About Kindergarten
Going to kindergarten is an important step for your child. It will help them learn skills that they will build on throughout life and will strengthen their enthusiasm for learning.
At kindergarten your child will grow socially and emotionally. Their ability to think, use and recognise language and their fine motor skills will be developed through play, art, dance, music, movement and interacting with others. Most importantly, your child will be learning to become an effective learner as they develop and extend their communication skills, build their self-confidence, learn to be creative, and develop skills that assist them with reading, writing and mathematics.
The Victorian Government provides funding to make kindergarten affordable so that all children have the opportunity to participate in kindergarten in the year before school. This is usually when they are four years old. However, kindergartens will often set attendance fees to cover the gap between the Victorian government’s funding and the cost of operating the centre which varies depending on the hours of attendance, group sizes and extra costs such as excursions. These charges are usually passed onto you. You may also be asked to take part in fundraising activities for the kindergarten to help them buy new or extra equipment.
Many areas also offer kindergarten programs for three-year-old children. For three year old children known to Child Protection and three year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children attending a kindergarten program is free.
You can enrol your child in a funded kindergarten program in a variety of settings, including children’s centres, long day care centres, community kindergartens, independent schools and a small number of government schools. A range of organisations manage these programs including local government, parent committees, community organisations, private operators, independent schools and some government schools.
Kindergarten cluster management
A kindergarten cluster is a group of community kindergarten services that are managed by on organisation.
Kindergarten cluster management is designed to reduce the pressures and responsibilities for parents that are associated with running a kindergarten. It means that parents are still able to participate in decisions that affect their child’s kindergarten education without the worry of managing staff or balancing books.
A kindergarten cluster manager may be from local government, a family services organisation or other community-based, non-profit organisation.
More information on this topic
For more information, see:
- How Kindergarten will benefit your child – outlines the benefits of sending your child to kindergarten
- Early Start Kindergarten - information about access to kindergarten for three year old children known to Child Protection
- Does My Child Need a Second Year of Kindergarten?
Related information
For related websites and information, see:
- About Child Care – outlines the types of child care services available for you to choose from
- Children’s Services Register – this contains the name and address of every licensed children’s service in Victoria
- Find an early childhood service or school – allows you to find a Maternal and Child Health Service, kindergarten, primary or secondary school in any suburb or postcode within Victoria
- Find your local council – this website lists all local government authorities in Victoria and their contact details
- Parent Complaints - Child Care or Children's Services - this contains information to assist parents when addressing concerns or making a complaint that is related to a children's service
- Welcome to Early Childhood Services (PDF - 1.2Mb) - this publication contains information for parents about sending their child to child care and kindergarten.
For information about how kindergarten’s are managed, see: Early Childhood Services Management