Deciding when your child should start kindergarten
Age
Your child must be 3 years old before they can commence kindergarten.
For children born between January and April, they can start:
- 3-year-old kindergarten in the year they turn 3 or 4 years old
- 4-year-old kindergarten in the year they turn 4 or 5 years old.
Skills and abilities
When deciding if your child is ready to begin kindergarten, consider the following.
Personal and self-help skills
Your child should be at the stage of becoming more independent with everyday tasks such as:
- managing their lunchbox at eating times
- drinking when they feel thirsty
- caring for their belongings
- storing their belongings in their bag and locker
- taking their shoes off and on
- using the toilet without assistance
- engaging in physical activities while being aware of their safety.
Communication skills
You should consider if your child can:
- express themselves in their first language by naming objects, speaking in short sentences, or using their visual communication system if they have one
- ask for help, follow simple instructions, and be understood by others.
Your child will be supported in learning to:
- follow simple instructions
- express their feelings to other children and educators
- engage in conversations throughout the day for the purpose of increasing their vocabulary.
Social and emotional skills
You should consider if your child:
- can separate from you to engage in activities on their own and play with other children
- is beginning to understand emotions such as happiness, sadness, an anger
- is wanting to do things for themselves
- is able to get through the day without sleeping.
Your child will be supported in learning to:
- engage in both large and small group activities
- develop friendships with other children
- develop age-appropriate control over their emotions
- understand the roles, rules and expectations in the kindergarten community
- to make choices about what and where to play.
Seeking further support
Contact your preferred kindergarten if you are unsure about your child's readiness. They can link you into the Preschool Field Officer program (PSFO) through Noah’s Ark.
The PSFO program supports the access, inclusion and participation of all children, including those with additional needs, in a kindergarten program.
For further information please refer to PSFO program and Noah's Ark.
Raising Children Network also has helpful information for parents.
What types of programs we offer?
The Best Start, Best Life reforms have been introduced by the Victorian State Government to support two years of funded kindergarten for every child. The reforms require all three-year-old children to have access to 15 hours of kindergarten by 2029.
From 2025, the City of Casey commenced offering 15 hours of funded 3-year-old kindergarten at all Council-managed services.
Some Council-managed services also offer mixed age group sessions, which will combine 3-year-old and 4-year-old children.
What are the benefits of a mixed-age group?
Throughout life we will engage with people who are both older and younger than we are, this might be in our family, our social environment, in school and eventually work. Children in mixed-aged groups develop friendships and learn in the same way they would if they were in a single-aged group.
- Younger children have the opportunity to learn about more advanced problem solving skills through observing older children at play, as well as other benefits including increased self-esteem, and self-confidence.
- For older children this type of learning environment allows children to develop mentoring and leadership skills, which will support them in their future learning.
- The number of three- and four-year-old children in a mixed age group will vary depending on:
- the number of kindergarten places in the service
- family preferences during the registration and enrolment period.
Our dedicated educators will provide a high-quality program based on each child’s development and interests.
Kindergarten term dates
Find future kindergarten term dates on the Victorian Department of Education and Training website.
Early Start Kindergarten
Early Start Kindergarten (also known as ESK) is a funded two-year, available to children who turn 3 years of age by 30 April in the year they are enrolled to attend the program. This is usually offered within the 4-year-old kindergarten program.
ESK can be accessed by:
- Children whose families have been assisted by Child Protection or are in an Out-of-Home Care arrangement
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
- Refugee and asylum seeker children who meet the special visa criteria
More information can be found at Early Start Kindergarten | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
