1. Purpose

This document (Guidelines) provides an overview of the 2027 Health and Development Participation Grant (HDP Grant).

The HDP Grant provides funding to eligible early learning providers to support the implementation of the separate but related Health and Development Checks in Early Learning Services Program (HDC Program). The HDC Program is a partnership between the Department of Education (department) and NSW Health to deliver a program to provide health and development checks to 4-year-old children by local health district staff within early learning settings. The HDP Grant funding aims to support early learning providers to embed suitable strategies to enable their partnership, and children’s participation, in the HDC Program.

The HDP Grant comprises $6,650,000 in funding exclusive of GST. The source agency for the entirety of the funding is the department.

The Guidelines are intended to be read by applicants of the HDP Grant program, and they outline the program’s activities, requirements, objectives, outcomes, and evaluation approach.

The Guidelines may be amended or replaced by the department from time to time. These changes may be made in response to the continuous program improvement or where further clarity is required. Changes to the Guidelines may be made in consultation with the sector but remain at the discretion of the department. Approved Providers are expected to comply with the current version of the Guidelines

2. Policy and legislative context

The HDC program is a part of the Brighter Beginnings: The First 2000 Days of Life initiative from the NSW Government. This initiative is a cross-government initiative that aims to give children the best start in life.

The 2024 Australian Early Development Census found that 1 in 5 children in NSW were developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains. Research indicates that being developmentally on track is a key predictor of life and learning outcomes.

The HDC Program aims to increase the number of children receiving a health and development check to identify any health or developmental support they may need. Increasing the number of children who complete their health and development check can help families:

• get information they need to support their child’s health, growth and development
• seek help where needed.

More information about the HDC Program can be found on the NSW Health website.

The HDP Grant aims to support early learning* providers to engage with the HDC Program, making it easier for eligible services to access the checks so that more children will receive this important check sooner.

*In these Guidelines, early learning service means an education and care service within the meaning of the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) (National Law). Approved Provider means an approved provider of early learning services. Eligible early learning service means an early learning service that satisfies the program eligibility criteria at Section 5 of these Guidelines.

The department will ensure that any work with providers to enhance early childhood education programs aligns with quality expectations under the National Quality Framework established by the National Law.

2.1 Probity advice

The proposed grant is not considered complex, high-risk or high-value in nature and as such the requirement under Section 6.1 of the Grants Administration Guide (issued under Premier’s Memorandum M2024-03) (Guide) to obtain probity advice does not apply.

3. Program overview

3.1 Objectives

The key objectives of the 2027 HDP Grant are to:

• increase engagement with the HDC program, particularly across priority populations and locations
• increase capability of teachers and educators to support early childhood health and development
• embed health and developmental support for children following the check.

3.2 Funding streams

The 2027 Health and Development Participation Grant will be delivered through 2 non-competitive funding streams, as detailed in these Guidelines.

Stream 1: Standard Early Learning Service Eligibility

Stream 1 of the 2027 HDP Grant comprises $6,275,000 in funding exclusive of GST. This funding stream has been designed to support general early learning service types to engage in the HDC Program and related capability uplift. Eligible early learning services include preschools and long day care services, as outlined in Section 5.1 Early Learning Service Eligibility.

In 2027, eligible Approved Providers may apply for funds (up to $7500 exclusive of GST) under the following 2 categories to support their engagement with the HDC program.

Category 1 ($1500 excl GST): Participation in HDC program

Eligible activities under Category 1 provide staffing support for the HDC Program.

Category 2 ($6000 excl GST): Capability uplift and resources to support children’s development

Eligible activities under Category 2 build capacity of early learning educators and teachers to support children’s health and development. They enable early learning services to:

• bring in an allied health worker or other professionals to support children’s health and development by providing educators and teachers with support to embed suitable cohort wide strategies
• cover travel and relief time costs (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+), to enable early learning educators and teachers to attend health and development check workshops and engage with training resources or related professional learning
• arrange the provision/purchase of resources to support children’s development. Resources will need to support cohort-wide engagement with identified developmental domains, such as speech or language development.

