When to start kindergarten
In Victoria, children start kindergarten at 3 years old, which means 2 years of kindergarten before school.
On this page
Your child can access a kindergarten program in:
- children’s centres
- long day care centres
- community kindergartens
- independent schools
- some government schools.
Starting kindergarten
Three-Year-Old Kindergarten is now available across Victoria. It is being introduced in stages, meaning children can access between 5 and 15 hours per week.
From 2023, Free Kinder is available across Victoria at participating services, saving families up to $2,500 per year, per child.
To check when your child will be eligible to start Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten, you can use the starting age calculator. Use the Pre-Prep calculator (opens in a new window)to find out if your child is eligible to attend Pre-Prep and when they can start.
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.
Finishing later
Sometimes your child might need a second year of kindergarten if they have a developmental delay.
You need to seek an exemption from school if your child turns 6 before, or while they’re at, funded kindergarten.
Benefits of kindergarten
Kindergarten is an important step for young children. We strongly recommended all children go to kindergarten.
Research has shown that:
- early education helps set children up for a bright future
- attending 2 years of quality kindergarten has even greater benefits
- at kindergarten children learn skills that they’ll take with them throughout their life.
Kindergarten improves children’s health and wellbeing, helps them to develop strong social skills and encourages a love of learning.
Children who go to kindergarten are more independent and confident and are more likely to make a smooth move to primary school.
What your child learns
Kindergarten programs are delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher. They’re designed to improve your child’s development in:
- social skills, like how to play with other children in a calm, sharing and rewarding way
- self-awareness and respect for others
- emotional skills, for example understanding their feelings
- language, literacy and numeracy skills, such as reading stories and counting objects
- joy of learning and group activities, such as talking, drawing and making things together with other children their own age
- ability to make new friends
- exposure to new ideas and concepts.
Kindergarten also gives families:
- opportunities to meet other families and make community connections
- access to support for children with special needs
- access to other community services.
Education & trainingParents & carers
Updated 26 March 2026
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide