Dear early childhood education professionals
The 2026/27 Victorian State Budget has been handed down and, as shared with you yesterday, $548.3 million has been allocated to continue transforming early childhood education in Victoria.
The investments from this year’s Budget include:
- a $498.2 million package to support the continued delivery of new and expanded early learning facilities across the state
- $26.2 million to support the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- $9.8 million to deliver Building Blocks Improvement and Inclusion grants
- $7.4 million to continue delivery of Kinder Kits
- $3.6 million to continue providing free access for more than 7,000 children in Four-Year-Old Kindergarten to a learning program in up to 20 languages
- $3.2 million to continue early childhood intervention services for children with a disability of developmental delay.
In another positive step to improve children’s safety, the department has partnered with Early Childhood Australia to expand its professional support program. Free webinars and live learning sessions begin this month. They’re a great chance for early childhood professionals to build on their skills. The sessions will arm participants with the latest evidence and best practice to support a child-safe culture.
Also in the professional development space, the Respectful Relationships initiative is back for 2026. Online training will take place in June. This important initiative supports educators to create cultures of respect and equality. It helps professionals to achieve this while supporting children to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.
National Reconciliation Week begins this month (27 May to 3 June). This year’s theme is All In, which calls for Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation, every single day. Across the sector in Victoria, there are many great examples of work being done to strengthen culturally safe environments, inclusion and participation for First Nations children and families. In this edition, you can read how a self-determination workshop helped services in Melbourne’s Bayside region.
Across the state, First Nations children continue to be prioritised with more hours of Four-Year-Old Kinder. This year, Victorian children who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander will be able to access up to 25 hours of kinder programs each week, no matter where they live.
Finally, I’m pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Victorian Early Years Awards. Now in their 21st year, the awards recognise the outstanding work across the sector to improve children's health, learning, development and wellbeing. If you know a person or a team who deserve recognition, make sure you nominate them.
Wishing you all the best for the month ahead.
Bronwen FitzGerald
Deputy Secretary
Early Childhood Education
Updated