1. Consider 2025 Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) and other sources
As children from the 2026 Pre-Prep priority cohort group are eligible for Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) now, enrolments in 2025 may be a good indicator for your service about how many children will be enrolling in Pre-Prep in 2026. Let these families know about Pre-Prep and that they are eligible for programs with additional hours from 2026.
Also, connect with your local Maternal Child and Health (MCH) service, Central Registration and Enrolment Scheme (CRES) teams at local councils, or local family services that are working with children that may be eligible for Pre-Prep.
2. Share information with your team
It may be helpful for your teaching team to look at the Operational policies supporting the Best Start, Best Life reforms that apply from 2026. This lists the policies relating to delivering Pre-Prep to children from priority cohorts (there is also a FAQ document available).
3. Meet and discuss options for delivering additional hours with your team
Services may find that the approaches they have already been using to deliver ESK can also be applied for children eligible for Pre-Prep in 2026. As well as the information on these pages, you can also refer to the Change Management Toolkit, which has advice about planning for and the benefits of different program models and tips on communicating with families.
4. Invite families of 3-year-old children enrolled in Early Start Kindergarten to provide feedback on options
When asking for input, offer different ways to provide feedback, for example via email, anonymous form, or in-person meeting. This offer can be extended to relevant family support workers (e.g., Child Protection case workers, CALD Outreach Workers), where appropriate.
Discuss with families and support workers opportunities that the additional hours might offer in working with any challenges that are associated with traumatic or stressful experiences.
5. Reconvene with your teaching team
Discuss any feedback received by families and agree on the preferred option for your service. Now is a good time to get advice from your Early Childhood Improvement Branch (ECIB), if you haven’t already.
You may also consider, and discuss with your ECIB, ideas and options for how you can use your School Readiness Funding to build the capacity of your team to support children from priority cohorts and improve outcomes for children at your service.
6. Let families know of the proposed program
This may include providing families with options before or whilst enrolments are open. Let families know they can get in touch with any questions or requests before enrolment and during the year. If required, free onsite, telephone and video interpreters are available for funded kindergarten services and can help your service provide families with information and support them to provide feedback and ask questions.
Note that different types of support and engagement may be required for families and children from a priority cohort as they start to access and participate in increased hours of Pre-Prep.
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