What’s the difference between child care and kindergarten/preschool?
Child care
In Australia, child care is a common term used to refer to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and is available for children aged from birth to 5 years of age.
Most child care centres across the G8 Education network are long day care centres operating Monday to Friday for children aged from 6 weeks to 6 years. Our approach is guided by the principles, practices and outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Our programs enrich learning through inclusive environments that offer children diversified play-based learning experiences.
A number of our centres also provide holiday and vacation care for school-aged children. We follow the nationally approved My Time, Our Place Framework for School Age Care, which aims to extend children’s learning and enrich their wellbeing in a positive social environment.
Kindergarten/Preschool
In Australia, an approved kindergarten or preschool program is usually delivered in the year prior to starting primary school.
Kindergarten or Preschool education is designed for children aged between three and five. In Australia, most children go to preschool when they are four or five. However, the age requirement may vary from state to state.
What are the benefits of kindergarten/preschool?
There are many benefits to children attending a government-approved kindergarten or preschool program in the year prior to commencing school. It helps children to be able to transition smoothly to “the big school”, with better emotional and social skills, early literacy and numeracy understandings, self-care skills and abilities to ask questions and respond to questions. Attending a long day care centre that provides a kindergarten or preschool program may suit your family better, or you may opt for a standalone kindergarten, depending on your family’s circumstances.
Standalone kindergartens or preschools tend to operate 2-3 days a week, and only during school terms and school hours. Most long day care centres are open from 7:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday with flexible drop-off/pick-up times to better accommodate busy working parents.
Many long day care centres across the G8 Education network offer kindergarten or preschool programs that meet the government guidelines in their state or territory. While all our programs align with the Early Years Learning Framework, the kindergarten or preschool program is designed using the G8 Education Practice Statements to further develop your child’s interests, needs, strengths and abilities. University-educated, registered early childhood teachers deliver a developmentally appropriate program that caters to each child’s specific learning outcomes. We use a wide variety of play-based learning experiences to provide your child with the opportunity to explore, question, investigate and evaluate.
To find more about G8 Education’s kindergarten and preschool programs, head over here.