Kindergartens

Submit an online application. 

Applications are accepted from:

• the beginning of the year prior to your child attending three-year-old kindergarten.
• two years prior to attending four-year-old kindergarten.

You can apply for three-year-old kinder if your child will be three years old by 30 April in the year they will attend three-year-old kinder. They cannot attend the program until they have turned three.

Please note: Attendance at three-year-old kindergarten is not a guarantee that the child will attend the same kindergarten for four-year-old kindergarten.

You can apply for four-year-old kinder if your child will be four years old by 30 April in the year they will attend four-year-old kindergarten.

We encourage you to submit your applications by 30 June. Registrations are accepted after this date.

Please note: Places are allocated based on Priority of Access Guidelines and date of receipt of application. 

Please see Fact Sheets and Central Kindergarten Registration policy below for more information.

Kindergarten is an important step for children and provides a safe environment for them to learn new skills that they will use throughout their life.

Your child may be eligible for 15 hours of free or subsidised kinder if your family meets one or more of the following criteria: 

• your child identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander 
• your child is identified on their birth certificate as being a multiple birth child (triplets or more) 
• if the child holds or has a parent or guardian who holds a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Department of Veterans Affairs Card, Refugee or Humanitarian Visa
• if your family has had contact with Child Protection or Child FIRST or your child identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, your child may also be eligible for Early Start Kindergarten which provides 15 hours of free or low cost funded kindergarten a week for two years before starting school.

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) provides eligible three-year-old children with access to up to 15 hours of kindergarten per week for free.

ESK is available for three-year-old children:

• who are either Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or both, or
• who have had contact with Child Protection or Child FIRST.

First round offers for four-year-old kindergarten are sent out at the start of August for the following year. We encourage you to respond to the offer as detailed in the letter. Second round offers are sent in September, with subsequent offers made as vacancies become available.

Email kindergarten@ballarat.vic.gov.au or call our Family and Children’s Services team on 5320 5720.

If you are a current member of the CKR Scheme and need to update any of your details, email kindergarten@ballarat.vic.gov.au with the changes. Please note: It is the responsibility of providers to ensure their details are up-to-date.

For Early Years Services which currently provide funded kindergarten programs and would like to join the City of Ballarat CKR Scheme, please click here.

For Early Years Services currently in the process of applying to the Department of Education to be a funded kindergarten provider and wish to enquire about joining the City of Ballarat CKR Scheme, please click here.

See also:

Fact sheet for parents and carers

Fact sheet for providers

Kindergarten provider list

Central Kindergarten Registration Policy