Kindergarten and preschool near you
Kindergarten and preschool are one program: 15 hours a week of teacher-led learning in the year before school. It is free in 2026 in Victoria and Queensland and at public preschools in NSW, the ACT and the NT. 3,990 services are registered to run it. In NSW and the ACT it is called preschool, because Kindergarten is the first year of school.
The finder lists services registered with ACECQA as a preschool or kindergarten, nearest first, with their quality rating. Many long day care centres run a government-approved kinder program without that flag, so switch to Long day care to see them.
Kindergarten and preschool by state in 2026
Each state names, funds and times the year before school differently. The table gives the 2026 rules from each state's education department, with a link to the program. Where a department does not state a fact plainly, the cell says to check with it.
| State | What it is called | Age to start | Funded hours a week | Free in 2026? | Official program |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Preschool. Kindergarten is the first year of school. | 4 on or before 31 July (public preschools). Start Strong fee relief from age 3 by 31 July. | 15 hours (600 a year) for the full fee relief rate | Free at NSW public preschools. Start Strong fee relief elsewhere: up to $4,456 a year at community and mobile preschools, up to $2,563 a year for a 4-year-old in long day care. | Start Strong for families |
| VIC | Kindergarten (kinder): 3-Year-Old Kinder and 4-Year-Old Kinder. First school year: Prep. | 3 or 4 by 30 April of the kinder year. A child cannot attend before their third birthday. | 4-Year-Old Kinder: 15 hours, 16 to 30 in roll-out areas. 3-Year-Old Kinder: 5 to 15 hours. | Yes, Free Kinder: free at participating standalone kinders, a fee offset in participating long day care. | Free Kinder |
| QLD | Kindergarten (kindy). First school year: Prep. | 4 by 30 June of the kindy year | 15 hours, 40 weeks (600 a year) | Yes, Free Kindy: 15 hours a week free in an approved program at a sessional kindergarten or long day care. | Free Kindy |
| WA | Kindergarten, mostly at schools. Pre-primary is the first compulsory year. | 4 by 30 June | 15 hours (30 a fortnight) | Check with the WA Department of Education. A free full-time kindergarten pilot runs at 5 public schools in 2026. | Enrol at a WA school |
| SA | Preschool. First school year: Reception. | 4 before 1 May starts Term 1. 4 between 1 May and 31 October starts Term 3. | 15 hours (600 a year) | No statewide free program. Fees are set by each provider; check with the Department for Education. | Preschool enrolment |
| TAS | Kindergarten, at schools. First school year: Prep. | 4 on or before 1 January | At least 15 hours over 2 to 3 days | Check with the Department for Education, Children and Young People. Government schools charge levies, waived for families on the Student Assistance Scheme. | Starting Kindergarten |
| ACT | Preschool. Kindergarten is the first year of school. | 4 on or before 30 April | Up to 15 hours | Yes, up to 15 hours a week free at public school preschools. | 4-year-old preschool |
| NT | Preschool. First school year: Transition. | 4 on or before 30 June starts Term 1 | 15 hours (600 a year) | Yes, 15 hours a week free in government schools. | Your child goes to preschool |
A child receives state kinder funding at one service at a time in Victoria, Queensland and NSW. A child enrolled at both a sessional kindergarten and a long day care kindy in Queensland is funded at the sessional kindergarten, and the family pays for the second place. Victoria finds kinders through Find a Kinder, and Queensland lists more than 2,200 Free Kindy services on its Free Kindy finder.
Kindergarten and preschool services by state
3,990 services on the ACECQA national register offer a preschool or kindergarten program. 2,329 are standalone kindergartens or preschools (58%), 883 run the program inside long day care (22%), and 778 are based at a school (19%). Victoria has the most, with 1,460.
| State | Kinder services | Standalone | Inside long day care | At a school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 977 | 631 | 176 | 170 |
| Victoria | 1,460 | 1,039 | 205 | 216 |
| Queensland | 880 | 372 | 409 | 99 |
| Western Australia | 36 | 8 | 24 | 4 |
| South Australia | 453 | 278 | 47 | 128 |
| Tasmania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 102 | 0 | 21 | 81 |
| Northern Territory | 81 | 1 | 1 | 79 |
| Australia | 3,990 | 2,329 | 883 | 778 |
The register counts services, not every program they run, so it understates where kinder is available. Queensland reports more than 2,200 Free Kindy services, against 880 Queensland services flagged as kindergartens on the register; the Free Kindy count includes long day care centres with an approved kindy program. Tasmanian kindergartens and most Western Australian kindergartens sit in schools outside the National Quality Framework, so almost none appear on the register. Enrol at the local school instead.
Kindergarten, childcare and the Child Care Subsidy
Kindergarten runs in three settings, and the setting decides whether the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) applies. The subsidy is paid only to approved childcare services, which includes long day care, so a kinder program inside a long day care centre attracts CCS for the whole day. Standalone sessional kinder and school preschools are funded by the state instead.
| Setting | Hours | Child Care Subsidy | State kinder funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone (sessional) kindergarten | Set days and times, usually in school terms | Does not apply to sessional kinder hours (Victoria) | Covers the program: free in Victoria and Queensland, fee relief in NSW community preschools |
| Kinder inside long day care | A full day of care, with the kinder program built into it | Applies to the day's fee for eligible families | Free Kindy (Queensland) and the Free Kinder offset (Victoria) come off the fee after CCS; NSW centres pass on Start Strong fee relief |
| Preschool at a school | School hours on set days | Does not apply at NSW public preschools | Free at public preschools in NSW, the ACT and the NT |
A 10-hour day of long day care at the national average fee of $14.60 an hour costs $146 before the subsidy. A family earning $120,000 gets 84% CCS and pays about $23 for that day; Queensland and Victoria then take their kinder funding off what is left. Work out your own figure with the CCS calculator, read how the Child Care Subsidy works, or compare long day care with the other types of childcare.
