The Victorian Government has committed to providing all children with the best start in life through quality early childhood education and care. As part of its Best Start, Best Life reform, the government has introduced Free Kinder, which will provide free kindergarten programs to all Victorian children from 2023. The Department of Education and Training (DET) will provide support and resources to ensure that families and providers are well-informed about this program.
Key Information
Free Kinder is available for 3 and 4-year-old children and will provide:
- A free 15-hour program for 4-year-olds enrolled in sessional services.
- A free 5-to-15-hour program for 3-year-olds enrolled in sessional services (subject to the length of the funded program offered).
- Offsetting the funded kindergarten program component of parent fees for 3 and 4-year-olds enrolled in long day care services.
Service Eligibility
The Victorian government has made provisions for all providers of early childhood education and care, who offer a funded kindergarten program in the state, to receive Free Kinder funding. This funding is contingent upon meeting the set terms and conditions. Providers will have the option to enroll for the funding, while those who don’t opt-in will continue to receive funding through alternative avenues.
Child Eligibility
All children who are enrolled in a funded kindergarten program at an approved and participating service are eligible to receive the benefits of the Free Kinder initiative. Children can only receive funding from one service, and families must nominate the service they want their child to receive funding from if the child attends more than one service.
Funding Process
Free Kinder payments will be made to participating service providers via the Kindergarten Information Management System (KIMS) and will not be made directly to families. The funding rate for a 15-hour program will be $2,000 per child enrolled in integrated long day care programs and $2,500 per child enrolled in sessional services. The funding will replace Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) and the KFS Ratio Supplement for participating services.
Operational Advice for Sessional Services
Sessional services that opt-in to Free Kinder must offer a free 15-hour program for 4-year-olds and a free program of between 5 and 15 hours for 3-year-olds. The services must not charge compulsory out-of-pocket fees and must refund any parent fees already paid for 2023. Additional hours over 15 hours can be charged at the service’s discretion. Free Kinder payments will be made monthly via KIMS.
Operational Advice for Long Day Care Providers
Long day care providers that participate in Free Kinder must implement uniform fees throughout the service for all kindergarten-aged enrollees, immediately deduct the $2,000 payment from the parents’ fees, and utilise any leftover funding for enhancing the funded kindergarten program. Free Kinder payments will be made on a monthly basis through KIMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happens if a child moves from one service to another during the kindergarten year?
A: If a child moves from one service to another, the Free Kinder funding will move with the child, with payments made to the new service for the rest of the year. The new service must also be a participating service to continue receiving Free Kinder.
Q: Do I need to enrol children eligible for Early Start Kindergarten?
A: Yes, it’s important to continue enrolling eligible kids in Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) so that the providers can get all the money they’re entitled to and the kids can have access to 15 hours of free kindergarten.
Q: What is the relationship between Free Kinder funding and families eligible for KFS?
A: All children are eligible to receive Free Kinder funding and KFS eligibility criteria do not affect access to this funding. Families do not need to present their healthcare or pension cards to receive the funding, however, providers should still gather this information and record it in the KIMS system to monitor participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Q: Can a service charge a mandatory fee for maintenance?
A: No, services cannot require parents to pay a compulsory maintenance fee or levy. Any contributions made by parents must be completely voluntary. If parents have already paid a fee, it should be fully refunded in a prompt manner.
Q: Is it allowed for a service to ask for donations or to fundraise?
A: Yes, all services are permitted to accept voluntary payments from parents and engage in fundraising activities, as long as all conditions are satisfied and all terms are met, in addition to receiving Free Kinder payments.
In conclusion, Free Kinder is a step forward in ensuring every child in Victoria has access to quality early childhood education. The program provides free kindergarten programs to three and four-year-old children enrolled in participating services, saving families up to $2,500 per child, each year. The DET will provide support to service providers and monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of the program to ensure its success.