If you have a child approaching their third or fourth birthday, you have probably heard all three terms — preschool, kindergarten, and long day care — used almost interchangeably by other parents, by centres, and by government websites. They are not the same thing, and choosing the wrong one for your family’s situation can mean missing out on funding, flexibility, or the right environment for your child.
Free Kinder is one of the most significant early childhood funding initiatives in Victoria, and for Keilor East families using long day care, it can mean up to $2,101 off your annual fees — on top of any Child Care Subsidy (CCS) you already receive. This guide explains everything clearly, so you know exactly what to expect before your child starts their kinder year.
What Is Free Kinder?
Free Kinder is a Victorian Government program that funds kindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-old children at participating services across the state. It is part of the government’s broader Best Start, Best Life reform, which aims to give every Victorian child two years of quality early learning before school.
It is called “free kinder” because at standalone sessional kindergartens, the program is genuinely free at the point of attendance. At long day care centres, it works differently — as a fee offset that reduces what you pay on your invoices throughout the year. Understanding which model applies to you is the most important thing to get clear before enrolment.
The key point: Free Kinder is universal. There is no income test, no citizenship requirement, and no Health Care Card needed. It applies to every eligible child enrolled in a funded kindergarten program at a participating Victorian service, regardless of family circumstances. Newly arrived families and those on temporary visas are eligible just the same as any other family.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligibility is straightforward. Your child is eligible for Free Kinder in 2026 if:
- They are turning 3 or 4 this year — 3-year-old and 4-year-old kinder programs are both funded
- They are enrolled at a participating service — most Victorian long day care centres and sessional kinders participate, but always confirm with your centre
- Their vaccinations are up to date — Victoria’s “No Jab, No Play” legislation requires children to be fully immunised for their age before enrolling in a kindergarten program
One important rule: a child can only access Free Kinder at one service at a time. If your child attends more than one centre, you nominate which service receives the funded kinder place by signing a declaration form. You can access Free Kinder twice over your child’s early childhood years — once in the 3-year-old year, and once in the 4-year-old year.
A note on birth dates: children turning 3 between January and April can choose to start Three-Year-Old Kinder in the year they turn 3, or wait until the following year. Speak with your centre about what suits your child.
How Much Does Free Kinder Save in 2026?
The saving depends on whether your child attends a long day care centre or a standalone sessional kindergarten, and how many funded hours they are enrolled for.
At a Long Day Care Centre (like Little Stars)
At a participating long day care centre, Free Kinder is applied as a fee offset — a direct reduction on your invoices across the year. For 2026, the offset is worth:
| Program |
Hours/week funded |
Annual saving at long day care |
| 3-year-old kinder |
5 to 15 hours/week (increasing to 15hrs by 2029) |
Up to $2,101 (pro-rata based on enrolled hours) |
| 4-year-old kinder (standard) |
15 hours/week |
$2,101 per child |
| Pre-Prep (4-year-olds, priority cohorts) |
16 to 25 hours/week |
$2,241 to $4,202 per child |
Source: vic.gov.au/free-kinder, confirmed for 2026. Priority cohort Pre-Prep applies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and other eligible groups. Confirm eligibility with your centre.
In practical terms, the $2,101 annual offset for a 4-year-old is divided across the year and applied weekly or fortnightly to your invoice. Based on a 40-week kinder year, this works out to approximately $52.53 per week in savings, which appears clearly on your invoice as “Victorian Government Free Kinder offset.”
At a Standalone Sessional Kindergarten
If your child attends a standalone sessional kindergarten that participates in Free Kinder, the program is genuinely free for the funded hours — there are no compulsory fees for the kinder program itself. The government pays the centre directly, so you are not out of pocket and do not need to claim anything back. The only charges a sessional kinder may pass on are one-off excursion fees and refundable waitlist fees.
The trade-off is flexibility. Sessional kinders run school terms only, typically for 15 hours per week at set times, with no care available before or after the session. For working families, this usually makes integrated long day care the more practical option.
Does Free Kinder Stack With the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?
Yes — and this is where the combined saving becomes significant.
Free Kinder (Victorian Government) and the Child Care Subsidy (Federal Government) are two completely separate funding systems, and both can apply to the same child at a long day care centre. Free Kinder does not reduce your CCS entitlement, and CCS does not reduce your Free Kinder offset. They stack independently.
The order matters though. At a long day care centre:
- Your Child Care Subsidy is calculated first, based on your family income and activity hours
- The Free Kinder offset is then applied on top, after CCS has already reduced your fee
This means most families receiving both subsidies pay significantly less than either figure alone would suggest. To see what your family’s weekly gap fee might look like at our Keilor East centre, contact us directly — our Centre Director can walk you through a personalised estimate.