Families at a sessional kinder who need care outside kinder hours pay for that care separately, often at a long day care centre where CCS applies.
Three-year-old kinder
Three-year-old kinder is funded in four states and territories in 2026, with hours below the year-before-school program.
- Victoria: 3-Year-Old Kinder runs 5 to 15 hours a week, free at participating services, rising to 15 hours statewide by 2029. A child must turn 3 by 30 April and can start after their third birthday.
- South Australia: Flying Start 3-year-old preschool began in 2026 at more than 200 long day care services and 45 government preschools, at 6 to 15 hours a week. Every child is due a place by 2032. CCS applies at partner long day care centres.
- ACT: up to 300 free hours a year (6 hours a week over 50 weeks, or 7.5 over 40) at more than 140 partner services, for children who turn 3 by 30 April. ACT public preschools take 4-year-olds only.
- NSW: Start Strong fee relief starts at age 3 by 31 July, up to $769 a year for a 3-year-old in long day care.
Queensland funds kindy only in the year before Prep; a 3-year-old in a kindy program pays full fees.
How and when to enrol in kindergarten
- Check the year your child starts. Match the birthday to the cut-off in the state table. In Victoria, children born January to April can start in either of two years.
- Choose the setting. Sessional kinder suits families who do not need full-day care; kinder in long day care suits working parents.
- Apply in the year before. Victorian councils run central registration for sessional kinders. ACT public preschool applications for 2027 opened on 4 May 2026, with offers from 3 August 2026; late applications get offers later in the year. In South Australia, give a registration of interest form to the local preschool. In WA, Tasmania and the NT, enrol at the local school.
- Enrol directly with long day care centres. Some Queensland services need enrolment about 6 months before the kindy year, and some services have waiting lists. See getting a childcare place.
What to check before you enrol
Kindergartens and preschools are rated against the National Quality Standard like other childcare services. Of the 3,865 rated kinder services on the register, 41% are rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent. How quality ratings work.
- A government-approved program. Only an approved program attracts free or fee-reduced kinder; ask the service to confirm it in writing.
- A qualified early childhood teacher. Funded programs in Queensland and South Australia must be led by one.
- The session pattern. The same 15 hours can be 2 days of 7.5 hours or 3 days of 5 hours; pick the one that fits your work.
- Fees outside the funded hours. Ask what you pay for the rest of the day, holidays and extras, after CCS and the state discount.
Frequently asked questions
Is kindergarten the same as preschool?
Yes. Kindergarten and preschool are the same program: play-based early education led by a qualified early childhood teacher in the year or two before school. Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania call it kindergarten (kinder or kindy). New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory call it preschool, and in NSW and the ACT Kindergarten is the first year of school.
What age does a child start kindergarten?
Most children start kindergarten or preschool at 4, in the year before school. The birthday cut-off depends on the state: 30 April in Victoria and the ACT, 30 June in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, 31 July in NSW, 1 May in South Australia and 1 January in Tasmania. Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and NSW fund or subsidise programs for 3-year-olds as well.
Is kindergarten free in 2026?
Kindergarten is free in 2026 in Victoria (Free Kinder), Queensland (Free Kindy), at public preschools in NSW and the ACT, and at government school preschools in the Northern Territory. NSW community preschools and long day care get Start Strong fee relief rather than a free program. In South Australia, fees are set by each provider.
What is the difference between kinder and childcare?
Kinder is a teacher-led education program of about 15 hours a week for children in the year or two before school. Childcare (long day care) is a full day of education and care for children from babies to school age, open all year. Many long day care centres run a kinder program inside the day, so a child can do both at one service.
How many hours a week is kindergarten?
Kindergarten in the year before school is funded at 15 hours a week, or 600 hours a year, in every state and territory. Victoria is lifting 4-Year-Old Kinder to as much as 30 hours a week in roll-out areas, and 3-year-old programs run from 5 to 15 hours a week in Victoria and 6 to 15 in South Australia.
Can I get the Child Care Subsidy for kindergarten?
The Child Care Subsidy applies to a kinder program delivered inside a long day care centre, because the centre is an approved childcare service. It does not apply to sessional kinder hours in Victoria or to NSW public preschools, which are funded by the state instead. In Queensland and Victoria the state kinder funding is applied after the subsidy in long day care.
Service counts and ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. State programs, ages and hours for 2026: NSW Department of Education (Start Strong for families, updated 15 June 2026; Enrolment in NSW public preschools procedures); Victorian Government (Free Kinder, Kinder quick guide, roll-out schedule; Early Learning Victoria fees); Queensland Department of Education (child eligibility, updated 5 January 2026; Free Kindy FAQ for long day care, March 2026); WA Department of Education; SA Department for Education and Early Childhood SA (Flying Start); Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People; ACT Government (free three-year-old preschool); NT Department of Education. Scope of the National Quality Framework: ACECQA NQF Annual Performance Report, December 2025. Fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026. All checked 30 October 2026.