Preschool vs Kindergarten vs Long Day Care in Victoria
From 1 July 2026 the Australian Government will be introducing grants to support small to medium providers to cover the cost of backfilling roles while staff complete mandatory child safety training. Eligibility requirements and requirements to maintain Approved KPP status are detailed in Section 3 of the Queensland Kindergarten Funding essentials for long day care providers. The Queensland Kindergarten Funding essentials for long day care providers August 2026 edition is now available.
For most Keilor East families with working parents, the integrated model at a long day care centre is the more practical and financially efficient option — especially once Free affordable childcare oakleigh Kinder and CCS are factored in. Browse our early learning programs to see how each room is structured by age. Operating throughout the year including school holidays, Long Day Care provides a consistent, structured environment where children feel secure and thrive.
Services are encouraged to contact their childcare management system support desk if they require any assistance with their childcare management systems and the application of free kindy for families. Your child’s learning journey is shared with you via conversations with your child’s educators, through written documentation and through Storypark (an app and website). Victoria’s Free Kinder program provides government funding for 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten, and it works differently depending on the setting. Exploring and making sense of the world independently and with others promotes positive dispositions for learning. Discovery drives motivation to learn as children build confidence and resilience to engage in familiar and new experiences and take risks in their learning.
Parents and carers can find out about different occasional and casual care options, what services they offer, how to find a service, and who to contact for more information. Before we review the differences and similarities between the types of preschool/kindergarten, let’s define “what is preschool & kindergarten? All 3yo 4yo and Pre-Prep enrolments at Oakleigh Primary School and Kindergarten are managed centrally through the City of Monash’s central enrolment service. Please visit the City of Monash website for more information on how and when to apply for Kindergarten. This information should be included in the service’s kindergarten fee policy.
If you’re starting to research early childhood education for your child, “long day care” is one of the first terms you’ll come across. It can feel like another piece of jargon to decode, especially when you’re already weighing up cost, location, ratios and what your child actually needs. The Expanded Quality Access program will continue to assist not-for-profit preschools to offer longer hours and cater for more children.
It caters for children, birth to school age and suits those who would like or need a temporary service. Long day care services must reconcile payments before the end of each calendar year to confirm that all families have received their full and correct entitlement. Long day care services must apply the Free Kinder offset weekly, or fortnightly. The offset should not be applied termly (or less frequently) as this increases the risk of passing on the incorrect offset to families that move between services.
This may mean these families receive a higher portion of their fee offset later in the year if their CCS level decreases. By the end of the kindergarten year, each family should receive their full and correct Free Kinder entitlement (or the pro rata equivalent in 3-Year-Old Kinder or 4-Year-Old Kinder). Services should also wait until Term 1 begins (in line with school terms) before applying the offset, in case families decide to access a funded program at a sessional service. To be eligible for funding, service providers must meet 2 sets of criteria. Access supplementary resources for long day care providers to support your service's operations and planning around the Queensland Kindergarten Funding. The Queensland Kindergarten Funding essentials for long day care providers is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of kindy funding including eligibility, claims and payments, legal obligations, assurance and subsidies.
Elements of the current program will be retained, including capability building support for services and additional funding for specialised equipment where required. From 2027, the program will be delivered through a tiered system of funding and capability building supports, better aligned to the range of children’s needs and circumstances. Changes will also allow for an increase in the maximum support by up to 25% for some children.
You should contact the provider for more information about the services they offer. You should compare the services on offer before making your decision about which provider best suits your needs. Both traditional kinder and long day care kinder have strict government requirements when it comes to staffing, space, facilities, and equipment. Find childcare contact information, including governing bodies and regional office locations and phone numbers.
At Catholic Early EdCare, we help your child to grow and develop every day from six weeks of age. Find out more about our kindergarten and long day care program on our website. Find a child care, kindergarten or preschool centre near you, and enquire about availability at our centres. At St Mary’s children have the opportunity to grow and learn as part of a supportive and extended community. Our experienced educators have developed close relationships with local families over many years. Each child is unique and learns differently, so our educators will spend time getting to know your child and family so we can create programs that reflect the way they will socialise, learn and grow.
Back inside, the quiet setting away from the main road gives them room to move, play and make first friendships, safely and at their own busy pace. Leaving your baby in another’s care is a big step, and trust matters more than anything. At Guardian Oakleigh East, we get to know your baby before day one, through a stay-and-play visit and a settling conversation about what soothes and delights them. On the first day, we’ll call you halfway through, so you can picture your little one settled, familiar faces around them and already learning through play. A rich and engaging curriculum that inspires curiosity, creativity and a love of learning every day.