From January 2026, all eligible families also benefit from the 3-Day Guarantee — a Commonwealth initiative ensuring every family receives at least 72 subsidised hours of childcare per fortnight regardless of work or study activity. Enrolling in a kinder program does not affect this entitlement.
How Does Free Kinder Work at Little Stars Keilor East?
Here is how the Free Kinder offset works for a Keilor East family attending Little Stars:
- You enrol your child and complete the standard Kindergarten Enrolment Form (we provide this as part of your enrolment pack)
- You sign a one funded place declaration form nominating Little Stars as the service where your child will receive their funded kinder place
- That is it. Little Stars handles the rest directly with the Victorian Government
- The Free Kinder offset appears on your invoice every week or fortnight, clearly labelled as “Victorian Government Free Kinder offset”
There is nothing to claim, no portal to log into, and no paperwork beyond those two forms. The saving is automatic from the first week of term.
What Is Pre-Prep and Does It Apply to My Family?
From 2025, Victoria began transitioning 4-year-old kindergarten into a new extended program called Pre-Prep. The goal is to increase funded early learning hours from 15 per week to 30 per week by 2036, giving 4-year-olds more time in high-quality, teacher-led learning before school.
In 2026, Pre-Prep is available to specific priority cohorts including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with funded hours of up to 25 per week. For most Keilor East families, standard 4-year-old kinder (15 hours, $2,101 offset) still applies. The statewide Pre-Prep rollout to all families will continue gradually through to 2032.
How to Access Free Kinder Near Keilor East
Accessing Free Kinder at Little Stars is a three-step process:
| Step |
What happens |
Who does it |
| 1. Enrol |
Contact Little Stars to check availability for your preferred days and your child’s age group. If your preferred days are full, join the waitlist — no obligation, no fee. |
You — call 03 9913 5551 or enquire online |
| 2. Complete forms |
Once your place is confirmed, complete the Kindergarten Enrolment Form and the one funded place declaration form. These can be done as part of your enrolment pack. |
You (with our admin team’s help if needed) |
| 3. Done |
Little Stars lodges your child’s enrolment with the Victorian Government. The Free Kinder offset is applied to your invoices automatically from the start of term 1. |
Little Stars handles this entirely |
Important: enrol as early as possible. Funded kinder places — particularly in the 3-year-old program and on popular days like Monday and Friday — fill well in advance. We recommend enquiring 6–12 months before your child’s intended start date. Join our waitlist to secure your place in the queue.
Questions to Ask Any Centre About Free Kinder
Before committing to a centre, ask these five questions to make sure Free Kinder is handled correctly:
- Are you a participating long day care service approved to deliver funded 3-year-old and 4-year-old kinder programs?
- Is the kinder program led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education or equivalent?
- How often is the Free Kinder offset applied to invoices — weekly or fortnightly? (It must be one of these two options, not termly)
- Can you show me an example invoice with the CCS and Free Kinder offset both visible?
- What happens to my Free Kinder entitlement during school holidays? (The offset applies to term weeks only — standard fees usually apply in holidays)
Ready to Book a Tour?
At Little Stars near Keilor East, we are approved to deliver government-funded 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten programs within our full long day care day. Our Centre Director can walk you through exactly what your family would pay each week after CCS and Free Kinder — no vague estimates, a real invoice example based on your situation.
Come and see the centre, meet our educators, and get every question answered in person.
Book a Tour
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Frequently Asked Questions
At a long day care centre, the Free Kinder offset is worth up to $2,101 per child per year for 4-year-old kinder (15 hours/week program), and up to $2,101 pro-rata for 3-year-old kinder depending on enrolled hours. At a standalone sessional kindergarten, the program is free at the point of attendance. Both amounts are confirmed unchanged for 2026.
You do not need to apply separately or log into any government portal. You simply enrol your child at a participating service and sign a one funded place declaration form. The centre handles the rest directly with the Victorian Government, and the offset appears on your invoice automatically.
Yes — provided the centre is approved to deliver a funded 3-year-old or 4-year-old kindergarten program. Not every long day care centre participates, so always confirm before enrolling. Little Stars near Keilor East is an approved participating centre.
No. Free Kinder and CCS are two completely separate funding systems. Free Kinder does not reduce your CCS entitlement, and CCS does not reduce your Free Kinder offset. At a long day care centre, CCS is applied to your fees first, and then the Free Kinder offset is applied on top. Both savings stack independently.
As early as possible — ideally 6–12 months before your child’s intended start date. Funded kinder places, particularly in the 3-year-old program and on popular days, fill well in advance. Join our waitlist to register your interest with no obligation.
All figures in this post are verified against Victorian Government sources and confirmed for 2026. Free Kinder offset amounts are reviewed annually — confirm the current rate with your centre or at vic.gov.au/free-kinder before making financial decisions.
