Financial reporting and data collection

10.1 Financial reporting requirements

In accordance with the funding agreement, a provider must submit a financial accountability statement for each individual service which has received funding, to provide assurance that public funds have been expended for their intended purpose.

Financial accountability is completed through ECCMS and providers will be notified when this is due. Further information is available in the Financial Accountability Return Guide and Financial Accountability – Information for Services.

10.2 Refunds and surplus funds

An approved provider is required to return any unexpended funds in accordance with the department’s requirements. Details about these requirements will be available in the Funding Agreement.

Providers with any surplus funds to be recovered or returned should contact the department. The department will advise the service, after reviewing the accountability, whether these funds will be recovered by offset or if they should be returned to the department.

Providers are required to use the funds in accordance with the spending rules and have discretion on how funds are spent.

10.3 Data collection

Reporting and data collection provides the department with the information required to ensure ATEL funds are used to deliver the program’s activities and measure whether the program is achieving intended outcomes.

Providers are required to comply with department reporting and data collection requirements as specified in the Funding Agreement, including the collection and recording of client information and obtaining participant consent as per the 2024 Start Strong participant consent and declaration forms. Providers must have systems in place to allow them to meet data collection and reporting obligations as part of the acquittal process in the calendar year after the funding is provided.

11. Enquiries

The program management team for ATEL can be contacted via the Early Childhood Education Information and Enquiries team:

Phone: 1800 619 113

Email: ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au

12. Review period

The department will review ATEL and assess the programs outcomes, activities and delivery to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. If required, these guidelines will be reviewed and updated at the end of the calendar year in which the funding is delivered in alignment with Section 10.1 Financial reporting requirements. Providers should comply with the version of the guidelines published on the department’s website.

13. Evaluation

The department will evaluate ATEL in accordance with the Treasury Policy & Guidelines: Evaluation and the mandatory requirements for evaluation.

Services may be required to participate in evaluation activities including those outlined in Section 10: Financial reporting and data collection.

Further details about evaluation can be provided by contacting the program management team at ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au.

14. Notified standards and policies

All contracted providers must comply with all relevant provisions in the Government Sector Audit Act 1983 No 152 - NSW Legislation, the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 No 52 - NSW Legislation, and the Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998. Compliance with any other legislation referenced in the program’s Funding Agreement instrument(s) is also required.

15. Funding calculations

ATEL provides funding to services for children aged 3 years old and above and families from targeted equity cohorts.

To be eligible for ATEL funding, a service must have had a child who is at least 3 years old enrolled on or before 31 July 2024 (the child must have a birthdate on, or before, 31 July 2021) and

• enrolled in a community or mobile service that has a 2021 SEIFA decile 1 or 2 (IRSD, SA2, NSW Ranking), and meets at least one ATEL eligible cohorts
• enrolled in a community or mobile preschool with any SEIFA decile and meet two or more of the ATEL eligible cohorts.

The funding per ATEL eligibility criteria met is $291.50. The information below outlines different scenarios which attract an ATEL payment.

15.1 Categories that attract an ATEL payment

• Enrolled in a community or mobile service that has a 2021 SEIFA decile 1 or 2 (IRSD, SA2, NSW Ranking), and meets at least one ATEL eligibility criteria
  • At least one criteria = one ATEL payment of $291.50
• Enrolled in a community or mobile preschool with any SEIFA decile and meet two or more of the ATEL eligibility criteria
  • Two criteria = one ATEL payment of $291.50
  • Three criteria = two ATEL payments of $291.50 each totalling $583
  • Four criteria = three ATEL payments of $291.50 each totalling $874.50

Scenario 1

A child is enrolled at a community preschool located in SEIFA Decile 1. The child has a disability or additional needs and also receives English Language Assistance as a child from a language background other than English. This child would be receiving no additional equity loading under Start Strong for Community Preschool as the service is located in a SEIFA Decile 1, and already receiving the highest funding for all enrolled children.

Scenario 2

A child is enrolled in a community preschool located in a SEIFA Decile of 4. The child identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and has a disability or additional needs. This child would be receiving equity loading under the Start Strong for Community Preschool program.

Appendix 1: Additional Targeted Equity Loading program logic

Download the ATEL program logic (PDF 118 KB).