Outside school hours care is being introduced or expanded at eight Ballarat region primary schools

Schools will receive up to $75,000 a year over the next two years from the state government to establish new care services, or expand existing ones to help them meet demand, and to support costs such as resources and equipment, set up and administration, staffing, training and transport.

Ballarat Specialist School is among those to receive funding, alongside Linton, Magpie, Rokewood, Warrenheip, Mount Pleasant Primary Schools as well as Woady Yaloak Primary School campuses at Ross Creek and Snake Valley.

While some schools have existing before and after school care programs that will be expanded, for others it means they will be able to offer the service for the first time, giving parents more flexibility for work and study.

Some services will also likely be able to offer school holiday programs, and the new programs mean new jobs created within the school community.

It comes after more than a dozen small schools in the region began offering outside school hours care this year for the first time.

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Smaller schools hoped the addition of before and after school care would help them secure more enrolments, with working parents previously forced to drive past local schools to go to larger schools where the extended care was offered.

The new grants are part of an $81.7 million state government Outside Schools Hours Care Establishment Grants Initiative.

"By creating more outside school hours care services, we're helping parents and carers to get back to work, study, or training - while ensuring their kids are cared for before and after school hours, as well as during school holidays," said education minister Natalie Hutchins.

"These grants will provide a huge benefit to our schools and busy working families across the state."

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