Early Childhood Update - April 2026

Dear early childhood education professionals

As Term 1 comes to an end, I want to thank all of you for helping children and their families and carers settle into new routines. The start of every year brings excitement, nerves and many, many questions and educators and teachers work extra hard to help children feel settled and ready to learn. Thank you.

The early childhood education and care sector is also working hard to adapt to the new child safety laws that were introduced this year. Thank you for all you continue to do to improve children’s outcomes and make lasting safety changes for Victorian children and their families.

With 2027 kindergarten enrolments kicking off soon for many services, enrolments will also soon open for Foundation (Prep) for the 2027 school year. This is an important step for families so we’re encouraging you to share resources to help them understand enrolment processes and key deadlines. Across the system it is wonderful to see children growing in confidence when they are so well supported ahead of these big transitions.

Starting this month and continuing throughout May and June, the department will host Pre-Prep and Koorie community events in new locations where Pre-Prep is launching in 2027. These events are a great opportunity to help families learn more about kindergarten programs and enrolment options. Services in participating local government areas are encouraged to share these events through their communication channels.

Looking ahead, the updated Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) will be released in Term 2. There will be resources and tools available to support implementation across 2026 and 2027. We’ll have more to share on these in the coming weeks.

In this edition, you can read about changes to the Early Childhood Jobs website. To reduce duplication, improve navigation and keep information current, the website will close from May. Updated information for job seekers and employers will only be available on the department’s website.

We also share a range of professional development opportunities in this edition. They include forums for educators working with children in out-of-home care and the Effective Mentoring Program.

With the Easter long weekend approaching, I hope you’re able to take a well-deserved break and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones.

Bronwen FitzGerald
Deputy Secretary
Early Childhood Education

Annual Confirmation closes on Friday 17 April for all services.

Please ensure all program, teacher, educator and enrolment data is entered in Arrival as soon as possible, and Annual Confirmation submitted.

Thank you to those services that have already completed this process.

Guidance and support

Guidance on using Arrival, including uploading enrolment data and managing users, is available. Click the ‘Help’ link at the top right-hand corner of your Arrival system screen to access the guidance.

For technical support when using the system, please contact the Arrival Helpdesk:

• phone: 1800 614 810 between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday
• email: Arrival.Helpdesk@education.vic.gov.au

Find out more

If you have any other questions, please contact your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch.

The Early Childhood Jobs website is transitioning into the department’s website from early May 2026.

Important information on financial incentives, our partner recruitment agencies and career supports will be available on the department’s website. The job listing and search function will cease. This reflects feedback that mainstream job search sites are the preferred mechanism for connecting with job opportunities in the sector.

This change will reduce duplication for services, make information easier to find and ensure it stays up to date.

From early May 2026, Early Childhood Jobs will redirect to the department’s website.

You should update any links to the Early Childhood Jobs website saved in your bookmarks. Consider bookmarking these webpages instead:

• Become an early childhood teacher or educator
• Early childhood career support.

Find out more

For further enquiries, contact the Employment Programs team by email: early.childhood.jobs@education.vic.gov.au.

Registration for the 2026 Premiers’ Reading Challenge is open.

The Challenge is a fun and easy way to encourage children from birth to Year 10 to read. This year’s theme is ‘Stories to discover. Stories to tell’.

Since the Challenge began in 2005, more than 4.7 million children and young people have participated and read more than 66 million books.

Information is available to learn more about the Premiers' Reading Challenge rules for children below school age.

Book giveaways and events

Sign your service up for the Challenge and fill out this entry form for the chance to win a book pack for your service.

For terms, conditions and further information visit the 2026 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge Book Giveaway Terms and Conditions webpage for events. Keep an eye on the Premiers' Reading Challenge webpage for events.

Promoting the Challenge

You can use this newsletter copy to promote the Challenge to your community. You can also download and share Challenge resources.

Find out more

For more information, visit Premiers’ Reading Challenge. Challenge Coordinators can also sign up to get the Premiers' Reading Challenge Coordinator Update.

For further enquiries, contact the Premiers’ Reading Challenge team by email: readingchallenge@education.vic.gov.au.

