Victorian Kindergarten Funding – Extra support for children to learn and grow!
Here at Guardian Childcare & Education, we are really proud of our specialised two-year kindergarten program, led by our passionate and qualified Early Childhood Teachers.
Families often ask about the difference between kindergarten in a long day care service and sessional kindergartens. Great question! Here are some key reasons why kindergarten in a long day care setting is great for a child’s development and learning:
A smooth transition to school: Our learning programs are aligned to the Australian school curriculum to ensure that children have developed the important skills (cognitive, social and emotional) to be set up for success from the first day of ‘big’ school!
Incredible learning experiences throughout the day: Children experience a full day of exciting and engaging activities and learning experiences.
Developing social skills and strong relationships: Children have ample opportunity to socialise and develop friendships with other children of the same age, as well as forming strong bonds with their Educators and Teachers.
Flexibility to support families with busy lives: Unlike sessional kindergarten, which has set days and times, our dedicated two-year program offers flexibility; families can choose day of care that best suits their needs.
We know how important a great Kindergarten program is when it comes to giving children the best start to life. That’s why we’re excited that the Victorian Government is offering ‘Free Kindergarten’ to eligible families.
This kindergarten funding applies to programs delivered in both sessional care and long day care settings – just like ours.
What is it?
The Victorian Government offers funding to provide families up to 15 hours of Free Kindergarten a week and is in addition to the CCS (Childcare Subsidy) that many families already receive.
This funding offsets the fees for three and four-year-old children that are part of a Centre’s long day care Kindergarten program – which is what we offer in each of our Victorian childcare centres.
Families will save up to $2,050 a year for eligible children aged three years old and above in eligible long day cares in 2024. This is in addition to any Child Care Subsidy they may also receive.
Who can get it?
All children that are part of a Centre’s approved Kindergarten program are eligible for this subsidy. Only one service can receive the funding, so families must nominate the service they want to receive it.
Three-year-old children can receive between 5-15 hours of subsidised care. At Guardian, most of our services offer a minimum of 7.5 hours of a three-year-old funded Kinder program.
How does it work?
If eligible, the funding is allocated as a credit to reduce families out of pocket fees (after CCS has been applied).
The subsidy is a dollar amount and is applied across 46 weeks of the year. The subsidy will reduce families’ gap fee by:
- up to $45.00 each week for children who are enrolled in our 4 year old program.
- For children who are enrolled in our 3 year old program, the subsidy is dependent on the kindergarten program hours
Families need to complete and sign a declaration form that confirms that their service is their funded Kindergarten program.
More information: Free Kinder.
The best start to life for Victorian families at Guardian
Our Kindergarten program, combined with the Victorian Government funding and Child Care Subsidy, make it possible for more families to access high-quality care and education for their 0-6 year old children.
We have over 60 amazing Centres in Melbourne – here’s where we’re located. Most recently, we’ve welcomed our newest Centre, Guardian Box Hill North!
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