For most Keilor East families with working parents, the integrated model at a long day care centre is the more practical and financially efficient option — especially once Free affordable childcare oakleigh Kinder and CCS are factored in. Browse our early learning programs to see how each room is structured by age. Operating throughout the year including school holidays, Long Day Care provides a consistent, structured environment where children feel secure and thrive.
Services are encouraged to contact their childcare management system support desk if they require any assistance with their childcare management systems and the application of free kindy for families. Your child’s learning journey is shared with you via conversations with your child’s educators, through written documentation and through Storypark (an app and website). Victoria’s Free Kinder program provides government funding for 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten, and it works differently depending on the setting. Exploring and making sense of the world independently and with others promotes positive dispositions for learning. Discovery drives motivation to learn as children build confidence and resilience to engage in familiar and new experiences and take risks in their learning.
Parents and carers can find out about different occasional and casual care options, what services they offer, how to find a service, and who to contact for more information. Before we review the differences and similarities between the types of preschool/kindergarten, let’s define “what is preschool & kindergarten? All 3yo 4yo and Pre-Prep enrolments at Oakleigh Primary School and Kindergarten are managed centrally through the City of Monash’s central enrolment service. Please visit the City of Monash website for more information on how and when to apply for Kindergarten. This information should be included in the service’s kindergarten fee policy.
If you’re starting to research early childhood education for your child, “long day care” is one of the first terms you’ll come across. It can feel like another piece of jargon to decode, especially when you’re already weighing up cost, location, ratios and what your child actually needs. The Expanded Quality Access program will continue to assist not-for-profit preschools to offer longer hours and cater for more children.
It caters for children, birth to school age and suits those who would like or need a temporary service. Long day care services must reconcile payments before the end of each calendar year to confirm that all families have received their full and correct entitlement. Long day care services must apply the Free Kinder offset weekly, or fortnightly. The offset should not be applied termly (or less frequently) as this increases the risk of passing on the incorrect offset to families that move between services.
This may mean these families receive a higher portion of their fee offset later in the year if their CCS level decreases. By the end of the kindergarten year, each family should receive their full and correct Free Kinder entitlement (or the pro rata equivalent in 3-Year-Old Kinder or 4-Year-Old Kinder). Services should also wait until Term 1 begins (in line with school terms) before applying the offset, in case families decide to access a funded program at a sessional service. To be eligible for funding, service providers must meet 2 sets of criteria. Access supplementary resources for long day care providers to support your service's operations and planning around the Queensland Kindergarten Funding. The Queensland Kindergarten Funding essentials for long day care providers is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of kindy funding including eligibility, claims and payments, legal obligations, assurance and subsidies.
Elements of the current program will be retained, including capability building support for services and additional funding for specialised equipment where required. From 2027, the program will be delivered through a tiered system of funding and capability building supports, better aligned to the range of children’s needs and circumstances. Changes will also allow for an increase in the maximum support by up to 25% for some children.
You should contact the provider for more information about the services they offer. You should compare the services on offer before making your decision about which provider best suits your needs. Both traditional kinder and long day care kinder have strict government requirements when it comes to staffing, space, facilities, and equipment. Find childcare contact information, including governing bodies and regional office locations and phone numbers.
At Catholic Early EdCare, we help your child to grow and develop every day from six weeks of age. Find out more about our kindergarten and long day care program on our website. Find a child care, kindergarten or preschool centre near you, and enquire about availability at our centres. At St Mary’s children have the opportunity to grow and learn as part of a supportive and extended community. Our experienced educators have developed close relationships with local families over many years. Each child is unique and learns differently, so our educators will spend time getting to know your child and family so we can create programs that reflect the way they will socialise, learn and grow.
Back inside, the quiet setting away from the main road gives them room to move, play and make first friendships, safely and at their own busy pace. Leaving your baby in another’s care is a big step, and trust matters more than anything. At Guardian Oakleigh East, we get to know your baby before day one, through a stay-and-play visit and a settling conversation about what soothes and delights them. On the first day, we’ll call you halfway through, so you can picture your little one settled, familiar faces around them and already learning through play. A rich and engaging curriculum that inspires curiosity, creativity and a love of learning every day.
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