Three-year-old Kindergarten
Victoria is the first state or territory in Australia to offer universal funded three-year-old kindergarten.
Three-year-old kindergarten is available for children who turn three before 30 April each year, two years before they are eligible to commence primary school.
Families with children who turn three between 1 January and 30 April can choose which year to start three-year-old kindergarten. They can start in the same year they turn three, or in the year they turn four (prior to 30 April).
Due to staff requirements, some services may ask that children start attending at kindergarten only after their third birthday. This may mean that some children may not start until part-way into Term 1 and have less time overall as part of a three-year-old kindergarten program, in comparison to their peers.
If this is the case for your child and you accept a place, services will hold your child’s place until they are old enough and only charge you fees for the weeks your child attends. Kindergarten services will discuss with you directly about how they can support your child to join their program once they turn three.
It is important to note that all children in a three-year-old kindergarten program will move onto four-year-old kindergarten the following year. A second year of three-year-old kindergarten is not available.
Helpful resources for families
Use the Victorian Government’s age calculator to find out when your child can start kindergarten: Give your child the best start | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
The Department of Education have put together this FAQ sheet to help families decide the best time for their child to start kindergarten: Starting 3-year-old Kindergarten(PDF, 626KB)
Council's Ready for Kindergarten brochure contains important information to help families make a decision about kindergarten readiness: Ready for Kindergarten Brochure - 2023(PDF, 852KB)
Four-year-old Kindergarten
Four-year-old kindergarten is available for children who turn four before 30 April each year, in the year before they are eligible to commence primary school. Four-year-old kindergarten is delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher. All Victorian children are eligible for 15 hours per week (or 600 hours) of funded kindergarten in the year before they commence primary school.
Kindergarten in Long Day Care Centres
The majority of Long Day Care services offer an integrated kindergarten program. Families will be able to access high quality kindergarten and extended hours of care. Further information about these services is available directly from the service provider.