Preschool/Kindergarten information

The Victorian Government is making it easier for families to find funded and approved preschool programs, just look for the Kinder Tick.

When you see the Kinder Tick, you can be confident:

• the program will be led by a qualified teacher
• children will benefit from play-based learning
• the preschool program is funded and approved by the Victorian Government
• the program complies with government guidelines and the National Quality Framework.

Find out more about Kinder Tick

To be eligible for preschool, a child must turn 3 or 4 before 30 April in the year of preschool attendance.

When thinking about preschool and then school it’s important to consider a child based on their personality, development, social competence and maturity; all children develop at different rates.

Once a child starts 3-year-old kinder, their education journey has commenced with an expectation of moving into 4-year-old kinder the following year and then school the year after.

There may be a small number of children for whom a second year of 4 year old kindergarten is appropriate and will be considered when a child shows delays in 2 or more key areas of learning and development.

When your child starts at kindergarten directly relates to the age they will start at primary school.

Families with children born between January 1st and April 30th can choose which year to start at Three-Year- Old Kindergarten. These children can start in the same year they turn three, or in the year they turn four years of age. Due to staff requirements, some services may ask that children start attending at kindergarten only after their third birthday. This may mean that some children may not start until part-way into Term 1, and have less time overall as  part of a Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program, in comparison to their peers

Observation and research suggest that children who turn 3 between January and April can benefit significantly from waiting a year and starting 3-year-old kindergarten the year they turn 4.

For some children waiting an extra year may mean the difference between being “okay” or “thriving” at school.

For other children, they may be ready for that next step of childhood with support and guidance in this transition.

For information and advice to help you decide the best time for your child to start their education you can talk to your Maternal and Child Health nurse  or a qualified early years professional.

To find out when your child is eligible to start three and four year old kindergarten visit the Quick Guide for Parents and enter your child's birth date.  

Find eligibility

To enrol your child for preschool, contact your preferred service directly. Enrolments are normally taken from 2 years of age.

Yarra Ranges Council does not provide a central registration service, so making early contact with your preferred preschool is greatly encouraged.

To find a list of preschools closest to you, search by location on the Find a Preschool page.

From 2022, families will be able to access two-years of state government funded preschool. This includes a minimum of:

• five-hour a week preschool program for three-year-old’s, and
• 15-hour a week preschool program for four-year-old’s.

Funded three-year-old kindergarten is new. It's part of the Victorian Government’s kindergarten reform, which is the largest reform of early childhood education in Victoria’s history.

The cost of sending your child to preschool varies between services. For accurate cost information, we recommend contacting your preferred preschool directly for fee details.

For additional information on the costs involved in attending preschool and subsidies available visit - How much kindergarten costs (education.vic.gov.au)

Preschool concessions and benefits

You may be eligible for government rebate or subsidies.

To find out more about fee assistance, contact your preferred preschool directly or visit Kindergarten - DHHS Services (dffh.vic.gov.au) or Families - Services Australia for more information.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can also access up to 15 hours of free kindergarten each week through the  program

Koorie Kids Shine Kindergartens work hard to create culturally safe places for Koorie children and families and include Aboriginal perspectives in their learning curriculum.

You are encouraged to talk with your child’s teacher about your own cultures and beliefs, and how these can be incorporated into the activities at kindergarten.

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten gives eligible children 15 hours of free or low-cost kindergarten a week for two years before starting school.  To be eligible, your child must be three by 30 April in the year they start kindergarten, and:

• be from a refugee or asylum seeker background, or
• identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or
• your family has had contact with child protection.

Children can also access free or low cost Four-Year-Old Kindergarten through the Early Start Kindergarten Extension Grant.

Even with funded Three-year-old Kindergarten rolling out from 2022, it is important for all eligible children to be enrolled under the Early Start Kindergarten program. This will mean they will able to access the full 15 hours of funded kindergarten each week throughout the roll-out period.

Watch the video’s below for more information.

Download the fact sheet(PDF, 168KB)

Early Start Kindergarten (education.vic.gov.au) 

Support is available for funded preschools to plan and implement a program that is responsive to the individual abilities, interests and needs of children with a disability, developmental delay or complex medical needs.

Kindergarten Inclusion Support program (KIS) is designed to contribute to the delivery of quality preschool programs.

Inclusive programs encourage and allow all children genuine opportunities to access and participate fully in the preschool program.

There are a range of resources available to support preschools to implement an inclusive program.

Preschool Field Officers

Preschool Field Officers (PSFO) provide support to state-funded preschools to assist in improving access and participation for children with additional needs, at no cost to the preschool or the family.

Inclusion Support Program

The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) aims to build the capacity of education and care services in Victoria to include all children. This program is available in federally funded early childhood education services.

The program is delivered through the Victorian Inclusion Agency, where an Inclusion Professional supports services and educators to embed inclusive practice and overcome barriers to inclusion.

Children attending preschool within a long day care setting may be eligible to access both the Kindergarten Inclusion Support and Inclusion Support programs.

 We aim to support children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to:

• Enrol in 3 and 4 year old Kindergarten.
• Fully participate in the kindergarten program.
• Engage in early childhood supports in their local area, such as community playgroups and Maternal and Child Health
• Transition from kindergarten to school.

Who can access the support?

• Families residing in the Yarra Ranges who are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
• Early childhood services wanting support to provide culturally safe and inclusive practices for families.

For referrals and further information, please contact:

Kindergarten Engagement Facilitator

Jayanthini Jegatheswaran

1300 368 333

earlyyears@yarraranges.vic.gov.au 

For interpreter service please call: 131 450 

Kindergarten Engagement Facilitator Referral Form(PDF, 233KB)

Research has shown that:

• early education helps set children up for a bright future
• attending two years of quality preschool has even greater benefits
• at preschool, children learn skills that they'll take with them throughout their life.

Preschool programs focus on each individual child's interests, strengths and abilities. Qualified early childhood educators plan high-quality, play-based programs to extend children’s learning and development.

Programs are based on the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF).

Funded preschool programs operate in a range of settings throughout Yarra Ranges, they include:

• Purpose-built stand-alone ‘sessional’ kindergartens.
• Integrated within community based or private long day care - child care centres.
• Independent schools

For more information visit the Department of Education website -  Types of kindergarten programs.

The Department of Education also has Find a Kinder Program.