Children who engage in a quality preschool program are generally better prepared for school and life. The Australian Government supports states and territories to ensure at least 600 hours of quality preschool program for all children in the year before full-time school.
On this page:
What is preschool?
A preschool program is a structured, play based learning program for children in the year or 2 before full-time school. It is delivered by a degree-qualified early childhood teacher in accordance with:
- the National Quality Framework (NQF)
- the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF V2.0).
Preschool can be offered in different settings, such as:
- standalone preschools
- at a centre-based day care service
- in association with a school.
Some states and territories use another term for preschool, including kindergarten, kinder or prep.
What the Australian Government does
Governments have agreed to extend the Preschool Reform Agreement until the end of 2027, maintaining national preschool funding and the shared reform agenda.
We are working with state and territory governments to strengthen preschool through the Preschool Reform Agreement. The agreement:
- locks in Australian Government funding for preschool until the end of 2027
- sets out a shared reform agenda to increase participation and attendance and improve outcomes for children in the year before fulltime school.
Participation, attendance and outcomes
Children who attend preschool are generally better prepared to start primary school. As part of the agreement, governments are:
- working towards states specific attendance targets to lift participation and ensure children receive the full benefits of preschool
- progressing the implementation of the Preschool Outcomes Measure to help teachers and educators support children's learning and development in the year before full-time school.
Quality and safety
The NQF sets the national approach to regulation, assessment and quality improvement for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, including preschools. Find out what we are doing to strengthen quality and safety in ECEC.
Find and enrol in preschool
Search for preschools with availability on StartingBlocks.gov.au.
Find out how to access a free or subsidised preschool program in your state or territory at the links below:
| State / territory | Program |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | |
| New South Wales | Start Strong |
| Northern Territory | Information for families |
| Queensland | Free Kindy |
| South Australia | Preschool enrolment |
| Tasmania | Great Start - Starting kindergarten |
| Victoria | Sending Your Child To Kinder |
| Western Australia | Enrol at a Western Australian school |
These state and territory government programs offer at least 15 hours of preschool per week to all eligible children. Please consult state and territory websites to learn more.
How does preschool funding interact with Child Care Subsidy?
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) can only apply when a preschool program is delivered by a CCS-approved service, such as a centre-based day care service. Stand-alone or school-based preschools that aren’t CCS-approved don’t attract CCS. Families should confirm CCS eligibility with their service and check their entitlements through Services Australia.
When a state or territory government contributes to preschool fees at a CCSapproved service, that support is treated as a prescribed discount under Family Assistance Law. This means:
- the state-funded fee relief is applied after CCS is calculated
- it does not reduce a family’s CCS entitlement.
Providers must report prescribed discounts correctly.
Previous funding arrangements
Between 2008 and 2021, the Australian Government funded universal access to quality preschool through the Universal Access National Partnership (UANP). An independent review found strong increases in preschool participation and awareness of its importance.