Stream 2: Early learning-led Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

Stream 2 of the 2027 HDP Grant comprises $375,000 in funding exclusive of GST. This funding stream has been designed to support early learning-led Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to engage in health and development checks through culturally safe pathways. Spending rules differ from Stream 1, in offering additional flexibility to access allied health and non-government support options, to support ongoing and culturally responsive activities in early learning-led ACCOs.

In 2027, eligible Approved Providers may apply for a total of $7500 excluding GST, to support their engagement with the HDC program and post-check supports. Eligible activities include:

• Engagement of healthcare professionals to support delivery of 4-year-old health and development checks and offer bespoke supports post-HDCs, including:
  • Brighter Beginnings local health district delivery team
  • allied health professionals
  • paediatricians / relevant doctors
  • Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners.
• Provision of staffing support for the HDC Program, whether delivered through local health district team or through independent pathways.
• Cover travel and relief time costs (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+), to enable early learning educators and teachers to attend health and development check workshops and engage with training resources or related professional learning, and transport for children and families accessing further assessment after the HDC.
• Arrange the provision/purchase of resources to support children’s development. Resources will need to support cohort-wide engagement with identified developmental domains, such as speech or language development, and should be culturally relevant.

3.3 Application assessment

The department will assess applications and determine funding based on service eligibility (see Section 5.1 Early Learning Service eligibility criteria), spending rules (see Section 5.4 Spending rules), program priorities and available funding.

The department’s assessment team will comprise, but will not be limited to:

• Manager (Grade 11/12), Quality, Participation and Connections
• Senior Policy Officer (Grade 9/10), Quality, Participation and Connections
• Policy Officer (Grade 7/8), Quality, Participation and Connections
• Assistant Policy Officer (Grade 5/6), Quality, Participation and Connections.

Each panel shall comprise of a program team member (as listed above) and an independent panellist.

4. Program eligibility criteria

4.1 Program logic

The HDP Grant Program logic illustrates the relationship between program activities and intended outcomes.

The logic outlines how the HDP Grant is expected to enable the goals of the HDC Program:

• In the short-term, increasing eligible early learning services’ uptake of the HDC Program and related supports.
• In the medium-term, an increase in early learning educator and teachers’ engagement with capacity building activities related to children’s health and development, and a continued increase in early learning services’ uptake of the HDC Program.
• In the long-term, the number of 4-year-old children receiving routine HDC checks and referrals as clinically indicated.

See Appendix 1: Program logic.

4.2 Payments

The department will pay grants to successful Approved Providers as a one-off payment through the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS).

Approved Providers operating successful eligible early learning services are required to enter into a funding agreement with the department on behalf of the NSW Government. The funding agreement between the department and the Approved Provider in respect of the 2027 HDP Grant program will comprise of:

• these Guidelines (as amended from time to time)
• the 2027 Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) (which Approved Providers must accept and comply with)
• the separate 2027 HDP Grant notification letter.

The 2027 T&Cs must be accepted by an authorised person in ECCMS and/or the ECEC Digital Hub as advised by the department. The department will write to individual providers to confirm how they should accept the Terms and Conditions.

Grant payments will only be progressed for applicants that are registered in the ECCMS and have accepted the 2027 T&Cs by 31 December 2026, or a specified date as communicated by the department.

Approved Providers operating successful eligible early learning services that have met the above requirements will receive payment prior to 31 January 2027. Payment may occur after this time, only if agreed with the department.

4.3 Key dates

Key dates for the 2027 HDP Grant are:

5. Stream 1: Standard Early Learning Service Eligibility - Program requirements

5.1 Early Learning Service eligibility criteria

To be eligible for activities under both Categories 1 and 2 of the HDP Grant, early learning services must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be an approved early learning service under the National Law and be one of the following:
  • Not-for-profit community preschool (centre based);
  • Not-for-profit long day care (as identified in the National Quality Agenda IT system, or where sufficient evidence is provided upon request), including a local government managed service; and
  • For-profit providers operating up to 3 long day care services (as identified in the National Quality Agenda IT system).
• deliver a preschool program* at one of the above approved early learning services.

