Communicating about kindergarten to your community

Resources to help services communicate with families about kindergarten.

This page includes resources you can use to help you communicate about kindergarten with your community and families at your service.

The information and digital materials below can be shared across your social media, websites, newsletters and online platforms to promote your kindergarten programs and attract enrolments.

You can also order printed materials from the Victorian Kindergarten Resources Portal(opens in a new window).

Preparing for a new kindergarten year

The new kindergarten year marks an exciting time for children across the state, whether they are starting Three or Four-Year-Old Kindergarten.

To celebrate the start of year and promote the benefits of early childhood education, you can use the communication materials below.

With Free Kinder available and children starting Three-Year-Old Kindergarten receiving a Kinder Kit, 2024 is another big year for early childhood education in Victoria.

3YO and 4YO kinder programs are available here (poster)
PDF 1.69 MB
(opens in a new window)

Video – Kindergarten programs in Victoria

Three-Year-Old Kinder
View transcript

Free Kinder

In an Australian first, children across Victoria can now access 2 years of Free Kinder before school at participating services.

Families do need to make a claim for this funding, as participating services receive funding directly from the Victorian Government.

Sessional kindergartens

  • Free Kinder means that families with children enrolled in sessional kindergarten programs at participating services will receive a free program, a saving of up to $2,563 per child in 2024.
  • For 3-year-old children, this means a free kindergarten program of between 5 and 15 hours each week (200-600 hours each year).
  • For 4-year-old children, this means a free kindergarten program of 15 hours each week (600 hours each year).

Long day care centres

  • Families with 3 and 4-year-old children enrolled in participating long day care services will receive a fee offset of up to $2,050 per child in 2024.
  • This means a saving of $2,050 for children enrolled in a 15-hour kindergarten program (600 hours a year).
  • Children enrolled in a Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program of less than 15 hours will receive a pro-rata amount.

Resources

The resources below will help you communicate about Free Kinder.

For sessional services

For long day care services

You may find that some families are engaging in kindergarten for the first time because of the Free Kinder initiative.

Social media tiles, email banners and posters

Free Kinder 2023 - English

Free Kinder 2023 – Arabic

Free Kinder 2023 – Dari

Free Kinder 2023 – Turkish

Vignettes - English

Bachar Houli recognises the opportunity Free Kinder gives Victorian families

Promoting enrolments for 2025

Encourage families in your community to enrol in your kindergarten programs next year.

As you communicate about enrolling in 2025 and your session times, let families know it is strongly recommended children go to kindergarten for 2 years before school, starting with Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

You can use the resources below to promote 2025 enrolments. The Communications Resources kit includes sample text for your social media and newsletters, and key points about Free Kinder, Three-Year-Old Kindergarten hours, Pre-Prep and the benefits of 2 years of funded kindergarten. It may also be helpful for answering questions from families. Download a copy below.

The resources below can also be used in your enrolment communications to help explain what happens at kindergarten, and the benefits.

Fact sheets

Three-Year-Old Kindergarten

Depending on where your service is at with the roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, you will be offering between 5-15 hours each week. From 2029, services across Victoria will deliver 15-hour programs.

Use the resources below to promote enrolments for Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2025. Some families may not realise they need to enrol the year before kindergarten starts, in many cases when their child is 2-years-old.

Your local Maternal and Child Health centres may also help promote your kindergarten programs, especially Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten is becoming Pre-Prep, with programs across Victoria increasing from 15 to 30 hours each week by 2032.

Pre-Prep will start in Ararat Rural City, Gannawarra Shire, Hindmarsh Shire, Murrindindi Shire, Northern Grampians Shire and Yarriambiack Shire in 2025.

In 2026, Pre-Prep becomes available across Victoria to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from a refugee or asylum seeker background, and children who have had contact with Child Protection services. Twelve additional regional LGAs are also added to the roll-out schedule. Programs will be between 16 and 30 hours per week.

More local government areas will be added to the roll-out schedule each year. In 2032, 4-year-old children across Victoria will have access to 30 hours of Pre-Prep.

For more information on the staged roll-out, go to vic.gov.au/pre-prep(opens in a new window).

Kinder kits

Kinder Kits are back again and will be available for every eligible child enrolled in a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program in 2024.

Kinder Kits are colourful boxes filled with books, educational toys and activities from Australian authors and makers made especially for 3-year-olds to enjoy at home. A Guide for Families is also included with tips and ideas to help families engage with their Kit and their child’s learning.

