With 2026 approaching, it’s time to prepare for the new kindergarten year and refresh your understanding of the Best Start, Best Life reforms.
Next year is a big year in early childhood education, as Pre-Prep continues to roll out across Victoria. In 2026, Pre-Prep will be available to:
- children enrolled in kindergartens across 18 regional local government areas
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- children from a refugee or asylum seeker background
- children who have had contact with Child Protection
- children supported by Early Start Kindergarten or Access to Early Learning in 2025.
Resources to help you deliver Pre-Prep at your service
Resources are available to support kindergartens with the roll-out of Pre-Prep.
These can help everyone in your team, including service leaders, centre managers, teachers and educators.
- We have updated the Kindergarten Sector Guide in preparation for the 2026 kindergarten year. It brings together key information about the Best Start, Best Life reforms. It also includes information about supports to help children access and take part in kindergarten.
- The Expanding your early childhood education programs – Change management toolkit helps service leaders and centre managers to work with teams and families to get ready for Pre-Prep.
- The Delivering Pre-Prep to children from priority cohorts guide provides information about what to consider when setting up new program models to best support children.
- We have developed a new Conversations with families about Pre-Prep guide to help services share information with families.
- Two years of early childhood education – what the evidence says outlines the research supporting the case for children to spend 2 years in kindergarten. This can help you explain the benefits of kindergarten to families and your community.
Your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch can also provide tailored advice to suit your service, including on introducing Pre-Prep in 2026.
Find out more
For further enquiries, or to provide feedback, contact the Change Management team by email: bsbl.change.management@education.vic.gov.au
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