Choose an early childhood service

Kinder shapes the way children play, learn and grow.

Choosing the right early childhood service helps your child build confidence, make friends and learn through play.

In Victoria, children can attend early childhood education and care services from when they are very young, through to when they start school.

On this page, you can learn about different types of services. Every family is different, so it’s important to think about your family’s needs and preferences when you choose a service.

Types of services

Most early childhood education services in Victoria are long day care (childcare) and standalone (sessional) kindergarten services.

The Victorian Government funds kinder programs in long day care and standalone kindergarten services.

The Victorian Government regulates approved services to ensure childrens’ health, safety and wellbeing. Regulation also helps make sure children can access quality learning experiences.

Description	Long day care (child care)	Sessional (standalone) kinder
Child age	birth to school age	3 years old to school age
Days of operation	usually 5 days a week	usually set days, e.g. 2 to 3 days each week
Hours of operation	long days, e.g. 7 am to 7 pm	set hours, e.g. 5 or 7.5 hours a day
Education programs	Most long day care services offer integrated kinder, meaning children attend a kinder program as part of long day care: 3-Year-Old Kinder (up to 15 hours a week) 3-Year-Old Kinder (up to 15 hours a week) with more hours rolling out across Victoria to up to 30 hours a week	3-Year-Old Kinder (up to 15 hours a week) 4-Year-Old Kinder (up to 15 hours a week), with more hours rolling out across Victoria to up to 30 hours a week
Cost	Part of the cost is covered by the Australian Government Childcare Subsidy Free Kinder for kinder hours (reduction on your invoice)	Free Kinder (no out-of-pocket costs)
Qualification	Kinder program hours are delivered by a registered, university-qualified early childhood teacher Supported by certificate/diploma-qualified educators	Kinder program hours are delivered by a registered, university-qualified early childhood teacher Supported by certificate/diploma-qualified educators

Early childhood education and care is also provided in family day care and home-based care settings.

Family day care is where a small group of children attend an approved carer’s home with qualified educators. Home-based care is where your child is cared for by a friend, relative or nanny at home.

There are also outside school hours care services, school holiday care programs for school-aged children, as well as other children’s services, such as occasional care.

Read more about the types of child care(opens in a new window).

How to choose a service

Consider the following to help you to choose what type of early childhood service best suits your family:
- how old your child will be when they go to education and care
- how many hours of care you need each day
- how many days each week you need, and preferred days
- how far you want to travel
- the age your child will start kinder
- whether you want your child to attend the same service for child care and kinder.
There are steps you can take to find a service that’s right for your family.
Find services
The location of a service will be an important consideration. You may want a service close to your home, work or study. Online tools can help you find options in your local area. You can also contact your local council for information.
- To learn about child care options in your area, visit find children's education and care
- To learn about kinder program options in your area, visit find a kinder program. When considering kinder programs, look for the Kinder Tick.
Check service ratings
Check the service rating under the National Quality Standard at find children's education and care
Learn about service quality ratings(opens in a new window).(opens in a new window)
Contact your preferred service or local council to learn more. You can arrange a tour of the service or attend an open day. This allows you to ask questions and get a feel for the place.
What to look for when you visit
When you visit a service, look for the following:
- a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment
- support for each child’s learning and wellbeing
- teachers and educators who are engaged with the children and enjoying their company
- secure, clean and well-maintained indoor and outdoor spaces.
Check the information on display
The service should display information about their operations, policies and procedures. You can also ask them for a copy. These policies should be child- and family-focused. They should also be sensitive to each family's cultural and social background. Look for child safety, inclusion and diversity information.
The following information must be on display:
- name and position of the responsible person in charge of the service at any given time
- name of each nominated supervisor of the service
- name of the educational leader at the service
- name and telephone number of the person at the service who manages complaints
- contact details of the Regulatory Authority
- if applicable:
  - a notice stating that a child who has been diagnosed as at risk of anaphylaxis is enrolled at the service
  - a notice stating that there has been an occurrence of an infectious disease at the service premises
- name of the approved provider and their provider approval number and any conditions on their provider approval
- service name and service approval number, and any conditions on their service approval
- hours and days of operation
- current rating levels for each quality area in the National Quality Standard(opens in a new window) (NQS) and the overall service rating
- any waivers from regulatory requirements held by the service.

Early childhood education and care Parents & carers

Updated 10 June 2026