Preschool for Everyone!
Attending a quality preschool/kindergarten program sets children up for school and life. See how different governments make this important education easy to access.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
It’s very exciting to see the first new public preschool opening its doors in NSW!
Gulyangarri Public Preschool in Liverpool is accepting enrolments now, and this preschool is totally free for children to attend, and conveniently located on the same site as Gulyangarri Public School.
If you don’t live near the Gulyangarri grounds, it’s great to know that there are 99 new public preschools still to come in NSW, with the government promising to get these built by 2027.
And if you’re located further afield, there’s more good news, because several state and territory governments are investing sizeable funds to ensure all preschoolers can access a great education program before going to big school.
Here’s a quick summary of the assistance on offer in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
And whether you’re looking for a long day care or a sessional kindy/preschool, KindiCare makes it easy to find your favourites, drill down on details, and arrange a tour.
Preschool in New South Wales
The NSW government has a grand plan to deliver universal preschool across the state by 2030, and already, they are committed to ensuring that all children in NSW can enjoy 600 hours of quality preschool education in the years before school.
The Start Strong program provides fee relief for families with children in preschool, and although the exact details of the 2025 Start Strong program haven’t yet been released, you can expect some fee assistance if your three- to five-year-old attends a community or mobile preschool, or a preschool program in a long day care centre (allowing for eligibility criteria).
Start Strong funding reduces preschool fees to make 600 hours (or 15 hours per week) of preschool more affordable for families, and to see how much help you might get in 2025, keep an eye on this page and check in with your child’s standalone preschool or long day care.
The government is also trialling $500 worth of fee relief for three-year-olds enrolled at eligible long day care services, so it pays to ask your centre about this as well.
Kindergarten in Queensland
If you live in the Sunshine State, then Free Kindy is your friend!
This initiative means all preschoolers can access 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year of a government-approved kindergarten program in the year before big school – without their families paying a cent.
To be eligible for Free Kindy, your child must be at least four-years-old by 30 June in the year before they go to Prep, and there’s the option of sending your preschooler to a long day care or sessional kindergarten that offers the approved program.
If you have a baby or toddler at home, a sessional kindy might be great for your preschooler, because its operating hours will mirror the school day and term, giving you plenty of time together and apart.
And if you’re a working parent, the extended hours at a long day care may well be preferable.
Long day cares are open before and after the nine-to-five, and although you’ll have to pay fees for the childcare that wraps around the Free Kindy program, the Child Care Subsidy can really help to reduce what you pay, and there are some amazing inclusions and experiences at quality centres.
Preschool in the Australian Capital Territory
All four-year-olds in the ACT are entitled to 15 hours of per week (or 600 hours per year) of free preschool, and the three-year-old preschool program means younger preschoolers in Canberra can access up to 300 hours of free preschool per annum.
To be eligible, your child needs to be three-years-old on or before 30 April, be an ACT resident, and attend a participating service.
There’s a list of Partner Providers here, with ratings and reviews checkable on KindiCare, and once you’ve chosen a great service, the team will be able to explain how you can access the fee relief.
It’s also good to know that the federal government’s Child Care Subsidy applies to your child’s care before and after the preschool program, and assuming you’re eligible, this Subsidy will reduce the fees you pay.
Keep in mind, too, that the ACT government aims to provide 600 hours per year of free, universal quality early childhood education for all three-year-olds in the future, so we look forward to that!
Kindergarten in Victoria
The Victorian government is investing billions to give children the best possible start in life, and Free Kinder is a very welcome initiative for families with three- and four-year-olds.
If your preschooler is enrolled at a participating standalone/sessional kindergarten, Free Kinder means your three-year-old can get between five and 15 hours of a free kinder program per week (200 to 600 hours per year), while your four-year-old can get 15 hours per week (600 hours per year) of a free kinder program.
Meanwhile, if your preschooler attends a long day care that’s participating in Free Kinder, you’ll get a fee credit/offset for the hours your child is enrolled in the funded kinder program.
As with sessional kindy, three-year-olds can get between five and 15 hours of a funded kinder program at a long day care, and four-year-olds can access a 15-hour per week funded program.
The Victorian government will chip in up to $2,050 to reduce the fees you pay for your child’s kindy program over the year, and the Australian government’s Child Care Subsidy will also bring down your out-of-pocket costs for childcare (assuming you’re eligible for it).
Your prospective service will be able to confirm whether they’re participating in Free Kinder, how their kindy program is delivered, and what fees you’ll pay.
It’s also helpful to know that, from 2025, Four-Year-Old Kindergarten will slowly change to Pre-Prep.
This transition means Victorian preschool programs will rise from 15 to 30 hours per week at long day care centres and standalone kindies; and by 2036, all Victorian children will have access to 600 hours of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and 1,200 hours of Pre-Prep.
If you’re located in another state or territory, you can rest assured that there is government funding for your preschooler’s education.
The Preschool Reform Agreement is in force until the end of 2025, and this agreement means that the federal government pays money to the states and territories to support the delivery of 15 hours of preschool per week for every child in the year before they start school.
Every government understands how beneficial a quality education program is for preschoolers, and whether you’re looking for a preschool in Liverpool, a long day care in Logan, or a different place altogether, KindiCare is here to help!