NSW budget: Helping hand with cost of kids

A $100 voucher to encourage children to take up creative activities was one of the measures aimed at families.

The NSW budget included a $197.8m increase to subsidies for preschool.

A $100 voucher to encourage children to take up creative activities outside school and a subsidy to give universal access to preschool for three-year-olds were the key measures aimed at families in the NSW budget yesterday.

The Creative Kids rebate will offer money to parents to enrol their children in activities such as music lessons, and classes in languages, coding and the performing arts. The program follows last year’s Active Kids voucher, which similarly offered $100 to go ­towards sports. Active Kids ­rebates totalled $38 million over the past year.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from parents right across NSW that the Active Kids Rebate made a difference to the household budget and this program will help parents even more,” Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said.

“For a family with two children, Creative and Active Kids combined will save you $400 a year.”

Also aimed at families is the $197.8m increase to subsidies for preschool, expanding access to early childhood education to two years in an Australian-first.

“We know access to early childhood education is so important in preparing our children for school,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

“This investment will not only ease cost-of-living pressures for families, it will also ensure our children are given every opportunity to be their best by boosting access to crucial preschool ­education.”

It is estimated an extra 6500 children will benefit from subsidies next year, which will save families an average of $825 a year, according to budget figures.

The budget also added a $156.5m Parents Package, which included $9.3m for 100 extra midwives, $7.6m for more support to new mums, and $7.6m for the NSW Baby Bundle. Starting in January next year, a $150 bundle of “essential items” will be given to new parents to help their children’s early development and health.

The government will create an online One Click Energy Switch service, to help Service NSW staff advise people on the best ­energy deals.

Also, 10 of the most ­expensive parking fines issued by the NSW government will be cut by 25 per cent to ensure “fines balance fairness and deterrence”.

Caravan registration will be cheaper too, as their motor vehicle weight tax is cut by 40 per cent.