Ms Cooke said Junee RSL Memorial Preschool is to receive $18,400 to help ensure the adverse economic conditions brought on by the drought do not affect children’s attendance.

“This is such fantastic news for Junee RSL Memorial Preschool and the children who attend,” said Ms Cooke.

“When the drought is making itself felt in the family budget then of course hard decisions have to be made. This funding will ensure that children can keep going to preschool and continue to enjoy the learning and fun which makes preschool such an important part of the educational journey.”

Preschools can use this funding to assist families and children in a range of ways, including transport arrangements to maintain preschool participation, crisis planning or fee subsidies to further support families.

Ms Cooke said these payments will ensure services in the Cootamundra electorate can continue to operate during the adverse economic conditions associated with the drought period.

“The Liberals & Nationals know how crucial it is to continue to support families and businesses who are struggling,” Ms Cooke said.

“Times are tough, but people in Junee are resilient and we need to keep functioning as normally as possible.”

Rebecca Hart, director of Junee RSL Memorial Preschool, was delighted to hear of the funding.

“It’s great to get government funding to help us encourage families to keep their children attending preschool and make sure there is a continuity of learning and socialising,” she said.

“Any extra that helps maintain children’s attendance at preschool is extremely helpful for their future.”

Ms Cooke pointed out how harsh the conditions have become in some parts of NSW.

“This year has been one of the driest winters on record, which is why the NSW Government has committed more than $1 billion to date to help those who are struggling.”