Everything inside a Kinder Kit has been recommended by education experts to help families make ‘learning through play’ part of everyday life.

Deliveries of Kinder Kits will occur during Term 1. For any questions, contact kinder.kits@education.vic.gov.au.

Kits can only be provided to eligible children who are enrolled in a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program, as well as those enrolled in their first year of Early Start Kindergarten(opens in a new window) and Access to Early Learning(opens in a new window). Children in Four-Year-Old Kindergarten programs and 3-year-olds attending long day care but not funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten at the service are not eligible to receive a Kit.

Promote 2024 Kinder Kits and Three-Year-Old Kinder

To help families get the most out of their Kinder Kits, you can find videos, other resources and translated materials at kinder.vic.gov.au/kinderkits(opens in a new window).

The communications toolkit is available to help your service promote the Kinder Kits. Explore the toolkit contents by clicking on the items listed below:

Everything in the Kinder Kit is designed to be shared and enjoyed as a family. Share the items below to help families get the most out of their child’s Kinder Kits:

  • Guide for Families(opens in a new window): Each Kinder Kit includes a family guide, with tips and ideas to help parents and carers guide their child’s early learning and development at home.
  • Watch the video guide below.
Kinder Kit Guide
View transcript

Download video(opens in a new window)

The Guide for Families is also available in 31 languages online, including English. For the translated guide, select your preferred language on the translations page: vic.gov.au/kinder/translations(opens in a new window). Translated information explaining what early childhood education is and its benefits is also available.

You can find Auslan readings of Kinder Kit books at vic.gov.au/kinderkits#kinder-kit-books(opens in a new window).

Kinder Tick

The Kinder Tick helps Victorian families find a government-approved kindergarten program for their children.

The Kinder Tick means:

  • the program will be led by a qualified teacher
  • children will benefit from play-based learning
  • the kindergarten program is funded and approved by the Victorian Government
  • the program complies with government guidelines and the National Quality Framework.

Order Kinder Tick materials, including signage for your service or download the logo and information resources.

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) continues to be available for eligible children, providing 15 hours of kindergarten each week for 2 years before school.

Eligible children should be specifically enrolled in ESK, even where Free Kinder or 15 hours per week of funded Three-Year-Old kindergarten is offered.

Enrolling children through ESK ensures they have priority of access, and services can receive additional funding and support. For instance:

  • the number of ESK enrolments at your service contributes to how much School Readiness Funding (SRF) your service receives
  • sessional kindergartens and long day care services will receive a full year’s funding allocation (for hours enrolled) when ESK applications are approved – this is regardless of when a child starts or leaves the service and supports your planning around the child’s access and inclusion into the kindergarten program
  • long day care services will receive at least $500 in extra funding for supporting an ESK enrolment.

To be eligible for ESK, children must be 3 by 30 April in the year they start kindergarten, and either:

  • be from a refugee or asylum seeker background
  • identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  • be from a family that has had contact with child protection.

Services are encouraged to discuss eligibility for ESK with families and referrers directly, in addition to the information provided through enrolment processes.

Use these materials to communicate to families in your community:

Further ESK materials including social media tiles and translated materials in 30 languages can be found here.

Koorie Kids Shine

Koorie Kids Shine promotes the value of kindergarten to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and the community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 3 and 4 can access 15 hours of free kindergarten each week through Early Start Kindergarten.

Koorie Kids Shine provides information and imagery to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and also has content, including videos, for educators.

Use the print and digital Koorie Kids Shine materials to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to learn more about the benefits of kindergarten, including how services create culturally safe places for Koorie children and families.

To order Koorie Kids Shine print materials free of charge, sign up and log in to the Victorian Kindergarten Resources website, and select the Additional supports and programs option.

Anyone can view and order Koorie Kids Shine print materials.

Translated materials

Some families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may experience barriers accessing early childhood education, including language barriers.

Use the new translations webpage to assist your engagement with CALD families. Translated information is available in 30 languages explaining what early childhood education is and its benefits. There is also information about support for access and participation.

Please share the link vic.gov.au/kinder/translations with your staff and families.

You can order printed translated resources from the Victorian Kindergarten Resources Portal in 30 different languages. You can also download materials from the portal for digital use (for example, to send by email).

You can find further resources to communicate with CALD families about kindergarten and its benefits on the Supporting CALD families to engage in kindergarten webpage.

Updated

Back to top