For Victorian government schools, Foundation (Prep) enrolments for the 2027 school year will open from Monday 20 April 2026.

Parents and carers of children starting school next year are encouraged to apply by Friday 31 July 2026.

These dates apply to all Victorian government primary schools.

The Enrolling in Foundation (Prep) webpage has information and resources to guide families through the process. It includes an enrolment information pack for parents and carers and the statewide enrolment timeline. A fact sheet and poster are available in more than 40 languages.

How you can support families

Please share resources from the information pack available at Transition to school resources for families. This will help families understand the enrolment timeline.

Resources in the pack include:

• a poster
• fact sheet
• email template
• website content
• social media content
• newsletter text.

For information specific to early childhood professionals on the transition to school, visit Moving to primary school.

As families consider the next steps in their child’s educational journey, you may get questions about access to an extra year of kindergarten. Information to help you with this can be found at Additional year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Find out more

For more information, refer to Enrolling in Foundation (Prep) and Transition to school resources for families.

For further enquiries, contact your regional office by email:

• North-east region: enrolments.nev@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
• North-west region: enrolments.nwv@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
• South-east region: enrolments.sev@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
• South-west region: enrolments.swv@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)

Services across the state are offering more hours of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten through Pre-Prep. This has rolled out in 18 local government areas (LGAs) since 2025. This year Pre-Prep has also launched statewide for children prioritised for early access.

Throughout April, May and June 2026, the department will host Pre-Prep and Koorie community pop-up events in locations where Pre-Prep is launching in 2027. These events will help families learn more about kindergarten programs and enrolment options.

In one town in each of the 2027 Pre-Prep local government areas, the department will have dedicated event staff on site to talk to families about eligibility, enrolment and the benefits of early childhood education.

Pop-ups will provide general information and direct families to speak to local services. Services play an important role in helping families understand how to access, enrol and participate in kindergarten programs, including Pre-Prep.

Find your local Pre-Prep pop-up

The Pre-Prep information stand will be in the following towns and suburbs of 2027 roll-out LGAs:

• Saturday 11 April – Yarrawonga – Lions Club Kiosk (Moira Shire)
• Sunday 12 April – Beechworth – Rutherglen Market (Indigo Shire)
• Monday 13 April – Bright – Outside Bright Library (Alpine Shire)
• Saturday 18 April – Port Fairy – Port Fairy Farmers Market (Moyne Shire)
• Sunday 19 April – Hamilton – Outside Hamilton Cinema (Southern Grampians Shire)
• Saturday 2 May – Bacchus Marsh – The Village Shopping Centre (Central Goldfields Shire)
• Saturday 9 May – Swan Hill – Community Tree (Swan Hill Rural City)
• Friday 15 May – Maryborough – Maryborough Branch Library (Moorabool Shire)
• Sunday 17 May – Leongatha – Rail Trail Market (South Gippsland Shire)
• Saturday 30 May – Portland – Portland Library (Glenelg Shire)
• Sunday 31 May – Colac – Colac Memorial Square Playground (Colac-Otway Shire)
• Saturday 6 June – Edenhope – Henley Park (West Wimmera Shire).

Koorie community events

The Koorie community pop-ups are listed below with several aligning with First Nations community events and spaces. This will help us reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and promote the availability of additional hours through Early Start Kindergarten and Pre-Prep.

The Koorie community pop-ups are:

• Saturday 9 May - Swan Hill – Community Tree (Swan Hill Rural City)*
• Thursday, 21 May - Frankston - Kirrup Playgroup (City of Frankston)
• Friday 22 May – Melbourne – The Long Walk, Birrarung Marr (City of Melbourne)
• Saturday 23 May – Melton – Melton Library and Learning Hub (City of Melton)
• Saturday 30 May – Portland – Portland Library (Glenelg Shire)*

*2027 Pre-Prep roll-out LGA.

Find out more

If your service is interested in learning more about these information stands, please contact EC.portfolio.communications@education.vic.gov.au.

For more information about Pre-Prep roll-out schedule, visit www.vic.gov.au/pre-prep-roll-out-schedule.

