FEDERAL Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said $300,000 has been granted to two projects focussing on children and strategic schooling in the New England Electorate.

Mr Joyce said the two projects, run by Inverell District Family Services Limited and delivered in Inverell and Tingha, were funded under the Australian Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) grant round.

Inverell District Family Services encompasses the Kindamindi Pre-School, Tingha Preschool and Jack & Jill Pre-School and includes a range of components including speech and language support [Kindamindi only], a breakfast programme, a garden to plate programme and learning through movement [Kindamindi only].

There will also be a program known as Parents in the Park to involve extended families, and importantly a Transition to School program to support children in the move into Primary School.

Mr Joyce said Project 1 – titled Children and Schooling Strategic Investment - began at the preschools on 1 July with $23,000 for the 2015-16 financial year, followed another grant of $23,000 for the following financial year and $11,500 for the 2017-18 period.

Project 2, with same title, provides $97,000 in this and the next financial year and $48,500 in the 2017-18 year.

“This will help to improve outcomes for First Australians in Inverell and Tingha,” Mr Joyce said.

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said the Government’s investment through the IAS grant round had increased from $860 million to $1 billion, with 996 organisations to receive funding for over 1,350 projects throughout Australia.

“The increased investment through the grant round is the result of the Government honouring its commitment to provide longer funding agreements for important frontline services and will ensure that any gaps that emerged as part of the round were filled as quickly as possible,” Minister Scullion said.

“This increased investment will help deliver on the Government’s key priorities of getting children to school and adults to work and making communities safer.”