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Source-checked directory

Every fee-free public preschool in NSW, open and coming

Search all 105 public preschools operating now and the 100 sites in the NSW Government expansion. Each status is tied to an official source.

Source snapshot published 11 October 2026. Official sources are checked daily, and source conflicts are recorded rather than smoothed over.

105

Operating public preschools

6

New sites open and enrolling

59

New sites accepting EOIs

35

New sites still coming

Find the nearest preschoolSee preschools open nowSee the 100-site expansion

Short answer

What is a fee-free NSW public preschool?

This directory covers NSW public preschools operated by the Department of Education. The Department says these preschools cannot charge for enrolment, attendance, waiting list applications or specialist programs. Community preschool fee relief and preschool programs inside long day care are separate funding and service models, so they are not mixed into this list.

Read the NSW public preschool fee policy

Local competitor check

Find the closest public preschool

Enter a NSW address, suburb or postcode. We’ll show the nearest operating public preschools, announced sites still coming, and how many sit within 3, 5 and 10 kilometres.

Results stay on this page. The full directory remains below and is not filtered by this location search. Distances are straight-line estimates, not driving distances.

Full directory

Search the preschool tables

This filter only changes the two tables below. Your nearest-preschool result stays in place.

Operating now

Current fee-free NSW public preschools

105 of 105 preschools shown

100-preschool expansion

New public preschools open or coming

100 of 100 sites shown

How status works

We only publish a status the source supports

A June 2026 NSW update said all 100 sites had planning approval and 95 were under construction. The latest enrolment page names 6 as open and 59 accepting expressions of interest. The statewide construction total is not mapped to individual schools, so the other 35 records say “Coming by 2027”.

Read the statewide progress update

Source reconciliation

How the expansion sources are reconciled

  • The current expansion page names 100 locations for the 100-site program.
  • Individual expansion records use enrolment status only where the School Infrastructure enrolment page publishes it. The remaining sites are labelled coming by 2027 rather than assigned an unsupported construction stage.
Check the original 100-site announcement

Questions operators and families ask

NSW public preschool FAQ

How close is the nearest fee-free public preschool?

Enter a NSW address, suburb or postcode in the location checker. It shows the nearest operating public preschools, announced sites still coming and counts within 3, 5 and 10 kilometres. Distances are straight-line estimates, not driving distances.

How should childcare centres use the distance check?

Use proximity as one local competition signal. Public preschool hours, eligibility and attendance patterns differ from long day care, so a nearby public preschool is not a like-for-like place comparison.

Are NSW public preschools free?

Yes. NSW public preschools cannot charge fees for enrolment, attendance, waiting list applications or specialist programs.

How many fee-free public preschools are open in NSW?

The NSW Department of Education current list names 105 operating public preschools as at 11 October 2026. That total includes 6 sites from the 100-preschool expansion that are now listed as open and enrolling.

When will the 100 new NSW public preschools open?

The NSW Government says the 100-preschool program will be fully operational by early 2027. Opening dates still depend on building and service approvals. 6 are listed as open and enrolling, and 59 more are accepting expressions of interest as at 11 October 2026.

Is a community preschool also fee-free?

Not automatically. Eligible families can receive Start Strong fee relief at participating community and mobile preschools, but fee relief is different from the no-fee policy that applies to NSW public preschools.

Do families need to live in a school catchment to apply?

No. Public preschool classes do not have enrolment boundaries, although the Department applies priority enrolment rules when demand exceeds available places.

Childcare market impact

A new fee-free preschool can change local demand

Public preschool hours, eligibility and attendance patterns differ from long day care. Child Care Demand keeps public preschool supply separate from long day care places, then shows both in the local market evidence.

See how reform affects demandNSW childcare demand data