On Wednesday, 15 October, our preschool will join many other community‑managed early childhood services across New South Wales in a visible show of support for the campaign to protect community preschools. While our centre will remain open and our regular program will continue, our teachers and educators will be wearing pink to stand in solidarity with the many services that are closing for the day in protest.
This collective action responds to recent changes to the NSW Government’s Start Strong for Community Preschools program, due to take effect in 2025. These changes pose significant challenges to the sustainability and autonomy of community‑run preschools—services that have long played a vital role in delivering high‑quality, locally governed early education.
Why We’re Taking a Stand
Community preschools across NSW have raised concerns about several aspects of the new funding model, including:
Funding structures that disadvantage smaller, community‑based services, many of which operate without the financial buffers of larger organisations.
Increased administrative demands that divert valuable time and energy away from children and educators.
Reduced flexibility in how services design and deliver high‑quality, tailored early learning programs that meet the needs of their local communities.
At Hills Montessori, we believe every child deserves access to nurturing, community‑centred early education. These proposed changes risk undermining the very strengths that make community preschools so effective and so valued by families.
How You Can Support the Movement
By wearing pink, our team is sending a clear message: we care deeply about the future of our sector, and we stand with those advocating for fairer, more sustainable policies.
Families are warmly invited to join us in this peaceful demonstration by:
Dressing your child in pink on the day
Sharing your support on social media using #ProtectCommunityPreschools
Writing to your local MP or the NSW Premier to express your concerns – Premier Chris Minns can be contacted via the NSW Government website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/premier-of-nsw/contact-premier
(Select Comment from the “Type of Inquiry” dropdown.)
Your voice adds strength to this important conversation.
Community Support on the Day
To help mark the occasion, Sweet Tooth Sensations will be joining us in the back car park in the morning, offering coffee and other drinks for purchase. We are grateful for their support of our Pink Day cause.
Thank you for being part of our community and for standing with us to protect what matters most—our children’s early learning.
Hills Montessori Team
