Pre-Prep

‍What's available in 2025?

• Pre-Prep has started in Ararat Rural City, Gannawarra Shire, Hindmarsh Shire, Murrindindi Shire, Northern Grampians Shire and Yarriambiack Shire.

• 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.

Pre-Prep for priority cohorts

From 2026, between 16 and 25 hours of 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

• 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 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?

• Pre-Prep programs for children from priority groups will be between 16 - 25 hours per week.

• In 2028 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 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.

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

Pre-Prep in Long day care settings

If 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 Pre-Prep is the same as for kindergarten, and parents/ carers can:

• contact local kindergarten services directly to ask about their programs, individual enrolment processes and how many hours of 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 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 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 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.