2027 Kindergarten funding rates

Victorian government-funded kindergarten providers can use the tables below to find the funding rates that apply to their services.

Funding rates are organised by service type and funding category. This includes whether a service is covered by an eligible enterprise agreement.

Find your funding category

Per-child funding
Per Capita and Free Kinder rates are based on a 15-hour per week kindergarten program. The same rates apply to funded 3-year-old and 4-year-old enrolments receiving 15 hours per week.
For 3-Year-Old Kinder programs delivering fewer than 15 hours per week, funding is pro-rated based on the number of funded hours delivered.
Additional hours
Eligible 4-Year-Old Kinder enrolments receiving more than 15 funded hours per week attract the applicable 15-hour funding rate, plus an hourly rate for each additional funded weekly hour above 15 hours.
Priority Cohort, Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) and Access to Early Learning (AEL) funding
For eligible enrolments, Priority Cohort or ESK/AEL rates are paid instead of the corresponding Per Capita and Free Kinder rates, not in addition to them.
Priority Cohort funding applies to eligible children enrolled in 3-Year-Old Kinder or 4-Year-Old Kinder at sessional services.
Refer to Kindergarten Funding Guide for more detailed eligibility and funding arrangements.
Services offering both sessional and long day care programs
For services offering both sessional and integrated long day care programs, the applicable Per Capita rate is based on the long day care service type.
Free Kinder funding is based on the program model in which each child is enrolled. This means the sessional Free Kinder rate applies to children enrolled in a sessional program, and the long day care Free Kinder rate applies to children in an integrated long day care program.

Term	What it means / description
EA service	Services operating under: the Victorian Early Childhood Teachers’ and Educators’ Agreement (VECTEA) the Early Education Employees’ Agreement (EEEA), or a department-approved equivalent agreement. These services receive the applicable EA Per Capita rate.
Rural service	Services located in a department-defined rural area that offer the only funded kindergarten program in the rural town. These services are not operated by a non-government school. Eligible services receive the applicable rural Per Capita funding rate.
Non-government (non-gov) school service	A kindergarten service operated by a Catholic or independent school that is not operated by or on behalf of the Victorian Government. Different Per Capita funding rates apply depending on the service’s funding category and eligibility for the non-government schools Standard rate.
Standard Type 1	The funding category for integrated long day care services that: are not operated by local government or by government schools do not operate under the VECTEA, EEEA or other department-approved agreement do not receive an EA or rural funding rate.
Standard Type 2	The funding category for integrated long day care services that: are operated by local government or by government schools do not operate under the VECTEA, EEEA or other department-approved agreement do not receive an EA or rural rate. This category also applies for sessional services that do not receive an EA or rural rate.

Read the Kindergarten Funding Guide for detailed information about funding eligibility, how funding is calculated and paid, and other funding requirements.

Sessional kindergarten funding rates

Table 1: Sessional services covered by an eligible enterprise agreement

Sessional service funding category	EA Standard	EA Rural
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$5,425	$6,710
Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$361.67	$447.33
Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL funding – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$5,425	$6,710
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$8,185	$9,470
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$361.67	$447.33
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184
Other funding rates
Ratio Supplement rate (15-hour rate)	$746	$746
Pre-Purchased Places (PPP) funding rate (20-hour rate)*	$10,913	Not eligible

Table 2: Sessional services not covered by an eligible enterprise agreement

Sessional service funding category	Standard Type 2	Rural
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$4,025	$4,976
Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$331.73
Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$4,025	$4,976
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$6,785	$7,736
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$331.73
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184
Other funding rates
Ratio Supplement rate (15-hour rate)	$746	$746
Pre-Purchased Place (PPP) funding rate (20-hour rate)*	$10,913	Not eligible

Table 3: Sessional services operated by non-government schools

Sessional service funding category	Non-gov schools Standard	Non-gov schools Type 1	Non-gov schools Type 2
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$4,025	$706	$2,292
Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760	$2,760
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$47.07	$152.80
Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184	$184
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL funding – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$4,025	$4,025	$4,025
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$6,785	$6,785	$6,785
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$268.33	$268.33
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184	$184