The approved early learning service must also do the following if applying for Category 1:

• agree to participate in the Brighter Beginnings: Health and Development Check in Early Learning Services Program through the local health district team by the end of 2027.

Approved Providers would need to have an active, up to date account in ECCMS and agree to the Terms and Conditions of the HDP Grant (in either the ECCMS or the Digital Hub) including the acquittals process.

*In the Guidelines, preschool program means an early childhood educational program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher to children in the year that is 2 years before grade 1 of school, as per the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) 2010.

5.2 Application assessment

Applications that satisfy the eligibility and spending rules will be approved up to the limit of total available funding. Category 1 will be capped at a certain number of recipients, as per grant modelling and projections. Category 2 will then be available for eligible applicants until the total grant funds are exhausted.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the total grant funds, the department will apply the following hierarchy in prioritising applications:

• Eligible early learning services located in areas of high developmental vulnerability, as defined by the 2024 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results.
• Eligible early learning Approved Providers located in areas with a Socio-Economic Indexes for areas (SEIFA) quintile of between 1-2, according to the index for relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD)*.
• Eligible early learning services with a higher proportion or high number of Aboriginal children enrolled at the service.
• Eligible early learning services located in outer regional, remote or very remote communities, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+).
• Eligible early learning services with a higher proportion or high number of children with a Language Background Other Than English enrolled at the service.
• Other eligible early learning Approved Providers operating a service.

There may be applicants who satisfy the eligibility and assessment criteria but are not awarded a grant, as preference will be given, according to the hierarchy above, in equity considerations.

*The SEIFA IRSAD from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ranks areas according to socio-economic advantage and disadvantage based on census data. These spending rules use the SEIFA IRSAD to identify and preference Approved Providers that are more likely to educate children experiencing disadvantage. SEIFA IRSD for the location (SA2) of each service applying for the grant will be calculated using 2021.

5.3 Application process

Applications for the HDP Grant should be submitted through the SmartyGrants online application system. A guide is available to help applicants use SmartyGrants.

Alternatively, applicants may submit their applications for the HDP Grant by emailing the completed application form to EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@det.nsw.edu.au. Applicants who wish to submit their application by email should contact EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@det.nsw.edu.au to request an application form.

Applications must be completed by the Approved Provider, or a duly authorised representative of the Approved Provider and/or SP-Admin account holder* and must confirm the accuracy of the application’s content. This person will be the SP-Admin account holder in the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS) and/or ECEC Digital Hub. To ensure applications can be prioritised in accordance with the hierarchy (see Section 5.2 Application assessment), applicants will be required to submit evidence of the following:

• number of child enrolments at the service in 2026
• number of Aboriginal children enrolled at the service
• number of children with a Language Background Other Than English enrolled at the service
• predicted number of 4-year-old enrolments at the service for 2027 (if known).

Applications will be reviewed to ensure they meet eligibility criteria and comply with the Guidelines.

*A duly authorised representative of the Approved Provider and/or SP-Admin account holder is someone who has received permission from their organisation, the Approved Provider and the SP-Admin account holder (in either the ECCMS or ECEC Digital Hub) to submit this application on their behalf.

5.4 Spending rules

This program is being funded on a calendar year basis.

The HDP Grant funding must be used to support an Approved Provider’s participation in the HDC Program in 2027 and/or engage in educational capability uplift activities, per Funding Agreement.

HDP Grant funds must be spent by 31 December 2027.

Eligible services may apply for grant funding in up to 2 categories; up to $7,500 in total funds exclusive of GST. The funding can be used to embed strategies from a combination of one or more of the categories below.

Category 1: Participation in HDC program

Program activities

Providing relief (including financial assistance, or practical assistance such as relief teachers) to release teachers and educators from direct education, supervision and legislative ratio requirement, to:

• undertake administrative duties such as collating consent forms
• liaise with parents and NSW Health staff or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (where relevant)
• support parents to complete and return pre-screening questionnaires
• support children during the check.

