Free Kinder
Progress Kindergarten currently participates in the Free Kinder initiative provided by the Victorian Government under the Best Start, Best Life reform. This means all families can access a free kindergarten program. At our service this currently means:
- a free Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program of 7.5 hours per week, and
- a free 15 hour per week Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program
What this means for families?
- Participating kinder programs will receive funding directly from the Victorian Government, so families are not out of pocket (and don’t have to claim the savings back).
- Your child can only access one funded kinder program at a time. This means that only one service can claim kindergarten funding for your child and pass on the Free Kinder savings.
- Your child can access one year of Free Kinder in a Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program and one year in a Four-Year-Old Kindergarten or Pre-Prep program.
- The Department of Education require services to collect a signed declaration form from parents/guardians each year to confirm where their child is receiving their funded kindergarten program. This is to make sure funding for your child goes to the right service.
View our Free Kinder Policy here.
Progress Kindergarten acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government
Fees and Fundraising
At times throughout the year an additional excursion(s) or event(s) may be arranged where it is considered relevant to the service’s program and the children’s interests. The kinder endeavours to meet these costs through our annual budget and any additional costs to families are taken into consideration before a decision is made about any charges.
Children who are eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) or the Early Start Kinder (ESK) grant are not requested to pay any additional charges.
Fundraising is also undertaken to meet non-operational costs and to pay for additional items for the service that are related to the children’s program. Fundraising and donations are voluntary but are vitally important to ensure the kinder is able to provide the children with the optimal environment and resources.
Voluntary donations can be made HERE