The Victorian Government’s Free Kinder initiative was in the spotlight recently in an article published on Mamamia.com.au
Mamamia is one of Australia's largest independent women's media companies and is known for covering a range of topical women's issues.
In partnership with the department, the article was developed to promote the $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, including Free Kinder.
The heart-warming piece by Sharon Hunt gave readers a glimpse into 3 mothers’ experiences with Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, illustrating kinder as an exciting rite of passage in a child’s life.
The article shared their motivations for enrolling and how their child benefited from 2 years of kindergarten before school.
Kindergarten mothers’ case studies
Eleanor, a mother of 3 whose middle child, Henry, commenced in the first roll-out year of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, discussed how 2 years of kinder helped her son build his confidence, social skills and readiness for learning.
Likewise, Jessica, whose son George attended Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in its first year and is now at school, discussed how her son grew from being highly anxious about separating from his parents to begging them to go to kinder.
As a primary school teacher, Jessica also shared her perspective on how kinder lays the groundwork for children’s schooling years.
Jessica said, ‘Socially, they also cope much better once they start school and often have the tools and confidence to ask for help when needed’.
Share on social media
We encourage early childhood education services to share the Mamamia article on social channels to encourage families to enrol their children in Three-Year-Old Kinder.
Also, remember to access the Communications toolkit for 2024 available on the Communicating about kindergarten to your community page. You can also access a Free Kinder communications pack tailored for long day care services.
These resources include suggested web, newsletter and social media text to help services promote kindergarten enrolments.
There are also social media tiles and other marketing collateral to help with this promotion.
Find out more
For more information, refer to Kindergarten – Best Start, Best Life.
For further enquiries, contact the department’s Communications Division by email: ec.portfolio.communications@education.vic.gov.au
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