To support the completion of the duties outlined above, early learning services may use funding to cover:

• additional wage payments to permanent educators/teachers to extend working hours
• additional wage payments to permanent educators/teachers to work additional hours on non-contracted days, where negotiated and agreed to by both the early childhood education provider and the staff member
• any costs incurred by employing relief educators/teachers, including wage payments and travel costs to and from the early learning service location (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+)
• any travel costs incurred by permanent educators/teachers to offsite locations (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+), where applicable.

Linked outcomes

Short term:

• Services can participate in the HDC Program in 2027.

Medium term:

• Early learning services remain consistently engaged in the HDC Program over time.

Category 2: Capability uplift and resources to support children’s development

Program activities

Eligible services may use Category 2 funding across the following 3 sub-categories:

2a. Engagement of Allied Health Professionals

Providing support to early learning services to engage professionals to support children’s health and development and build capacity within the service.

Providing opportunities for early learning services to develop and embed cohort wide strategies to support children’s health and development, under the guidance of allied health professionals or teachers. Engaging external allied health providers for specialised education programs, including:

• arranging the delivery of specialised staff education programs by an external provider, such as an allied health professional or non-government organisation, to provide upskilling and support strategies for early learning educators/teachers
• arranging for an allied health worker or other non-government provider to attend the service to collaborate, guide and upskill service staff, building their capability to respond to and embed strategies that support children’s health and development outcomes. Strategies developed must be co-delivered with educators and teachers to the entire cohort and cannot be used to provide individual therapy or to remove a child/ren from the group
• the engagement of a community member to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families’ participation in the HDC Program.

2b. Early learning educator & teacher professional development

Providing opportunities for early learning educators and teachers to build capability to support children’s health and development.

Early learning services may use funding to cover any travel costs incurred by permanent educators/teachers (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+), or any costs incurred by employing relief educators/teachers to support educator and teacher attendance at relevant events (in person or online) to learn about health and development checks and build capability in supporting children’s health and development.

Services will be encouraged to use the funding to attend health and development workshops and engage with the department’s professional learning materials and tools, including resources and courses, such as the Connect & Communicate Toolkit and Culturally Safe Approach Toolkit, provided by the department in its HDC Program support suite.

2c. Resource to support children’s development

Purchasing educational resources to support children’s learning and developmental needs following the health and development checks.

Resources and equipment must be directly linked to a clearly identified developmental needs for the cohort of children, that is speech and language development.

Examples of appropriate use of funding include:

• Socioemotional development: dramatic play resources (costumes, props, play furniture), emotion flashcards, visual timers
• Cognitive development: counting and sorting sets, memory matching games, puzzles
• Fine motor skills: lacing beads/cards, construction blocks and connectors, child-sized tweezers/droppers/scissors
• Gross motor skills: balance boards, stepping stones, balls, fundamental movement cards
• Speech and language development: storybooks, musical instruments, visual routine/schedule boards
• Health and wellbeing: healthy eating resources (food models, posters, storybooks), oral health items (mouth models, toothbrushes)

Note this is not an exhaustive list and is up to the discretion of the eligible service and needs of the children.

Linked outcomes

Short term:

• Children are supported to participate in the HDC Program.

Medium term:

• Early learning services remain consistently engaged in the HDC Program over time.
• Parents/carers find the health and development checks process accessible and convenient.
• Educators/teachers are equipped with appropriate resources to support children's learning and development following the health and development checks.
• Educators are knowledgeable, skilled and confident to discuss child development with families and support children under their care appropriately.

Long term:

• Children are more developmentally ready to start school, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

6. Stream 2: Early learning-led Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

6.1 Early Learning Service eligibility criteria

To be eligible for activities under the HDP Grant, services must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be an approved early learning service operated by an Approved Provider who meets the definition of an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) under Clause 44 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (2020), and confirm that the approved early learning service is:
  • incorporated under relevant legislation and not-for-profit
  • controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
  • connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services
  • governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body.
• Deliver a preschool program*.
• Agree to participate in the HDC program through the local health district team or through their local Aboriginal Medical Service or existing networks by the end of 2027.

