Implementation

Our investment

We have already made significant progress in delivering the Best Start, Best Life reforms with a total investment to date of $6.2 billion. This includes:

• $1.6 billion to roll out Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and increase capacity by building new kindergarten facilities.
• $1.4 billion for Free Kinder to give Victorian parents—especially mums—the choice to return to work if they want to and provide savings to families each year, up to $2,500 in 2023.
• $1.3 billion to build around 100 new kindergartens, with the majority to be located at or nearby government schools to help avoid the double drop off.
• $921 million to deliver 35 new government-owned and operated Early Learning and Childcare Centres by 2027
• $303 million for around 35 new early learning facilities at low-fee non-government schools, and to expand early learning facilities on local government sites.
• $48 million to support existing kinders and toy libraries to purchase equipment, provide additional Bush Kinder programs, and continue existing and create 10 new bilingual kindergartens.
• $6 million for Aboriginal cultural safety and inclusion.
• $18 million to strengthen and modernise existing inclusion support for children with disability and additional needs.
• $10 million for local governments and eligible providers to improve local kindergarten facilities.

Our reform approach

There are enough kinder places now for children across Victoria to receive a funded place in the 2 years before school, but many more will need to be created as participation, program hours and population increase.

That’s why the reforms are rolling out over a decade – this will allow time for hundreds of new services to be built or expanded, thousands more teachers and educators to enter the workforce, and thousands of existing services to adapt their programs.

Existing services will continue to be an important part of the Victorian kindergarten system – including single room and other sessional services, and integrated long day care kindergarten programs.

Over time, existing and new services will generally enrol fewer children for more funded hours. To make this possible, by 2032, they will be joined by many new and expanded services across the state.

During the rollout period, there will be a flexible approach to the number of hours offered by services. This allows services to grow at a pace that suits them and their community. Services will prioritise offering a child a place over receiving more hours, if a choice between these options needs to be made.

Our achievements

Meeting the needs of children, families and communities

• In 2023, Free Kinder is available at 97% of services and has benefitted approximately 140,000 families; and 5 to 15 hours per week of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten is available across Victoria
• Families in participating long day care services save up to $2,000 per year on their kinder program - as much as a family who were paying an average fee in a sessional service.
• Increased participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, working in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association (VAEAI).
• 22 CALD Outreach workers supported increased enrolments from culturally and linguistically diverse families, including children from refugee or asylum seeker background.
• Find a Kinder Program website, the Kinder Tick and central enrolment schemes made it easier for families to find a kinder place in a sessional or long day care service.
• Kinder Kits given to children enrolled in Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2022 and 2023.
• Support for children experiencing vulnerability through the LOOKOUT program, the Early Childhood Agreement for Children in Out of Home Care, and the Early Years Compact.

Valuing and growing our workforce

• 50% increase in workforce since 2019.
• More than 4,00 teaching scholarships awarded.
• Incentives of $9,000-50,000 to recruit staff to priority locations.
• 200 traineeships supported, in partnership with Jobs Victoria and Chisholm Institute.
• Approximately 1,000 teachers benefited from coaching and support.

Supporting the sector through change

• Pre-Prep rollout schedule released.
• Pre-Prep starts in the first 6 Local Government Areas from 2025.
• The average sessional service receives 30-40% more funding from Free Kinder compared to parent fees in 2022.
• 65 Early Years Networks each term.
• 34 Leadership Forums each year.
• 17 Early Childhood Improvement Branches giving services direct support from the Department of Education.
• Supporting Three-Year-Old Kindergarten roll-out with tools and resources, in partnership with peak bodies.

Making spaces for learning

• $2.7 billion funding allocated for infrastructure.
• 400 new services opened and another 50 services expanded since 2019.
• 11 Building Blocks Partnerships agreed with local governments, delivering an additional 5,185 licensed places by 2029.
• 119 kindergarten infrastructure projects complete and 168 underway.
• 5,200 additional licensed places created and 10,000 more on the way.
• 29 kindergartens on school sites delivered, with another 28 announced.
• Kindergarten Infrastructure Services Plans (KISPs) developed in partnership with all 79 local governments.