Early Childhood 0-8

Assistance for Children with Additional Needs

The Victorian Government is committed to delivering an inclusive early childhood and school system that ensures that all families and their children have access to quality services and supports to meet their needs – no matter what your family’s circumstances or background. This includes families whose children have severe disabilities and developmental delays, and refugee and aslyum seeker families.

The programs outlined below respect your family's individuality and help develop a sense of belonging to the community to promote your child's learning, development and wellbeing in the early years:

For more information, see: Early Childhood Intervention Services

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Kindergarten inclusion support services for Children with Severe Disabilities

The Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service provides packages of assistance to support the inclusion of children with severe disabilities to take part in a funded kindergarten program.

An inclusive program encourages and allows all children eligible to attend kindergarten opportunities to access the kindergarten program. Inclusion fosters the development of a sense of belonging and respects individuality and diversity, in order to promote learning, development and well-being in a child’s early years.

An Information and Application Kit is available for families and kindergarten programs seeking support. To access the kit, see: Kindergarten Inclusion Support Kits

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Preschool Field Officer program

The main role of the Preschool Field Officer program is to support the access and participation of children with additional needs in kindergarten. It supports children with a range of developmental concerns and additional needs who are usually not receiving supports from Early Childhood Intervention Services or kindergarten inclusion support service packages.

Preschool field officers are highly qualified early childhood professionals specialising in early childhood education and development. They support kindergartens by providing consultation, resources and advice to teachers and families.

Any family with a child attending a state-funded kindergarten program with additional needs or a teacher working in a state-funded kindergarten program can access this service.

A referral can be made by a parent or kindergarten teacher. Referral forms can be obtained from kindergartens.

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Support for refugee and asylum seeker families

Kindergarten is available free to eligible families and offers real benefits for their families and their children.

The Victorian Government provides funding to early childhood services so that families on concession cards, health care cards, Department of Veterans’ Affairs gold cards, refugees, special humanitarian entrants, those on asylum seekers visas, (and triplets and quadruplets in the same year of kindergarten) can receive a kindergarten program for 10 hours a week for free.

For more information, see: Kindergarten Fee Subsidy or call 1300 731 947.