Approved Providers would need to have an active, up to date account in ECCMS and agree to the Terms and Conditions of the HDP Grant (either through the ECCMS or Digital Hub) including the acquittals process.

6.2 Application assessment

Applications that satisfy the eligibility and spending rules will be approved up to the limit of total available funding.

6.3 Application process

Applications for the HDP Grant should be submitted through the SmartyGrants online application system. A guide is available to help applicants use SmartyGrants.

Alternatively, applicants may submit their applications for the HDP Grant by emailing the completed application form to EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@det.nsw.edu.au.

Applications must be completed by the Approved Provider, or a duly authorised representative of the Approved Provider and/or SP-Admin account holder* and must confirm the accuracy of the application’s content. This person will be the SP-Admin account holder in the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS).

Applicants will be required to submit evidence of the following:

• confirmation of ACCO status, in line with Clause 44 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (2020)
• number of child enrolments at the service in 2026
• predicted number of 4-year-old enrolments at the service for 2027 (if known).

Applications will be reviewed to ensure they meet eligibility criteria and comply with the Guidelines.

*A duly authorised representative of the Approved Provider and/or SP-Admin account holder is someone who has received permission from their organisation, the Approved Provider and the ECCMS SP-Admin account holder to submit this application on their behalf.

6.4 Spending rules

This program is being funded on a calendar year basis.

The HDP Grant funding must be used to support an Approved Provider’s participation in health and development checks in 2027 and/or engage in educational capability uplift activities, per Funding Agreement.

HDP Grant funds must be spent by 31 December 2027.

Eligible services can apply for up to $7,500 (excluding GST) to use on one or more of the following:

1. Support for Health and Development Checks (HDC)

Funding can be used to pay for relief staff or practical support to release teachers and educators from direct education, supervision and legislative ratio requirements, to support health and development check activities. Checks may be done by:

• Brighter Beginnings local health district teams
• allied health professionals
• paediatricians or relevant doctors
• Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners

What funding can cover:

• relief educators/teachers or permanent staff working extra hours, including on non-contracted days (with agreement)
• travel costs for permanent or relief staff attending offsite locations if needed (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+)
• educators’ time used for tasks, such as:
• • collecting and managing consent forms
  • communicating with parents and health staff
  • helping parents complete and return pre-screening questionnaires
  • supporting children during the health and development checks.

2. Engaging Allied Health Professionals

Funding can help services engage specialists to support children’s health and development, and to build skills of educators and implement strategies within the service.

This includes:

• arranging specialist education programs delivered by allied health professionals or non-government organisations to upskill educators
• having allied health workers, paediatricians, or other providers visit the service to further assess concerns identified in checks (including follow-up diagnostics)
• supporting educators and teachers to develop and embed group-wide curriculum strategies for children’s health and development. These strategies must be co-delivered with educators to the whole group and cannot be used for individual therapy or removing children from the group
• engaging community members to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families’ participation in the HDC Program
• arranging transport for children to attend allied health/medical or non-government organisation assessments (not including for one-on-one therapy).

3. Professional development for educators and teachers

Funding can cover costs related to professional learning to help educators and teachers build their knowledge about children’s health and development and the health and development checks.

This includes:

• paying for relief staff or travel costs (in regional and remote locations only, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) for educators attending training or events (in person or online)
• paying of registration costs for training and professional development opportunities, to support educators to increase their knowledge of children’s health and developmental outcomes
• encouraging use of department resources and courses, including:
  • the Connect & Communicate Toolkit
  • the Culturally Safe Approach Toolkit.

4. Resources to support children’s development

Funds can be used to buy educational resources and equipment linked to a clearly identified developmental need for the cohort of children.

