The Victorian Government will provide free kindergarten for eligible children to attend 3YO and 4YO kindergarten at our service.
-3YO is for a minimum of 5 hours per week. This will be progressively scaled up to 15 hours per week by 2029.
-4YO is currently 15 hours per week.

Children who turn 3 before 30 April in the year they attend are eligible for 3YO kindergarten. You can only get free kinder from one service (e.g. long day care
Visit this onine calculator to determine when your child can start 3 or 4 year old kindergarten- https://www.vic.gov.au/give-your-child-the-best-start-in-life

Families with children born between January and April can choose which year to start Three-Year-Old kindergarten. These children can start in the same year they turn three, or in the year they turn four years of age.

Due to staffing requirements, children can only start attending kindergarten only after their third birthday. This may mean that some children may not start attending their kindergarten program until part-way into Term 1.

If your child will turn six in late December (between the last day of the school year and 31 December), they can attend Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in that year and attend school the following year.

The council link will begin accepting registration for applications for both 3YO and 4YO kinder on 1 May the year prior to starting.

Whilst it cannot be guaranteed, places will be prioritized based on residential proximity and prior connection (for example prior attendance of a sibling). It is not first come first serve; oversubscription of any service is balloted by the council so it is fair.

No. As of 2022 only one year of funded 3YO will be available and children will progress to a 4YO funded program.

Children cannot repeat four-year-old kinder unless they show delays in learning and development outcomes as specified by the Department of Education & Training and a second year of four-year-old kindergarten is supported by their teachers. Unfortunately, as Elonera Preschool must prioritise funded places, it is not an option to pay full fees for an extra year of four-year-old kinder.

In 2025 we are offering an extended care option for our 4 year old Koala’s group. This will occur after the morning Wednesday session from 12:15-4:00pm and will be run by Elonera educators. We are offering this session because we recognise a growing community need for longer days, and by giving this option, we are able to achieve this whilst also offering our very popular Bush Kinder program.

In 2025, we are offering Possums bush Kinder as an additional option for Possums group to access bush kinder at Braeside park on Friday afternoons. 

No. These programs are purely an option for those parents seeking more time for their child at Elonera.

Please note, however, that the program requires a minimum number of children in order to run.

Both programs are $47 per session and sign up will be at a termly or yearly basis as you choose. There will be no option to pay week by week.

Possums Bush Kinder is a ‘program sign-up’ as it starts with safety education, and not available for ‘termly’ sign-up

Please note that this fee does not attract the CCS.