About Free Kinder
Free Kinder is available for children enrolled in funded:
- 3-Year-Old Kinder programs
- 4-Year-Old Kinder programs, including more hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder (also known as ‘Pre-Prep’).
It’s offered across Victoria at participating standalone (sessional) kinder services and long day care services.
Kinder programs are led by a qualified teacher.
Some kinder services may choose not to offer Free Kinder and charge families fees to help meet the cost of running their kinder programs. The Kindergarten Fee Subsidy may be available at services that choose not to offer Free Kinder.
Sending your child to kinder
Learn about how your child can access Free Kinder, the benefits of kinder, and how to find and enrol in a kinder program that suits your family's needs.
Free Kinder eligibility
Free Kinder is for everyone.
Families do not need to have a Health Care Card or Pension Card, Australian citizenship, or proof of address to be eligible to access. You also do not need to be eligible for Australian Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) to receive Free Kinder.
You can only receive Free Kinder at one kinder service at a time. Your kinder service will ask you to sign a letter, naming the service where you will receive Free Kinder. If your child attends more than one kinder service, you should let each service know where you want to access Free Kinder.
Funded hours
Kinder programs are free at participating services in Victoria.
If your child attends a standalone (sessional) kinder participating in Free Kinder, there are no compulsory out-of-pocket fees or expenses to attend funded kinder.
A service may charge for one-off excursions/incursions, and registration fees (sometimes called waitlist fees). Waitlist fees are returned to families once they have accepted a kindergarten place.
If your child attends a long day care service participating in Free Kinder you will receive a fee offset.
Free Kinder funded hours can be different depending on the service your child attends (long day care or sessional kindergarten), and how old your child is.
- 3-Year-Old Kinder: Between 5 to 15 hours, increasing to 15 hours by 2029
- 4-Year-Old Kinder: Currently 15 hours
- 4-Year-Old Kinder (Pre-Prep): Funded hours are gradually increasing from 15 to 30 hours each week from 2025. Learn more about More hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder.
Some services provide programs that run for longer than the maximum funded hours. There may be a cost for your child to attend more than the funded hours, and you can choose to have them attend for only the free program. Talk to your preferred kindergarten about this.
Free Kinder at standalone (sessional) services
Free Kinder funding rates in 2025 mean families with children enrolled in participating sessional services receive a free program - saving families up to $2,627 per child in 2025.
Free Kinder at long day care centres
Families with children enrolled in kinder programs at participating long day care centres will receive an annual Free Kinder fee offset:
- In 2026, for 3-Year-Old Kinder, this means from $700.33 for 5 hours to $2,101 for 15 hours.
- For 4-Year-Old Kinder, this means $2,101 for children enrolled in a 15-hour kinder program.
- For children eligible for more hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder (Pre-Prep), Free Kinder still applies. This means a free kinder program of between 16 and 30 hours per week.
The funded program is the time that the qualified early childhood teacher is in the room delivering the kinder program.
Your long day care service will receive the Free Kinder funding on your behalf. Your service will pass on the savings as a direct reduction to your out-of-pocket fees after the Child Care Subsidy is applied.
Services not participating in Free Kinder
Kindergarten Fee Subsidy
The Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) continues to be available for eligible services that chose not to offer Free Kinder. The Free Kinder payment replaces the KFS for services that participate in Free Kinder.
The KFS is provided to enable eligible children to participate in funded 3 and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten for up to 15 hours free of charge or at low cost.
Your service will apply for the KFS on your behalf. The payment will be made directly to your child's service and will allow your child to attend up to 15 hours a week for free or at low cost.
Your child is eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy:
- if your child identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- your child or your family has had contact with Child Protection
- your child and your family are from a refugee or asylum seeker background
- if your child is identified on their birth certificate as being a multiple birth child (triplets or more).
Your child is also eligible if they hold, or have a parent or guardian who holds, one of the following:
- a Commonwealth Health Care Card
- a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card
- a Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or White Card
- Refugee or Asylum Seeker visa (200-204, 785 or 866)
- Bridging visas for any of the above Refugee or Asylum Seeker visas.
If your family or child has a humanitarian or refugee visa listed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that is not included in the above list, your child may still be eligible for the kindergarten fee subsidy. Please speak to your kinder service for more information. You can talk to the staff at your service about your child's eligibility, and show them your concession card, visa, birth certificate or other relevant document.
You can apply for the fee subsidy at any time during the year, even if your child moves to another service.
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