Examples include:

• Socioemotional development: dramatic play resources (costumes, props), emotion flashcards, visual timers
• Cognitive development: counting and sorting sets, memory matching games, puzzles
• Fine motor skills: lacing beads/cards, construction blocks and connectors, child-sized tweezers/droppers/scissors
• Gross motor skills: balance boards, stepping stones, balls, movement cards
• Speech and language development: storybooks (including traditional stories in local languages), musical instruments, visual routine/schedule boards
• Health and wellbeing: healthy eating resources (food models, posters, storybooks), oral health items (mouth models, toothbrushes)

Note: This list is not exhaustive. Services should choose resources based on the needs of their children.

Linked outcomes

Short term:

• Children are supported to participate in the HDC Program.

Medium term:

• Early learning services remain consistently engaged in the HDC Program over time.
• Parents/carers find the health and development checks process accessible and convenient.
• Educators/teachers are equipped with appropriate resources to support children's learning and development following the health and development checks.
• Educators are knowledgeable, skilled and confident to discuss child development with families and support children under their care appropriately.

Long term:

• Children are more developmentally ready to start school, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

7. Decision making and accountability - applicable to both Stream 1 and 2

7.1 What cannot be funded

Funding cannot be used for regular administration of the early learning service that is not related to participation in health and development checks.

Funding cannot be sought, or used for, supports already offered through another grant which addresses the same element(s). This includes, but is not limited to, NSW Government grant programs such as the NSW Sector Capacity Building Program (SCB Program), High Learning Support Needs (HLSN) Funding Program & Inclusive Environments (IE) Funding Program, or the Australian Government’s Inclusion Support Program (IS Program). The HDP Grant will support any additional training or development that falls outside of the SCB or IS Program guidelines only. In the instance that a service is recipient of the SCB Program or IS Program, preschool services must speak with their provider to identify training and supports needed for their service.

Funding cannot be used to withdraw a child from an early learning service group setting to deliver therapy. Where external providers such as an allied health professional or non-government organisations are engaged, the specialised education program must focus on upskilling early learning educators/teachers, such as in the co-delivery of group-based sessions to meet children’s developmental needs.

In metro locations, as per the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+), funding may not be used to cover travel costs in relation to any activities outlined in the program guidelines.

7.2 Target and priority groups

The target group for the HDP Grant is children who are eligible to access the HDC Program. Children will need parental consent to participate. Consent forms will be provided to early learning services from their Local Health District representatives upon signing up to the HDC program.* The target group are part of an eligible early childhood education and care provider, as outlined in the program eligibility requirements.

A priority cohort within the target group of 4-year-old children are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Research indicates that this group has a higher proportion of children who are identified as developmentally vulnerable, compared to the overall Australian population.**

* It is the responsibility of the service to coordinate parental consent. The service must act in accordance with the National Quality Framework and all applicable laws.

** Australian Government Productivity Commission's 2024 Closing the Gap Information Repository.

7.3 Locations and Approved Providers

The HDP Grant will support eligible early learning services to participate in the HDC Program in 2027.

Eligible early learning services will work with their Local Health Districts to opt into the HDC program and offer the HDC Program through their service.

The aim of the HDC Program is to deliver health and development checks to children in early learning service settings, or other approved settings, located in Local Health Districts in NSW.

7.4 Decision making

• Applications will be assessed by officers within the department’s assessment team (see Section 3.2 Application Assessment).
• Any conflict of interest is required to be declared and managed in accordance with the department’s Code of Conduct, for department staff.
• The person responsible for deciding whether to approve or decline the HDP Grant (the Decision Maker) is the Executive Director, Quality, Participation and Outcomes, Early Childhood Outcomes, NSW Department of Education.
• The Decision Maker’s decision to approve or decline a grant must be recorded in writing. All records must be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW).
• The grant must be administered in accordance with the NSW Grants Administration Guide.
• The grant will be administered by the department.
• All decisions in the recommendation and approval process must be documented.
• Where the application is supported, the Decision Maker has discretion to determine the funding amount (this may be either the full funding amount requested, or a portion of the funding request). The Decision Maker’s decision and reason to depart from the funding amount recommended in the brief must be recorded in writing.
• Applicants will be advised, in writing, of the outcome of their application.

