Stream 1: Health and Development Participation Grant in Australia

The 2027 Health and Development Participation (HDP) Grant is designed to provide financial support to early childhood education and care providers in New South Wales, Australia. Offered by the Department of Education, this grant aims to facilitate the implementation of the Health and Development Checks in Early Learning Services Program and related capacity building initiatives in 2027. Applications are open until 8 November 2026. The HDP Grant aims to support early learning services in embedding strategies for effective participation in the Health and Development Checks (HDC) Program. The grant seeks to enhance awareness and engagement with the HDC Program, focusing on long day care and community preschools. This initiative encourages eligible services to assess and improve their practices to better support children’s health and development. Applicants can receive funding ranging from AUD 1,500 to AUD 7,500. This financial support is intended to aid in the implementation of the HDC Program, including related capability uplift activities. The grant will help services enhance their capacity to deliver health and development checks, ensuring better outcomes for children in early learning settings.

Eligible applicants include:

All applicants must be Approved Providers under the _Children (Education and Care Services) National Law Act 2010_ (NSW).

The grant supports:

This grant is crucial for early learning services as it facilitates the integration of health and development checks into their daily operations, promoting better early childhood outcomes. By increasing awareness and engagement, the initiative supports a more holistic approach to child development and well-being in educational settings. What is the application deadline? The deadline for applications is 8 November 2026. Who is eligible for the HDP Grant? Eligible applicants include not-for-profit community preschools, not-for-profit long day care services, and for-profit providers operating up to three long day care services in NSW. How much funding is available per applicant? The grant provides funding between AUD 1,500 and AUD 7,500 per successful applicant. What activities are funded? The grant supports the implementation of Health and Development Checks in ECEC programs and related capacity building activities. How do I apply for the grant? Applications must be submitted online through the SmartyGrants platform. Follow the application process outlined above. Eligible early learning services are encouraged to review the official guidelines and prepare their applications thoroughly. Ensure all necessary documentation is included and submit your application through the SmartyGrants system by the deadline. For more information, contact earlychildhooddevelopment@det.nsw.edu.au.