Kindergarten services

Benefits of kindergarten

In Victoria, children can attend 3-year-old and 4-year-old programs delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.

All services are monitored by the Department of Education to ensure all regulatory standards are maintained. The Victorian Government has resources on how kinder works.

Kindergarten is recommended for all children, as the experience provides opportunities for your child to learn in an environment that:

• helps them develop language and listening skills
• improves their confidence and independence
• enhances physical and creative skills
• supports their desire to learn and discover
• increases their ability to work co-operatively with other children and adults
• helps them to develop social skills
• aids their transition to school.

Choosing a kindergarten

There are 26 stand-alone kindergartens you can register for through our Banyule Kindergarten registration portal. Each offers different programs and hours. A Kindergarten Open Day is held on the last Saturday of February each year for you to visit them.

We manage Audrey Brooks Memorial Preschool and Olympic Village Preschool. All other kindergartens are managed by an Early Years Manager or a parent management committee.

In additional to these kindergartens, local private schools and many long-day child care services also provide funded kindergarten, however they are not part of our registration service and you will need to contact them directly.

To view a list of all funded preschool services near you, visit the Victoria Government Department of Education’s Find a Kinder resource.

You can also contact a kindergarten to arrange a visit.

View the kindergartens in Banyule

3-year-old kindergarten program

The Victorian Government is rolling out funding for 3-year-old kindergarten. 5 hours of funded 3-year-old-kindergarten started in 2022 and will increase to 15 hours a week by 2029.

As every child is different, we encourage you to carefully consider the year your child commences 3-year-old kindergarten. This may have an impact on the year they commence school.

Children are eligible to attend 3-year-old kindergarten if they turn 3 by 30 April in the year of attendance. Your child must have already turned 3 in order to commence kindergarten.