7.5 Financial accountabilities and funding compliance

Approved Providers are required to spend all funding received from the HDP Grant by 31 December 2027 in accordance with the Funding Agreement.

Approved Providers are required to provide a six-month update from the date that services receive the grant to demonstrate how grant funds have been spent across the applicable category or categories.

7.6 Record keeping

Approved Providers are required to comply with all financial, data collection, reporting, acquittal, evaluation and monitoring requirements in the Funding Agreement.

Approved Providers must undertake a formal acquittal process by July 2028. The acquittal process includes completing a statement which includes reporting on how the funding has been spent. All approved providers are required to submit evidence of expenditure, and a statement, on the direct impacts that funds have had on the service before the 31 July 2028.

Approved Providers may also be audited. This audit could be a part of the department’s annual audit, or to confirm the accuracy of data provided in an applicant’s statement. Therefore, relevant records must be retained by providers for the purpose of the department undertaking reviews.

Approved Providers will be required to participate in the evaluation of the HDP Grant by collecting and providing requested data and participating in evaluation activities. This will include a short survey on use of HDP Grant funds to support participation in the HDC program. A process evaluation will be used to provide information on the delivery of the HDP Grant, to ensure it is being delivered as intended to support approved providers’ ongoing participation in the HDC Program.

Approved Providers may be required to obtain consent from participating families to share relevant data with the department and/or program evaluation team. If necessary, Approved Providers will be provided with appropriate consent forms and disclosure information. Approved Providers must ensure consent forms are completed prior to collecting and recording personal information.

The department may disclose certain information regarding the HDP Grant to the NSW Department of Health and to NSW Local Health Districts for the purpose of the HDC Program.

The department will ensure that any work with Approved Providers to enhance early childhood education programs aligns with quality expectations outlined under the National Quality Framework.

8. Roles and responsibilities

The approved HDP Grant provider is required to:

• spend the allocated funds by 31 December 2027 in specified categories and complete an acquittal by 31 July 2028, or unless otherwise outlined by the department
• provide reporting (See Section 7.5 Financial accountabilities and funding compliance) and program evaluation data (See Section 10.2 Program review and evaluations), as needed
• take part in an audit of the program, if required.

9. Governance

9.1 Program management

The program management function for the HDP Grant will be performed by the staff from the Early Childhood Development Team in the department’s Early Childhood Outcomes division.

The Executive Director, Quality, Participation and Connections, Early Childhood Outcomes, within the department is the Decision Maker for the HDP Grant Program. All funds awarded must be spent according to the Funding Agreement which includes amongst other things the Terms and Conditions and these Guidelines.

The Decision Maker has the authority to approve or decline grants, even if their decision differs from the recommendation of the assessment panel. If the Decision-maker chooses to depart from the assessment panel’s recommendation, they must provide a clear explanation in the relevant documentation. Decisions are recorded and any deviations from the assessment panel's recommendations are documented in writing. The documentation, including reasons for departures, is published to ensure transparency.

9.2 Program-level governance

The HDP Grant will be governed through the established HDC program-level governance between the department and NSW Health.

10. Additional information

10.1 Communication

The department may publicise and report on any funds awarded to Approved Providers.

10.2 Program review and evaluations

These Guidelines may be updated or amended over the course of the HDP Grant program. This will be in response to continuous program improvement or where further clarity is required.

Changes to the Guidelines may be made in consultation with the sector, but remain at the discretion of the department, and will be communicated to the sector.

The department will undertake an evaluation to understand the effectiveness of the HDP Grant. Participating providers may be required to participate in an evaluation of the HDP Grant through provision of data and participation in other evaluation activities as required.

The department will ensure that any work with Approved Providers to enhance early childhood education programs aligns with quality expectations outlined under the National Quality Framework.

10.3 Contacts

For more information about the HDP Grant, please contact EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@det.nsw.edu.au.

Appendix 1: Program logic

• Program logic (PDF 340.8 KB)