Funding is available to plan, build, expand and improve early years infrastructure across Victoria. The aim is to ensure local families can continue to access great local kindergarten programs, no matter where they live.
The Victorian Government has released its Best Start, Best Life Infrastructure Strategy. This comprises a suite of new and expanded grants, programs and policy initiatives designed to support the substantial growth of the Victorian early childhood education and care sector needed to implement the Best Start, Best Life reforms.
For more information, please visit A dynamic, long-term strategy for early childhood infrastructure.
Kindergarten Infrastructure and Services Plans
The Victorian Government wants to co-invest in projects at the right time to make sure providers can meet the demand for Best Start, Best Life reforms and to provide clarity across the sector about which areas in the State need to be prioritised for additional investment. A key part of this will be identifying kindergarten infrastructure need and sharing this information with all our partners.
Prior to the announcement of the Best Start, Best Life reforms in 2022, the department had invited all 79 local governments in Victoria to discuss and agree on a Kindergarten Infrastructure and Services Plan (KISP).
The department is currently updating KISPs with all local governments to include the latest data and incorporate the demand generated by Pre-Prep.
The department will be progressively updating this page with new KISPs as they are agreed with local governments. As new KISPs are agreed, historic editions will be archived.
What is a KISP?
KISPs are documents jointly-agreed between the department and local governments which establish the projected supply and demand of kindergarten infrastructure across the life of the Best Start, Best Life reforms. KISPs are shared publicly to allow the broader sector to understand:
- the current supply (or capacity) and demand for funded kindergarten within each local government municipality
- forecast demand for Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Pre-Prep
- forecast ‘unmet demand’ for kindergarten – that is, the kindergarten places needed that cannot be met by current or planned capacity
- information specific to each local government and its early childhood education and care landscape.
While a KISP is not a funding document and does not commit any party to funding specific projects, it is expected that future investment requests through Building Blocks and decisions about local government or not-for-profit projects would align with the relevant KISP. The department will consider the entire KISP to fully understand the data regarding the demand for kindergarten and the local context of service delivery, demographics and geography. This information is included in the Local Context section of the KISP and may be referenced by the applicant when addressing criteria as part of a Building Blocks grant application.
General enquiries
For all general enquiries regarding the KISPs, email: KISP.Records@education.vic.gov.au.
Building Blocks Partnerships
Blocks Partnerships (BBPs) provide an in-principle agreement between the department and local governments, not-for-profit providers, and non-government organisations to co-invest in a pipeline of infrastructure projects to address long-term kindergarten demand resulting from the Best Start, Best Life (BSBL) reforms and identified in KISPs.
By agreeing to a BBP, the department can provide partners with investment certainty through providing in-principle funding support years in advance of when projects are required, streamline the process for approving projects, and offer flexible funding arrangements to allow funding to be moved between agreed projects.
Agreed Building Blocks Partnerships
Golden Plains: Statement of Intent
Brimbank: Statement of Intent
Latrobe: Statement of Intent
Wyndham: Statement of Intent
Melton: Statement of Intent
Mitchell Shire Council: Statement of Intent
Monash: Statement of Intent
Frankston: Statement of Intent
Hobsons Bay: Statement of Intent
Mitchell: Statement of Intent
Monash: Statement of Intent
Whittlesea: Statement of Intent
Port Phillip: Statement of Intent
Hume City: Statement of Intent
Moonee Valley: Statement of Intent
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Early Years Education (MACSEYE)
Edmund Rice Education Australia Victoria Schools Ltd (EREA)
Building Blocks grants
Building Blocks Grants contribute to high-quality early years programs by:
- the building or expanding kindergartens so there are more places for three and four-year-old children
- helping integrate community services at kindergartens so families can access early childhood education and care, health and development and family services in one place
- improving access to local and responsive early childhood services for children from vulnerable or disadvantaged families
- building kindergartens at, or next to, schools.
Visit the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) website to learn more about Building Blocks grants and how to apply.
General enquiries
For all general enquiries regarding the Building Blocks grants:
- email: building.blocks@education.vic.gov.au
- phone: 03 7022 2652
Updated