Kindergartens
Quick Tasks
Our Central Kindergarten Registration Scheme means our community can access a fair, equal and timely system for processing kindergarten enrolments.
Early Start Kindergarten
Early Start Kindergarten provides three-year-old children with up to 15 hours of kindergarten a week for free. Early Start Kindergarten is for three-year-old children who:
- are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or both,
- have had contact with Child Protection or ChildFIRST, or
- have, or their parents have, refugee or asylum seeker status.
Changes to kindergarten
Changes to kindergarten in 2021
In 2021, kindergarten programs for four-year-olds and eligible three-year-olds in Victorian Government funded services will be free.
For families who have children attending unfunded three-year-old kindergarten services, there will also be reduced fees.
Free Kinder forms part of the economic support for Victorians as we recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is for 2021 only.
Changes to three-year-old kindergarten from 2022
From 2022, children in Ballarat can access five hours of funded three-year-old kindergarten each week. By 2029, it will change to 15 hours a week.
How and when do I apply?
Submit an online application for your child.
When can I apply?
- At the beginning of the year before your child starts three-year-old kindergarten.
- Two years before your child starts four-year-old kindergarten.
Three-year-old kindergarten applications
You can apply for three-year-old kindergarten if your child will be three years old by 30 April in the year they will attend three-year-old kindergarten.
Your child cannot attend kindergarten until they have turned three.
Please note: attendance at three-year-old kindergarten is not a guarantee your child will attend the same kindergarten for four-year-old kindergarten.
Four-year-old kindergarten applications
You can apply for four-year-old kindergarten if your child will be four years old by 30 April in the year they will attend four-year-old kindergarten.
When do applications close?
We encourage you to submit your applications by 30 June. Registrations are accepted after this date.
Please note: places are allocated based on the Priority of Access guidelines in our Central Kindergarten Registration Policy and date of receipt of application.
When will I receive my offer?
First round offers for three and four-year-old kindergarten are sent at the start of August for the following year.
Your letter will tell you how to accept your kindergarten offer.
Second round offers are sent in September, with other offers made as vacancies become available.
Find a kindergarten
Purple: these kinders aren’t members of the Central Kindergarten Registration Scheme. You will need to apply directly to these kindergartens to register your child.
Red: these kinders are members of the Central Kindergarten Registration Scheme. You will need to submit an application to us to register your child.
More information
If you need to talk to us, please email kindergarten@ballarat.vic.gov.au or call our Family and Children’s Services team on 5320 5720.
Read our fact sheet for parents/carers for more information about kindergarten registrations.
Information for kindergarten service providers
If you are a current member of the Central Kindergarten Registration Scheme and need to update your details, email kindergarten@ballarat.vic.gov.au with the changes.
Please note: it is the responsibility of kindergarten service providers to ensure their details are up to date.
Read our fact sheet for kindergarten providers for more information about kinders in Ballarat.