Kindergarten gives our kids the best start at a critical time in their development and helps to prepare them for their formal schooling years.

For this reason, the National Partnership Agreement with the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments for funding universal access to 15 hours of kindergarten a week for four year-olds is vital to all Victorian families.

This Agreement ensures that the Victorian Government contributes two thirds of the funding required for the 15 hours of preschool, with the Commonwealth Government contributing one third of funding.

Funding has only been committed by the Commonwealth Government until the end of 2019, with uncertainty around how the five hours will be funded beyond that date.

Parents cannot afford to pay increased fees – the government must commit to long-term funding to ensure children don’t miss out on receiving 15 hours of kindergarten in the year before they commence school.

Community impacts

• Our kids could lose five hours of funded four year-old kinder a week at a vital stage of their development
• Parents who can’t afford the extra child care will find it harder to return to work
• Working families could face up to $2,000 extra per year per child in costs
• Kids who have a quality early childhood education do better in life on average
• In general, kinder kids have better social and cognitive skills, and superior literacy and numeracy once they’re at school
• At a time when Victorian families already struggle with the rising costs of childcare and school, any Federal Government funding cut would further disadvantage the kids who need kindergarten education the most
• Parents need the right support to help them raising thriving children. This is why kindergarten must be affordable for all Australians.

Join the I Love Kinder campaign

If you run a kinder program, are a concerned parent or just love kinder share the love and join the campaign for ongoing Federal Government funding:

• Sign the I Love Kinder petition
• Download a pledge card, fill it in and take a photo to post on social media
• Download a heart poster for kids and parents to fill in
  Post a photo of your poster on your social media account(s), scan and send to hello@ilovekinder.org.au for inclusion in the online Heart Gallery
• Like the I Love Kinder campaign on Facebook
• Follow the I Love Kinder campaign on Twitter
• Follow the I Love Kinder campaign on Instagram
• Help spread the #ILoveKinder message on your own social pages.

Councils’ role

Local government voluntarily invests significant funds and resources towards kindergarten provision – councils own the majority of facilities, are a major service planner and provider, and offer subsidies and other assistance for kinder programs.

Of Victoria’s 1,320 community-based kindergartens, at least 1,094 (83 per cent) operate from council-owned buildings.

Learn more about

• MAV Kindergarten funding campaign
• I Love Kinder Background brief (PDF - 220KB)
• I Love Kinder campaign resources