Early childhood education is the foundation for lifelong wellbeing and learning. The Victorian Government is reforming early learning to give every Victorian child 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 now, kindergarten has only been funded for children at the age of four.
The Victorian Government has committed to changing that with an almost $5 billion commitment over the decade to fund kindergarten for three-year-olds.
This is the largest investment in early childhood education in Victoria's history.
The VSBA received a record $473.2 million in the 2019-20 State Budget to support the building, expansion and upgrade of kindergartens across Victoria . 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.
This landmark reform is already rolling out. Three-year-olds in six local government areas can access up to 15 hours of funded kindergarten each week. From 2022, every Victorian three-year-old will be able to attend five hours of funded kinder, and that increases to 15 hours a week by 2029.
The roll-out detail:
- Families across six regional local government areas (Buloke, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians, South Gippsland, Strathbogie and Yarriambiack) can now access up to 15 hours a week.
- In 2021, up to 15 hours a week will be available in another 15 LGAs (Alpine, Ararat, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Colac-Otway, Corangamite, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Hepburn, Indigo, Loddon, Murrindindi, Southern Grampians, Towong and West Wimmera).
- Three-year-olds in the rest of the state will have five hours of funded kinder by 2022, building up to the full 15-hour-a-week program by 2029.
Visit the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten web page for further information.
