The Best Start, Best Life reforms

Learn more about changes to Victoria’s early childhood education sector.

On this page

  • Free Kinder: Free Kinder is available for Victorian 3 and 4-year-old children at participating services in both standalone (sessional) services and long day care (childcare) settings - meaning a saving of up to $2,700 per child, every year.
  • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder (Pre-Prep): 4-Year-Old Kinder is increasing to a universal 30-hour a week program of play-based learning for 4-year-old children in Victoria.
  • 3-Year-Old Kinder: The roll out of 3-Year-Old Kinder increases program hours to 15 hours a week across the state by 2029 – providing Victorian children with 2 years of a quality kindergarten program before school.
  • Early learning centres: New early learning centres are opening across the state, with 18 currently open. These centres are operated by Early Learning Victoria, a new organisation in the Department of Education.
  • Kindergarten infrastructure: New infrastructure was established across the state, including new kindergartens on or near school sites. Grants are available to build, expand and maintain kindergarten services.
  • Kindergarten workforce: Programs were introduced to attract, upskill and retain quality early childhood teachers and educators, scholarships, incentives, traineeships and career advancement programs are available to support our skilled workforce.

Best Start, Best Life reforms

Learn about the Best Start, Best Life reforms.

The reform roll-out

  • 2024

    • Free Kinder for 3- and 4-year-old children available at participating services across Victoria.
    • Between 5 to 15 hours per week of 3-Year-Old Kindergarten available across Victoria, increasing to 15 hours by 2029.

  • 2025

  • 2026

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Across the state, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from a refugee or asylum seeker background, and children who have had contact with Child Protection services can access to up to 25 hours of kinder a week, increasing to up to 30 hours a week from 2028.
    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: An additional 12 regional LGAs are added to the roll-out schedule. These services will offer between 16 – 20 hours per week between 2026 and 2028, up to 25 hours per week in 2029 and 2030 and up to 30 hours per week from 2031.
    • 14 Early Learning Victoria centres open.

  • 2027

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: An additional 12 regional LGAs are added to the roll-out schedule. These services will offer between 16 – 20 hours per week in 2027 and 2028, up to 25 hours per week in 2029 and 2030, and up to 30 hours per week from 2031.
    • 6 Early Learning Victoria centres open.

  • 2028

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Children across the state who have (or have a parent or guardian who has) a Commonwealth concession card, and children who are a multiple birth child (triplets or more) will have access to up to 25 hours of kinder a week, increasing to up to 30 hours from 2030.
    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: An additional 15 regional LGAs are added to the roll-out schedule. These services will offer between 16 – 20 hours per week in 2028, up to 25 hours in 2029 and 2030, and up to 30 hours per week from 2031.
    • 7 Early Learning Victoria centres open.

  • 2029

    • 3-Year-Old Kinder is available for 15 hours per week statewide.
    • The next group of the Early Learning Victoria centres open.

  • 2030

  • 2031

  • 2032

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Major regional centres, Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong, are added to the roll-out schedule. These services will offer between 16 – 25 hours per week in 2032, increasing to up to 30 hours per week from 2033.
    • The final group of Early Learning Victoria centres open.

  • 2033

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Services in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong will offer up to 30 hours per week.

  • 2034

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Greater Melbourne (all remaining LGAs) are added to the roll-out schedule. These services will offer between 16 – 20 hours per week, increasing up to 25 hours per week in 2035 and up to 30 hours per week from 2036.

  • 2035

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Services in Greater Melbourne will offer up to 25 hours per week.

  • 2036

    • More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder: Children across Victoria will access up to 30 hours each week.

Updated

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