Two Years of Kindergarten before School

Kindergarten programs are an important step for children – it’s strongly recommended you send your children for two years of early learning before they start school.

Ninety per cent of a child’s brain develops by the time they turn five. This means the benefits of enrolling children in kindergarten can last into the school years and beyond.

In 2025, children can access between nine and 15 hours a week of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Having an additional year of play-based learning can be transformative for children and set them up for success. Studies show that students who went to kindergarten for at least two years had better development in language, pre-reading, and early number concepts.[1]

Between the ages of three and five, children also learn important social and emotional skills, such as how to regulate their emotions and behaviour. Kindergarten is a safe place for children to build these skills as well as their independence and concentration while forming positive relationships and making friends.

To set your child up for success at school, it is recommended you send them to:

a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program for five to 15 hours each week, followed by
a funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program for 15 hours each week.

When children start at age three rather than four, kindergarten programs can have more of an impact. The benefits are even greater for vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Talk to us about how to enrol in Three-Year-Old Kindergarten today. For more information, ask our staff or visit vic.gov.au/kinder.

[1] Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education Project, Department for Education, United Kingdom [check italics here]

Background information

The Victorian Government is investing almost $5 billion over the decade to deliver funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
Victoria is the first state or territory to offer two years of funded kindergarten programs.
The state-wide roll-out of the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2022 is now available in more than 2,700 services across Victoria, with tens of thousands of children already benefitting.
The introduction of flexible hours from 2023 is the next stage in the roll‑out of Three‑Year‑Old Kindergarten.

Next year, program hours will vary from service to service, providing families with between five and 15 hours each week.

The primary goal of the reform is to provide access to Three-Year-Old Kindergarten to as many children in Victoria as possible.

Introduction of variable hours in 2023

From 2023, at Lara Lake Community Preschool we will offer between five and 15 hours of funded
Three Year Old Kindergarten each week.
Please refer to our 2023 Timetable for the offers available in our three year old kindergarten program.

Why are there different hours being delivered at different services?

Three Year Old Kindergarten is a ten-year reform. The Victorian Government is almost doubling the size of Victoria’s kindergarten sector – it takes time to grow the workforce and build the necessary infrastructure.
Having different numbers of hours at different services will help ensure the reform grows in a sustainable way.
Most importantly, increasing kindergarten program hours in stages helps to make sure that the maximum number of Victorian children – especially those from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds – have access to this critical boost to their wellbeing, learning and development.
Where places are limited, the participation of children should be prioritised over the number of weekly program hours delivered.
This is so as many Victorian children as possible have access to funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, and the benefits that come with it. This is especially critical following the disruptions of the pandemic for children and families.
We want all children to have equal access to two years of kindergarten programs before they start school no matter where they live.

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten gives eligible children 15 hours of free or low-cost kindergarten a week for the two years before school.
Early Start Kindergarten will continue to be available to all eligible children in all areas across Victoria. It guarantees a full 15-hour-a-week program to these children no matter the number hours offered as part of other programs.
To be eligible, children must turn 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.

During all stages of the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten roll-out, there will be no change to Early Start Kindergarten.
If your child meets one of these criteria, we can help you enrol under this program.

Fees

Government funding significantly reduces kindergarten fees for families. For some families, it means that their children can attend kindergarten programs for no or very low cost. For others, there will be an out-of-pocket cost.

The Victorian Government covers around two-thirds of the cost of an average funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program. This funding is provided directly to the kindergarten services. This allows children to access up to 15 hours a week of funded kindergarten delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.

This is the same way that costs work for Four-Year-Old Kindergarten.
Families can access a sessional kindergarten service at low or no cost if the child:

is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
is a triplet or quadruplet
is covered by a Health Care Card
holds an eligible concession card or refugee, humanitarian or asylum seeker visa, or their parent or guardian does.

For kindergarten programs in long day care centres, families pay a per-day fee. Eligible families can receive a rebate on this per day fee via the Commonwealth Government’s Child Care Subsidy.

Need more information?

The Three Year Old Enquiry line, is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm on 1800 338 663 or via email 3YO.kindergarten@education.vic.gov.au.

Click Here to read more about how two years of kindergarten will support your child’s educational development.