Long day care kindergarten funding rates

Table 4: Long day care services covered by an eligible enterprise agreement

Long day care service funding category	EA Standard	EA Rural
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$5,425	$6,710
Free Kinder rate	$2,154	$2,154
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$361.67	$447.33
Free Kinder hourly rate	$143.60	$143.60
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL funding – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$5,425	$6,710
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$8,185	$9,470
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$361.67	$447.33
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184

Table 5: Long day care services not covered by an eligible enterprise agreement

Long day care service funding category	Standard Type 1	Standard Type 2	Rural
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$3,691	$4,025	$4,976
Free Kinder rate	$2,154	$2,154	$2,154
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$214.67	$268.33	$331.73
Free Kinder hourly rate	$143.60	$143.60	$143.60
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL funding – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$4,025	$4,025	$4,976
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$6,785	$6,785	$7,736
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$214.67	$268.33	$331.73
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184	$184

Table 6: Long day care services operated by non-government schools

Long day care service funding category	Non-gov schools Standard	Non-gov schools Type 1	Non-gov schools Type 2
Per-child funding – first 15 hours per week
Per Capita rate	$4,025	$706	$2,292
Free Kinder rate	$2,154	$2,154	$2,154
Per-child funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$47.07	$152.80
Free Kinder hourly rate	$143.60	$143.60	$143.60
Priority Cohort, ESK and AEL funding – first 15 hours per week
Priority Cohort Per Capita rate	$4,025	$4,025	$4,025
Priority Cohort Free Kinder rate	$2,760	$2,760	$2,760
ESK/AEL rate	$6,785	$6,785	$6,785
Priority Cohort funding – additional hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder
Priority Cohort Per Capita hourly rate	$268.33	$268.33	$268.33
Priority Cohort Free Kinder hourly rate	$184	$184	$184

Additional funding rates

The ECTS provides additional funding for eligible services employing experienced early childhood teachers to lead funded kindergarten programs. Funding is based on the teacher’s classification level and full-time equivalent (FTE) employment.
Refer to the Kindergarten Funding Guide for detailed ECTS eligibility guidance.
Early Childhood Teacher Supplement 2027 rate (per FTE teacher)
Level 6.6 $11,266
Level 6.7 $16,351
Level 6.8 $21,624
Level 6.9 $27,093
Level 6.10 $32,762
Level 6.11 $45,732

Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) funding

ACCO funding	2027 funding rate
First 15 hours	$16,428
Hourly rate after 15 hours	$1,095.20

ACCO-managed services receive a single per-child rate.

ACCO-managed services with 18 or fewer full-time equivalent enrolments receive a base funding amount that is equivalent to 18 full-time equivalent enrolments.

Read Funding for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations delivering kindergarten for more information about ACCO funding.

Early Years Management funding

Early Years Management (EYM) organisations receive funding to support the management and delivery of kindergarten services. The applicable funding depends on the service type, location and grant arrangement.

Annual grant
Sessional services (non-roll out areas)	$19,923
Long day care services (including long day cares that deliver both integrated and sessional programs)	$12,345
Sessional services in roll-out LGAs offering more hours of 4-Year-Old Kinder	$29,885
Additional support loading (for sessional services in rural and/or disadvantaged services)	$3,974
Start-up grant
Sessional services	$19,923
Long day care services (including long day cares that deliver both integrated and sessional programs)	$12,345
Transition grant
Sessional services	$19,923
Long day care services (including long day cares that deliver both integrated and sessional programs)	$12,345
New provider grant
One-off grant, for newly established and approved EYM organisations	Up to $78,797

Documents

Kindergarten funding rates 2026

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Early Childhood Teacher Supplement	2027 rate (per FTE teacher)
Level 6.6	$11,266
Level 6.7	$16,351
Level 6.8	$21,624
Level 6.9	$27,093
Level 6.10	$32,762
Level 6.11	$45,732