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.
Queensland
In Queensland, kindergarten refers to a part-time educational program for children in the year before Prep (the first year of school in Queensland). It can be offered in kindergarten services. Long day care centres may also offer approved kindergarten programs delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher.
You can read more about different types of kindergarten in Queensland here:
https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/early-years/kindergarten/types-of-kindergartens
New South Wales
In New South Wales, kindergarten refers to the first year of primary school and preschool refers to the year before they start school.
New South Wales and Victoria have recently announced that the two states will add an extra year of play-based learning to the education system in their respective states, to be known as pre-Prep in Victoria and pre-Kindergarten in New South Wales.
Read more about preschool in New South Wales here:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/going-to-school/preparing/starting-preschool
Victoria
In Victoria, kindergarten is offered for both three-year-old and four-year-old children before they begin school.
Read more about kindergarten in Victoria here:
https://www.vic.gov.au/kindergarten
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
In the ACT, kindergarten is a year-long school-based program for children who turn five before April 30. Just like in NSW, preschool in the ACT is a voluntary educational program for children aged 3 to 5 years of age.
Read more about preschool in the ACT here:
Tasmania
In Tasmania, kindergartens are designed for children who turn 4 years of age before or on 1 January in the year before starting school.
Read more about kindergartens in Tasmania here:
https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/early-years/kindergarten/
Northern Territory
In Northern Territory, preschools are typically for children who turn 4 years old in the year before starting school.
Read more about child care and preschool in Northern Territory here:
https://nt.gov.au/learning/early-childhood
South Australia
In South Australia, preschools are also known as kindergartens. They are typically for children who turn 4 years of age before 1 May in the year before starting school. They can be stand-alone services, located in schools or alongside other early learning services.
Read more about preschools in South Australia here:
Western Australia
In Western Australia, kindergartens are for children who turn 4 years of age before or on 30 June in the year before starting school.
Read more about kindergartens/preschools in Western Australia here:
https://www.education.wa.edu.au/enrolling-in-school
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, click here.