Kindergarten programs in Victoria

The Victorian Government’s commitment to the early years is reaping benefits, with some of the highest rates of participation in the country. Victoria also has a clear commitment to kindergarten access for the three year olds that stand to benefit the most.

Key facts

• 57 per cent of 3 year olds are enrolled in ECEC (in long day care, sessional kindergarten and family day care)
• 7 per cent of 3 year olds are enrolled in kindergarten programs (this figure under-represents Victorian kindergarten participation because of the way data is collected)
• 100 per cent of children are enrolled in kindergarten programs in the year before school
• 83 per cent are attending for 15 hours or more (noting data is collected in a reference week and under-estimates actual attendance across the year)
• There is a mixed market of provision in Victoria, with children attending kindergarten programs in government and non-government services, as well as in long day care settings
• Total per-child expenditure in Victoria is below the national average.

Proportion of 3 year olds enrolled in all ECEC and preschool

Graph text alternative:

Graph showing the proportion of 3 year olds enrolled in all ECEC and preschool. The data shows that in Victoria, 57% of 3 years olds are in ECEC and 7.1% of 3 year olds are in preschool. By comparison, Australia-wide 66% of 3 year olds are in ECEC and 21.3% of 3 year old are in preschool.