A Goodstart for kinder is a great start to school

More savings with two years of kinder! 

If you've got a kinder starter next year, you're in luck! The Victorian (VIC) Government's Best Start, Best Life Reforms means all Victorian children can access at least two years of quality kinder before they start school. This applies to long day care (LDC or child care) and standalone (sessional) kinder programs. The VIC Government advises that for 'families with children enrolled in kinder programs at LDC services, Free Kinder means a fee offset of up to $2,000 per child at participating services:

• For 3-year-old children, this means from $666.67 (for a child enrolled in the funded kinder program for five hours) to $2,000 (for a child enrolled for 15 hours).
• For 4-year-old children, this means $2,000 for children enrolled in a 15-hour kinder program (600 hours a year).

We'll pay you the full amount as a direct discount on your out-of-pocket fees. This provides a free program for some families and a significantly reduced cost for others. It depends on service fees, the number of days attended, and the childcare subsidy (CCS) your family receives. Our CCS calculator can help you add up the fees you'll need to pay. 

LDC and sessional kinder programs:  What's the difference? 

At Goodstart, we're a long day care (LDC) program provider. We operate five days a week, 52 weeks a year, except on public holidays (which we don't charge you for!). Our programs are approved, and we've got the Victorian Government's Kinder Tick to vouch for it. We undergo the same approval process as a standalone kinder, and this means every program in VIC needs to: 

• deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged three and above
• have the program delivered by a bachelor-qualified early childhood teacher (ECT) as per the National Quality Framework (NQF)
• use the Early Years Learning Framework. 

Our LDC hours mean your child gets extra kinder enrichment from a bachelor-qualified professional all year round. 

Play-based is the best early learning approach  

Research shows access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) benefits children throughout their school years. The research also supports a play-based learning approach in early years education. Children who access quality, play-based ECEC are more likely to: 

• develop stronger social skills 
• participate as part of a group 
• transition easily into school 
• stay longer in school. 

Guided by our bachelor-qualified ECT, your child will learn critical thinking skills and problem-solving as part of a team  — all great skills for school and life!  

Choose sessions that work for you  

We provide flexibility and convenience for busy families with:

• longer opening hours, Monday to Friday 
• nine-hour, 10-hour and all-day sessions
• our preschool programs in a long day care (LDC) format. 

Choosing an LDC program for kinder means your child's early learning goes beyond the five hours a day they'd get at a standalone kinder with four terms and school holidays. This is fine if you've got the flexibility to work around school hours, but most families don't have that option.  

At a Goodstart kinder, you can drop your child off before you start work and pick them up on your way home, just like you've always done. Plus, you don't need to max out your annual leave so your child can attend kinder. You can also put some cheeky leave days aside just for you... 

Our programs are designed with school readiness in mind  

Getting a child ready for school is a team effort. Our approved kinder programs are led by qualified teachers who deliver a high-quality play-based curriculum supporting your child's school readiness. 

We also work with nearby schools and communicate with them using Transition to School Statements about your child, who they are and how they learn. It helps their new teacher prepare the best possible year ahead for your child. We often have school transition activities with local schools throughout the kinder year so your child feels comfy on their first day of prep.  

Everyone's welcome! 

Inclusion is everything to us. Every child deserves to feel seen and valued for who they are. We work hard to create environments and support networks to welcome all children and their families to our centres. We take reconciliation seriously, walking with our families, children, and communities on this journey.  

Save your kinder spot for next year! 

We hope you're excited by what we can offer your family in this exciting stage of early learning. We'll give your child the best possible start to formal education by giving them a lifelong love of learning. 

Backed by government

Our three and four-year-old kindergarten programs are funded and approved by the Victorian Government, and the program complies with government guidelines and the National Quality Framework.