The Victorian Protecting Children Awards (VPCA) honour people and teams who show excellence in working with children, young people and families.

These prestigious awards have been running for 23 years. They celebrate the Victorian child and family services sector and community.

As an early childhood education and care professional, you see people working together every day to keep children safe and supported.

If you want to recognise someone who has helped strengthen the wellbeing and safety of children, young people and families, nominate them for a VPCA.

Nominate today

Nominations are open until Thursday 9 April 2026 at 5:00 pm. The nomination period will not be extended.

Anyone can nominate. By nominating a person or team you can help recognise the positive impact their work has for children, young people and families.

You can find the nomination link on the Victorian Protecting Children Awards webpage.

Who you can nominate

You can nominate people, teams or groups working in:

• early childhood education and care sectors
• the child and family services sector
• child protection
• government
• academic organisations.

You can also nominate:

• foster carers
• kinship carers
• permanent carers
• volunteers
• community members.

Award categories

The 2026 Victorian Protecting Children Awards categories:

• Robin Clark Leadership Award
• Robin Clark Making a Difference Award
• Minister's Award for Excellence in Protecting Children
• Foster Carer Award
• Kinship Carer Award
• Engaging Kids in School Award (includes early years and pre-school programs/activities)
• Keeping At Risk Young People Safe Award
• CREATE Positive Impacts Award – managed by the CREATE Foundation
• Child and Youth Empowerment Award – managed by the Commission for Children and Young People
• The Walda Blow Aboriginal Children and Young People Award – managed by the Commission for Children and Young People
• Leaving a Legacy Award – managed by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

Read more about the 2025 Victorian Protecting Children Awards 2025 Winners and Finalists.

Find out more

Nominate and find more information on the Victorian Protecting Children Awards webpage.

Free professional learning is available for educators and kindergarten teachers to strengthen support for children living in out-of-home care.

The online sessions explore key areas including:

• understanding the needs and experiences of children living in care
• identifying strategies and resources that promote their participation, inclusion and wellbeing in early childhood education and care settings.

About the sessions

The Department of Education LOOKOUT teams run the sessions. LOOKOUT staff are education specialists who support professionals to strengthen trauma-aware, culturally safe and inclusive practice for children in out-of-home care.

The free sessions will be held in May and June 2026. Additional dates are planned for later in the year. Each session runs for 1.5 to 2 hours. Teachers and educators can register for one or all of the sessions.

These sessions count towards Victorian Institute of Teaching required learning.

Details and registration links

Impact of trauma on children in out-of-home care

Increase your understanding of childhood trauma and its impact on young children living in out-of-home care.

Date: Tuesday 12 May 2026

Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Cost: free.

To register, refer to: Impact of trauma on children in out-of-home care.

Supporting children in out-of-home care in early childhood education and care settings

Explore specific needs and effective support strategies for children living in out-of-home care.

Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026

Time: 10 am to midday

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Cost: free.

To register, refer to: Supporting children in out-of-home care in early childhood education and care settings.

Supporting cultural inclusion for children in out-of-home care

Explore the importance of cultural identity, community connection, and supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in out-of-home care.

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026

Time: midday to 1:30 pm

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Cost: free.

To register, refer to: Supporting cultural inclusion for children in out-of-home care.

Find out more

For more information on supporting children living in care, refer to Supporting children placed in out-of-home care - information for early childhood professionals.

Registrations are open for the Effective Mentoring Program.

The program is for experienced teachers who are supporting provisionally registered teachers to achieve full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), or are interested in doing so.

The free program is delivered as a partnership between the Department of Education and the VIT.

About the program

The 2-day program will be delivered face-to-face from Term 1 to Term 3 in 2026. Seminars are available in metropolitan and regional locations. Some online seminars will also be available.

A one-day refresher program is available for teachers who have completed the Effective Mentoring Program.

Approved providers of a state-funded kindergarten service may be eligible to claim a contribution towards backfill for teachers taking part.

How to register

Refer to: Effective Mentoring Program.

Find out more

For more information about the program, refer to Effective Mentoring Program.

For further enquiries, contact the Workforce Retention and Recognition team by email: ec.mentoring@education.vic.gov.au.