Services determine how many hours of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten are delivered per week, with a minimum of 5 hours and a maximum of 15 hours, within set parameters. In 2024, more than 80% of services offered 15 hours per week.
The priority is to give as many Victorian children access to a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten place as possible. Services will be funded pro-rata for the program hours delivered.
Where places are limited, the participation of children is prioritised over the number of weekly program hours delivered.
Services should not increase their Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program hours in 2025 if this lowers the number of 3- or 4-year-old places that were offered in 2024. For more information about the flexible hours policy and eligibility for an exception, refer to the department’s operational policies supporting the Best Start, Best Life reforms (listed in resources below).
Key milestones for Three-Year-Old Kindergarten:
- 2020: introduced in 6 regional local government areas (LGAs)
- 2021: launched in a further 15 LGAs
- 2022: available across Victoria
- 2023-2025: services across Victoria are providing between 5 and 15 hours of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten each week.
From 2026, across Victoria, children who meet the eligibility requirements due to their learning or developmental needs can access an additional year of either Three-Year-Old Kindergarten or Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (or Pre-Prep for eligible children), but not both.
Kinder Kits
As part of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, all eligible children receive a free Kinder Kit. Everything inside a Kinder Kit has been recommended by education experts to help families make learning through play part of everyday life.
The specially designed Kinder Kits are filled with books by Australian authors and educational toys and activities, made especially for 3-year-olds to enjoy at home.
Resources
- Operational policies supporting the Best Start, Best Life reforms:(opens in a new window) for more information on flexible hours and other policies relating to Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, flexible hours and other policies for funded kindergarten service providers
- Second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten:(opens in a new window) for more information about an additional year of kindergarten
- Kinder Kits:(opens in a new window) for videos and resources about Kinder Kits. There is information about the authors and makers, and readings of Kinder Kit books with Auslan translations
- Information about kindergarten in your language:(opens in a new window) Each Kinder Kit includes a printed Guide for Families(opens in a new window), with tips and ideas to help parents and carers guide their child’s early learning and development at home. The Guide for Families is also available online in 31 languages.
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