This year, 3-year-old Victorian children have access to at least 5 hours of funded kinder
Across Victoria, kinder children are celebrating an important milestone: the launch of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
The investment by the Victorian Government gives children an extra year of learning, playing and making friends, ensuring they have a wonderful start to their education journey.
Victoria is the first Australian state to introduce universal funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, providing children with access to at least five hours of funded kindergarten.
The benefits of two years of kindergarten
Kindergarten programs are planned and delivered by qualified teachers and focus on play-based learning which reflects the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. High quality kinder education means children:
- use play to build their language skills and learn about numbers and patterns
- learn how to get along with others, share, listen and manage their emotions
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develop creative thinking, curiosity and confidence about learning.
Evidence shows that quality play-based early learning has a positive effect on children’s learning and development. Entering kinder early means children:
- see a boost in their development, wellbeing, and social skills
- learn how to manage their emotions early
- start to build resilience and learn to focus their attention.
Rolling out funded Three-Year-Old kinder
From 2022, three-year-olds across Victoria will have access to 5 hours of a funded kindergarten program each week. The hours will then increase to 15 hours a week for 40 weeks of the year by 2029.
Find out more
For more information about three-year-old kinder and how it supports children getting the best start visit
Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
