Following the announcement of the Victorian Budget 2024/25, Pre-Prep will remain a cornerstone of the Best Start, Best Life reforms.
With an adjusted completion date of 2036 for the rollout of Pre-Prep across Victoria, we now have more time to build the infrastructure and to grow the workforce we need to successfully deliver these groundbreaking reforms.
Led by qualified teachers and delivered through standalone (sessional) kindergartens and long day care centres, Pre-Prep will give children across Victoria access to up to 30 hours of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten, providing greater opportunities to socialise and learn through play.
Updated Pre-Prep roll-out schedule
The Best Start Best Life reforms will continue to be delivered, with Pre-Prep stages rolling out more gradually.
The updated schedule includes the following:
- no change to roll-out of Pre-Prep next year, with services in the 6 local government 2025 roll-out areas (LGAs) able to offer between 16 and 30 hours of Pre-Prep
- services in rural and regional LGAs scheduled to start Pre-Prep in 2026, 2027 and 2028 can initially offer 16 to 20 hours per week of Pre-Prep, with this to increase to up to 25 hours per week in 2029, and up to 30 hours per week from 2031
- children who are shown to benefit most from kindergarten will be prioritised and receive early access to Pre-Prep, no matter where they live in the state
- from 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from a refugee or asylum seeker background, and children who have had contact with Child Protection services will have access to 16 to 25 hours of Pre-Prep a week, increasing to up to 30 hours a week from 2028
- from 2028, children who have (or have a parent or guardian who has) a Commonwealth concession card, and children who are a multiple birth child (triplets or more) will have access to 16 to 25 hours of Pre-Prep a week, increasing to up to 30 hours from 2030
- services in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong can start offering 16 to 25 hours of Pre-Prep per week in 2032, increasing to up to 30 hours from 2033
- in Greater Melbourne, Pre-Prep hours will also gradually increase to 30 hours per week. Starting in 2034, services can offer 16 to 20 hours of Pre-Prep per week, increasing to up to 25 hours in 2035 and up to 30 hours from 2036.
Find out more
For more information, refer to:
For further information on changes to the roll-out schedule, or for support with local planning and programming options, services can contact their Early Childhood Improvement Branch.
Updated