Liverpool is a young, diverse and growing electorate that needs locally attuned services. I was thrilled to attend the launch of the childcare stress project last week in Warwick Farm. The childcare stress project is an interdisciplinary research project spanning three universities: Western Sydney University, the University of New South Wales and Monash University. The project will develop a place-based childcare stress index, which is a research tool designed to equip policymakers with an equity-oriented lens to identify and respond to acute childcare stress. As I said at the launch, it is critical that we have research and data that speaks to the unique needs that exist within Western Sydney and south-western Sydney. Barriers to child care are different across different families and cut across public transport, the participation of women in the labour force, cost of living and access to opportunity.

This tool is incredibly significant and can play a huge role in shaping things to come in a space that all three levels of government are heavily focused on. The research is grounded in the lived realities of diverse families from diverse places. Researchers hope the index will reveal how differences in structural and place-based barriers shape access to early childhood education and care. The project draws on community-informed definitions of what constitutes childcare stress. It aims to support equitable, quality resource allocation; targeted investment; and policy reform to address the complex factors driving intergenerational inequity. As Rick Warren said, "Time is the most precious gift we have." We never actually look at what happens when there is not enough of it, especially when it comes to time with our most precious resource as a country and as a society: our next generation.

Access to affordable, high-quality and local child care is what allows so many families to make the most of their time to work, study, care for loved ones and build a better future. It is particularly fitting that this research was launched just down the road from Gulyangarri Public School, the site of the first of 100 public preschools that the Minns Labor Government has committed to deliver across our State. It was the first to be completed and has now been operating for a year. The difference it has made in the lives of local children and their families has been extraordinary. It underscores the fact that access to local and affordable child care is a game changer for many families in Liverpool.

I also take this opportunity to update the House on the progress of other public preschools that are being delivered for my community. I am pleased to report that Heckenberg Public Preschool, Miller Public Preschool, Cecil Hills Public Preschool and Cartwright Public Preschool are all on track to be open for day one of term 1 in 2027. The allocation of those 100 preschools was informed by an independent, needs-based site selection process. Factors considered as a part of the criteria included socio-economic disadvantage, developmental vulnerability, access to services and community impact. The development of a childcare stress index will no doubt help us in the future as we continue to assess the need for the further provision of childcare services, particularly as both Federal and State governments work towards building a universal childcare system.

As part of this work, a childcare stress survey is now open. It is being distributed in English, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese, which are the most commonly spoken languages in Western Sydney. The survey will reach 500 parents and carers across the region. Community and local government partners also support families who speak other languages, such as Dari or Pashto, to participate. The survey will produce granular, place-sensitive data on issues of childcare access, affordability, quality and impact.

I encourage local families to take part in the survey and to share their experiences. Their voice and perspective are vital in shaping policies that reflect the real challenges faced by parents and carers in the Liverpool electorate. By contributing their story, they can help ensure that future investment in early childhood education and care is better targeted to where it is needed most. Participating in the survey is a meaningful way to influence positive, long-term change for families across my community. I thank Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections, which hosted the launch of this important work, as well as the research team and various local services who were present for the launch, which is a clear indication of the importance of this work, not just to my community but to the future of our next generation.