Preschool Boost for early childhood services
Supporting partner services to boost children’s outcomes
Preschool Boost is a funding program designed to help Flying Start partner services to do more to address developmental vulnerability and improve outcomes for children, their families and communities.
Every Flying Start partner received Preschool Boost funding. Find the funding rates in the Policy and Funding Guide.
All partner services are required to plan how they will use their Preschool Boost funding to address developmental vulnerability in their Flying Start Partnership Plans.
Find programs and supports for your service on the Preschool Boost menu
About the Preschool Boost menu
Partner services can use their Preschool Boost funding to purchase a range of evidence informed programs and supports from the Preschool Boost menu, to improve outcomes for children.
The Preschool Boost menu lists the programs and allied health supports services can purchase to support their goals - including group-based child interventions, educator training, leadership, mentoring, and family and parenting programs.
The online directory allows you to filter by:
- Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) domain
- support category
- service type
- allied health discipline
- delivery location
- delivery mode
- cost.
Access the online Preschool Boost menu, or download a PDF catalogue.
Preschool Boost explained
Watch the Preschool Boost video to hear more about the menu of high-quality, evidence-informed supports and programs.
Off-menu supports
Most needs can be met with the Preschool Boost menu. If a suitable option is not available in a region, is at capacity or isn’t affordable, partner services can use up to 20% of the allocated Preschool Boost funding for off-menu items.
More information about this process is available for services in the Partner Portal.
Ensuring child safe environments
Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, services are legally required to ensure child safe environments.
This means services are responsible for verifying that all individuals working with children, including Preschool Boost suppliers:
- hold a valid and current Working with Children Check (WWCC)
- are aware of their responsibilities under the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
- are aware of relevant service codes of conduc, policies and procedures that contribute to a child safe environment, including the use of digital devices.
In addition, Preschool Boost suppliers must not be left alone with children and must always be supervised by service staff.
Required and additional training
Flying Start partner services must ensure required staff complete two core training programs to strengthen their capability in trauma-informed practice and Aboriginal Cultural Safety.
The OECD will fund the training for Flying Start partner services in their first year of partnering, including backfill contributions for staff mandated to complete the training.
Preschool Boost funding can also be used to purchase some additional Trauma-informed Practice and Aboriginal Cultural Safety training from the Preschool Boost menu.
Refer to the Policy and Funding Guide and your Flying Start Partnership Plan for more information.
Become a Preschool Boost menu supplier
Registrations of interest for suppliers to join the Preschool Boost menu are currently closed.
See Preschool Boost menu suppliers for more information.
Have a question?
Contact the Preschool Boost team on OECD.PreschoolBoost@sa.gov.au