Increased hours of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep)

‍What's available in 2025 and 2026?

• In 2025, 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) started in Ararat Rural City, Gannawarra Shire, Hindmarsh Shire, Murrindindi Shire, Northern Grampians Shire and Yarriambiack Shire.

• 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) programs can be between 16 and 30 hours per week in these six local government areas. Check with your local service about the hours they are offering.

• In 2026 and 2028, children who meet the priority cohort criteria will become eligible for 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep), no matter where they live in Victoria.

4-Year-Old Kinder (Pre-prep) for priority cohorts

From 2026, between 16 and 25 hours of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) will be available to:

• Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander children

• Children from a refugee or asylum seeker background

• Children who have had contact with Child Protection (including children in Out-of-Home Care and children who have had contact with Child Protection in previous years)

• Children who were supported by Early Start Kindergarten or Access to Early Learning in their Three-Year-Old Kindergarten year

• Children must be 4 years old by the 30^th of April 2026 to be eligible for 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) in 2026

Please note Early Start Kindergarten continues to be available for eligible 3-year-old children, providing 15 hours of kindergarten each week.

What's available?

• 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) programs for children from priority groups will be between 16 - 25 hours per week.

• In 2028 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) hours for the above cohort will increase to between 16 - 30 hours per week.

• Services will nominate how many hours they are able to offer. Check with your local service about the hours they are offering in 2026.

• Early access to 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) has been prioritised for the above children as they are likely to have the most to gain from additional hours in kindergarten programs.

• 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) for priority cohorts is available statewide, in both standalone (sessional) or long day care centres.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten (Pre-Prep) in Long day care settings

If 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep) hours are accessed in a long day care service families may still need to pay some fees for their child’s attendance across the week, depending on the number of hours available. The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) should also be considered to reduce the financial cost for the family.

Registration and enrolment

The registration and enrolment process for 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep) is the same as for Three-Year-Old kindergarten, and parents/ carers can:

• contact local kindergarten services directly to ask about their programs, individual enrolment processes and how many hours of 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep) will be available. Use the Find a Kinder online map to find Victorian Government approved providers
• contact the local council and ask the early years team about 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep) in a child’s area. Many councils operate a Central Registrations and Enrolment Scheme (CRES) for kindergarten places
• if additional support is required to connect a child experiencing vulnerability with 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep), contact the Department of Education’s local Early Childhood Improvement Branch for assistance.

‍‍Resources

The Department of Education has more information on the rollout of 4-Year-Old kindergarten (Pre-Prep), included a detailed roll-out schedule which can be found here.

Download a copy of our handy one-pager, 2026 Pre-Prep for priority groups at a glance.

The Department of Education provides guidance on supporting conversations with families from diverse backgrounds and refers services to resources for engaging refugee, asylum seeker and Koorie families about their child's eligibility and participation: When will Pre-Prep be available | vic.gov.au