Why a community-based preschool?

One of the great things about preschools is that they are almost always community based, managed and owned.

Community-based services are not-for-profit services, where the profit (or surplus) is re invested in the service, while for-profit and corporate services are operated with the intention of profits being returned to the owners or shareholders.

There are two major types of community-based not-for-profit preschools:

1. Stand alone, where the service is managed by a committee comprising parents
   and community members. The licensee of the service is the incorporated body, represented by the management committee which is elected each year. The committee makes all major legal, financial, employment, planning and policy making decisions. The preschool is usually incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, an association or a co-operative.
2. Sponsored, where a number of preschools are managed by an organisation, sometimes with advisory committees comprised of parents and community members. The licensee is the sponsor body which makes all major legal, financial, employment, planning and policy making decisions and is guided by the elected advisory committees. Examples of sponsor bodies include: Children’s Services Community Management (CSCM), Illawarra Children’s Services, SDN Children’s Services, KU Children’s Services, UnitingCare Children’s Services and local councils.

The beauty of community-based preschools is that they are generally managed by the parents whose children are attending the preschool at that time, which emphasises the community investment in the service. NSW preschools employ professional teachers and educators to run the program and manage the preschool, in collaboration with parents on the management committee to meets the needs of the community.

In NSW, some preschools are operated by the Department of Education (DET) as part of the public school system. These preschools are funded differently to community-based preschools and they are managed by DET rather than the community.

Some Independent schools operate early entry or preschool classes which align with the school curriculum. These services are managed by the school in most cases and usually don’t attract State Government funding as preschools.

Long Day Care services also offer preschool education programs and are funded differently to community-based preschools.

Community-based not-for-profit preschools offer a quality educational program and a unique opportunity for community involvement.