Free Kindergarten Program
Free Kinder is a Government initiative to give "cost of living" relief to Australian families.
Free Kinder covers the cost of funded 3YO and 4YO kindergarten programs for up to 15 hours per week.
This will look different depending on which centre your child attends, your eligibility, and the days/sessions your child attends. Highton Child Care & Development Centre is a long-day care service that offers a Kindergarten program, so Free Kinder may not cover to cost all of the hours that your child attends.
This is where the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) steps in to help cover the cost of these wrap-around hours and/or additional days of care, if you are eligible for CCS.
It’s important to note that while the Kindergarten component is free, wrap-around hours come with charges and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) still applies to these additional hours.
Families should check with the centre for more information on wrap-around care costs and policies.
Eligibility:
- 3-year-olds must be 3 before April 30, 2024
- 4-year-olds must be 4 before April 30, 2024
Funding Details:
- Up to $2050 for families over 2 x 7.5 hours per day for 40 weeks (during school terms)
- Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) for 3-year-old Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or refugee children: $6630
