Kindergartens

• Children who will turn 4 on or before 30 April are eligible to register in a State Government-funded kindergarten program from term one.
• In Victoria, children cannot attend more than one State Government-funded kindergarten program at the same time.
• Children who turn 4 on or after 1 May will be eligible to register in a 4-year-old program in the following year.
• In some cases, eligible 3-year-old children will be able to attend 4-year-old kindergarten. For more information visit Early Start Kindergarten

• Children who turn 3 on or before 30 April are eligible to apply for 3-year-old kindergarten.
• Children whose birth date is between 1 January and 30 April are eligible to start in a program once they have actually turned 3 years of age.
• Children who turn 3 on or after 1 May will be eligible to register in a 3-year-old program in the following year.

PDFs, word documents, or clear photos will be accepted.

Proof of residency

For residents, proof of residency displaying your current address in Moonee Valley must be provided in one of the following ways:

• copy of both sides of either a gas, electricity or water bill which has been issued within the last 3 months, or a current rental agreement
• copy of a current healthcare/pension concession card confirming your current address.

Proof of property purchased

For non-residents who have purchased a property, proof of property purchased must be provided in the following way:

• copy of the contract of sale showing the purchaser’s names, purchased property address, and settlement date.

Working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley

For non-residents of Moonee Valley, applications can be submitted with some proof of working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley for a minimum of two days per week. Proof can be provided in the following ways:

• copy of a payslip or a letter on company letterhead from your employer, specifically stating your work address, the number of days you work in the municipality, and confirming your employment
• a letter confirming enrolment from a kindergarten, school, university, or TAFE (outside of CRS), including the address and details of the days accessed
• a childcare statement, receipt, or Childcare Benefit letter from Centrelink, specifying the days your child is in care in Moonee Valley and the childcare facility's address
• a statutory declaration and a recent gas/electricity/water bill from your informal care provider, indicating the days of access to Moonee Valley and the address where care is provided.

Families residing outside the municipality can still apply. Please note applications will not be processed in the initial round of offers if they do not meet one of the Priority of Access criteria.

The Priority of Access informs how kindergarten places are allocated.

The Scheme must ensure that all kindergarten places are allocated in line with the Department of Education’s (DE) Priority of Access criteria, located within the Kindergarten Funding Guide (PDF)

The Priority of Access includes:

• children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in Out-of-Home Care
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
• asylum seeker and refugee children
• children eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy i.e. Commonwealth Health Care Card etc.
• children with additional needs, defined as children who:
  • have an identified specific disability or developmental delay
  • require additional assistance in order to fully participate in the kindergarten program
  • require a combination of services which are individually planned.

The Kindergarten Funding Guide allows for the inclusion of local criteria to support the municipalities approach to kindergarten registrations. The Scheme’s local criteria, agreed to by all participating services, includes the following:

• children who are in receipt of a second year of 4-year-old kindergarten funding, and/or
• children of City of Moonee Valley residents and ratepayers
• children whose preferred program is the closest service to family’s primary residence
• children currently attending one of our funded 3-year-old kindergartens and registering in a 4-year-old program at the same kindergarten service
• children who have siblings attending the same year or whose siblings attended in the past 3 years.

The Scheme will ensure that all applications are processed in accordance with DE’s Priority of Access criteria, and the local criteria.

For further information relating to Council’s application of the Priority of Access, please see the Central Registration Guide.

Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) is a Department of Education initiative that provides access to a four-year-old program for eligible three-year-old children. Research shows that children at risk benefit from a program delivered for longer hours by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher.

Children are eligible for ESK if they are aged three by 30 April in the year they will be attending a kindergarten program, and;

• The child is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; or
• The child is known to Child Protection, or
• The child or parent/guardian has a refugee or asylum seeker background.

Read more about Early Start Kindergarten

As a part of the State Government’s Best Start, Best Life Reform, 4-year-old kindergarten will begin to increase from the currently funded 15 hours to 30 hours of pre-prep by 2036.

In Moonee Valley, this increase is not funded to commence until 2034, when services will be required to increase to 20 hours, then 25 hours in 2035, before finally reaching 30 hours in 2036.

For more information about Pre-Prep visit Four-Year-Old Kindergarten is becoming Pre-Prep

 2026 Priority Pre-Prep Children

An exception to this timeframe will commence for specific children from 2026. The State Government is funding increased access to at least 16 hours, and up to 25 funded hours of kindergarten statewide to the following children:

• those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• those from a refugee or asylum seeker background
• those who have had contact with Child Protection.

Children who meet the above eligibility will have access to at least 16 hours, and up to 25 funded hours of kindergarten.

Moonee Valley City Council services, as well as St Brendan’s and St Aidan’s will be responding to this requirement by providing eligible children access to a 3-year-old group in addition to their 4-year-old group. This will increase the child’s funded kindergarten hours to either 22.5 or 25 hours each week.

Ascot Kindergarten and Progress Kindergarten will meet this requirement by providing eligible children an additional 30 minutes of kindergarten each day. This will increase the child’s funded kindergarten hours to 16 hours weekly.

Eligible families will be contacted by the Central Registration Service to provide further information regarding their options.

For more information about Pre-Prep visit Four-Year-Old Kindergarten is becoming Pre-Prep

Children in a 4-year-old kindergarten program who have developmental delays in 2 or more key areas of development and would benefit from another year of kindergarten can access an additional year of funded 4-year-old kindergarten. This requires an assessment by an early childhood teacher.

2026 is the first year that a second year of 3-year-old kindergarten may be available. The Department of Education (DE) will continue to provide further information on this topic as it becomes available. At this stage we understand that the Department of Education will permit an additional year of funded kindergarten only once and is only available for children who meet the specified criteria. This means your child may be eligible for a second year of 3 OR 4-year-old kindergarten, but not both.

Eligibility requirements as they currently stand include:

• your child's early childhood teacher has found they have developmental delays in at least two key areas of learning and development, and
• your child will have better outcomes at kindergarten rather than going to school.

Chat to your child’s educators if you have any concerns about your child’s progress or need for an additional year.

Unfunded applications for three or four-year-old kindergarten will not be accepted.

There are a range of tools available to families to help you decide if your child is ready for kindergarten. This includes the following:

• Families are encouraged to utilise the Kindergarten Age Calculator if you are unsure when to send your child to kindergarten.
• Families are able to watch the Frequently Asked Question videos available online.
• The Department of Education (DE) have information available for families on starting kindergarten on their website.

Your child is required to have their immunisations up to date or have an approved exemption to commence their place at kindergarten. Please see Moonee Valley Council’s Immunisation Page or Department of Health No Jab, No Play for further information.

Please note that by selecting Progress Kindergarten and/or Ascot Kindergarten you are choosing to apply for your child to attend a not-for-profit community kindergarten that is managed by parents on their management committee. Supported by a team of dedicated educators, Progress Kindergarten and Ascot Kindergarten rely on parents playing an active role in the operation of the kindergarten.

The community management of the kindergarten means that you can directly shape your child's learning environment and experience by joining the committee, volunteering for fundraisers and working bees, accompanying groups on excursions, participating in family social events and many other ways if you choose. For more information on how you can volunteer please make direct enquiries to Progress Kindergarten and/or Ascot Kindergarten.

Not-for-profit provider BPA Children’s Services manages and delivers the kindergarten program at St Aidan’s Preschool.

The Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Early Years Education manages and delivers the kindergarten program at St Brendan’s Kindergarten.