A new preschool for Jamberoo: Land planned, fundraising underway

There are some things a village simply needs if it’s going to remain a good place for families to live. A supermarket and pharmacy? Yes. Doctor and sports clubs? Check. Pub and pool? Certainly. But arguably the most important of all: A great preschool where the littles can thrive.

Jamberoo Community Preschool has been part of village life for decades. Generations of local children have started their education there, and today it remains a small, community-based preschool where children spend their days learning through play, exploring outdoors and being known well by the people who care for them. It’s also incredibly popular.

The preschool is licensed for just 30 children each day, aged three to six, and operates during NSW school terms. It has higher-than-required educator-to-child ratios and is currently rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard. Demand has been well beyond the number of places available for some time.

And, unfortunately, it’s had its fair share of challenges lately.

The preschool needs a new home.

Years of flooding

The current preschool sits at 30 Allowrie Street on a Council-owned property beside the Jamberoo School of Arts.

It’s a lovely preschool, but it’s in a flood-prone location.

By August 2024, the site had reportedly flooded eight times. Staff became accustomed to preparing whenever significant rain was forecast: sandbagging, protecting walls, lifting furniture and carpets onto tables, then putting everything back again if the flood didn’t arrive. Check out this Facebook video to see the severity of the problem.

Preschool Director Belinda Hibbert told Region Illawarra in July 2025 that even the preparation was stressful for the children, who could see something was wrong without necessarily understanding what was happening.

The preschool’s current lease runs until July 2028. Council has since recognised that the existing site isn’t a viable long-term solution and has advocated for government assistance to establish a flood-free preschool facility within Jamberoo.

Finding somewhere suitable, however, was another challenge entirely.

And that’s where Golden Valley became part of the story.

Making room for a new preschool at Golden Valley

Fountaindale Group has committed to donating a parcel of land within the future Stage 2 of Golden Valley for a new Jamberoo Community Preschool (subject to rezoning and DA approvals).

It was an idea that made sense to us from the beginning.

If more families are going to make Jamberoo home over the coming years, we also need to think about the things that allow a village community to work well. Places for children to learn, local services, community organisations and spaces where people actually get to know one another are all part of that picture.

The adoption of Kiama Council’s Local Housing Strategy in 2025 was an important milestone because it allowed planning for the future Golden Valley Stage 2 site to progress. At the time, Belinda described securing a future site as something the preschool had been relying heavily upon.

Work continued into 2026 to determine the appropriate size, position, access and layout for the preschool site.

There are still planning processes ahead. The Stage 2 land requires rezoning and subsequent development and subdivision approvals before the land can ultimately be transferred. Fountaindale has previously proposed formalising that commitment progressively as those planning milestones are reached.

But having a potential future home identified means the preschool now has a place to plan for.

“Jamberoo is growing, and we think the things that make it such a wonderful village need to grow with it. Having a strong community preschool here is incredibly important for young families, especially since we’ll be welcoming new families withing Golden Valley soon. We’re really pleased that we can contribute the land and help give the preschool a potential future here in the village,” says Jennifer Macquarie from Fountaindale Group.

Now comes the big challenge: Funding and building it

Land solves one very big problem, but it doesn’t pay for the building.

The estimated cost previously reported for establishing the new preschool is around $2-3 million, and the preschool has encountered another hurdle with government funding.

The NSW Department of Education’s relevant capital funding pathway has changed, with funding available to eligible community preschools transitioning towards a long day care model.

Jamberoo Community Preschool doesn’t want to lose the current community model local families prefer.

It is currently registered as a stand-alone preschool rather than a long day care service, and its educational program revolves around the NSW school year, play-based learning, a strong indoor/outdoor program and close relationships between children, educators and families.

The preschool has made the decision to keep fighting for that model. And that means finding other ways to fund its future home. And it needs our help.

There’s also an opportunity for a bigger capacity at the preschool

A new preschool could allow Jamberoo Community Preschool to accommodate more children.

Back in July 2025, Region Illawarra reported around 150 children are on the waiting list, while the existing Jamberoo service remains approved for only 30 children per day.

For a village that wants to remain a viable place for young families, that’s a pretty compelling reason to get behind the project.

The preschool itself has said that expanding would help relieve some of the pressure families experience when trying to secure an early childhood education place locally.

And importantly, they don’t want a new building to mean losing what people love about the old one.

Belinda has previously spoken about retaining the preschool’s natural indoor/outdoor environment and the country character that feels appropriate for Jamberoo. We love that idea.

So, how can you and I help?

Jamberoo and Kiama Preschools are joining forces for a Golf & Family Fun Day on Friday 23 October 2026, with funds raised helping support their work, including the push towards a new Jamberoo Preschool building.

The golf day will be held at Jamberoo Golf Club, with registration from 7:30am and an 8:30am shotgun start. It’s an 18-hole Ambrose event, with catered breakfast and lunch, novelty holes and prizes included.

Golf tickets are $125 per person or $500 for a team of four.

Local businesses can get involved too. A hole sponsorship is $330, or $770 gets you a hole sponsorship plus a team of four golfers.

The organisers are also looking for businesses and individuals willing to donate prizes for the raffle and charity auction, or simply make a financial contribution.

And you definitely don’t have to be a golfer.

Afterwards, everyone is invited to Club Jamberoo from 2:30pm to 5pm for the Family Fun Day, with a sausage sizzle, face painting, children’s entertainment, a raffle and charity auction.

There’s no ticket required for the family afternoon. Just come along.

Click here to book golf tickets or become a sponsor.

For sponsorship, auction or raffle enquiries, you can also contact Alex Gough on 0413 499 626 or Monica Rosser through the contact details supplied by the event organisers.

Just down the road, construction is underway on the Golden Valley 50 lot subdivision. Earth is moving, roads are being built and the first ten lots are almost sold out.

We talk a lot about why people are drawn to Jamberoo. The green hills and open space are obviously part of it. So are the generous blocks, the closeness of the community and being only a short distance from Kiama without living in the middle of the bustle.

But we know that current residents particularly value Jamberoo for its connectedness, traditional village charm and caring character. And that’s what new families immediately pick up when they consider Jamberoo as their new home.

For Fountaindale, thoughtful growth means thinking about all these things.

“Our family has been part of this area for generations, so Golden Valley has always felt very personal to us. We want to welcome new families into Jamberoo, but we also want to support the things that make people want to raise their families here in the first place. We hope that many people will join us in supporting the Jamberoo Community Preschool’s fundraising efforts.”

Grab three friends and enter a golf team. Sponsor a hole through your business. Donate a prize. Or bring the kids down to Club Jamberoo for the afternoon and be part of it.

Every contribution gets Jamberoo Community Preschool a little closer to the permanent home its children, educators and families have been waiting for.

Read also: Golden Valley enters construction phase ahead of October land release.