Early childhood education is the foundation for lifelong wellbeing and learning. The Victorian Government is reforming early learning to give children across the state an extra year of kindergarten. This means another year of learning, playing and making friends.

Evidence shows that two years are better than one when it comes to early learning. Children who start kindergarten at the age of three gain academic and social benefits that last into their school years and beyond.

Until recently, kindergarten has only been funded for children at the age of four.

The Victorian Government has committed almost $5 billion over this decade to fund kindergarten for three-year-olds.

This is the largest investment in early childhood education in Victoria's history. 

The VSBA is helping build, expand and modernise kindergartens across the state to support this reform. We have received $518 million from the Victorian Government to get this massive building program underway. This will ensure three-year-old children have the facilities they need to attend kindergarten, and we are meeting increasing demand for places for four-year-olds.

Roll-out schedule:

This landmark reform is already rolling out and will become available in stages. Three-year-olds in 21 government areas are now able to access up to 15 hours of funded kindergarten each week.

These areas are:

• Alpine
• Ararat
• Buloke
• Campaspe
• Central Goldfields
• Colac-Otway
• Corangamite
• East Gippsland
• Glenelg
• Hepburn
• Hindmarsh
• Indigo
• Loddon
• Murrindindi
• Northern Grampians
• South Gippsland
• Southern Grampians
• Strathbogie 
• Towong 
• West Wimmera
• Yarriambiack.

These first roll-out areas have been chosen because they have the capacity needed to offer kindergarten programs to local three-year-olds. From 2022, three-year-olds across the state will be able to attend five hours of funded kinder, and that increases to 15 hours a week by 2029.

Visit the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten web page for further information.

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