Attachment 1 Central enrolment procedures – kindergarten

Kindergarten is funded and supported by the State Government in Victoria. The guidelines and eligibility that are utilised in the Moyne Shire Council services are consistent with those set and communicated by the State Government and this should be the source of clarification on guidelines for this procedure Starting kindergarten (opens in new window)

Eligibility

Three-Year-Old funded kindergarten

The following children are eligible for attendance in the funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program:

Children who are three years of age by the 30 April in the year of attendance and have not attended in the year before are eligible to attend funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Children must be three years of age prior to commencing in the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program. That is, they may enrol to attend in the year they turn three (if before 30 April) – and commence attendance once their third birthday has passed.

Please note under the National Quality Framework’s (NQF) educator to child ratio 11:1 for children three year of age being used in most funded Three-Year-Old  and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten programs, families with children turning three years of age between February and April 30 in the year of attendance can submit an application and they will be offered a place. However, the child will be unable to commence in the program until they have had their third birthday.

You can use this starting age calculator to find out what year your child can start Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten by entering their birth date. Give your child the best start (opens in new window)

Four-Year-Old funded kindergarten

The following children are eligible for attendance in the funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program:

  • Children who are four years of age by the 30 April in the year of attendance and have not attended the year prior unless eligible and approved for a second year of kindergarten by their regional office of the Department of Education (DE)
  • Children turning six years of age in their year at kindergarten who have been granted an exemption from school entry age requirements by their regional office of the Department of Education
  • Children who are eligible under the Early Start Program (ESK) or have submitted a written request for early entrance to primary school to their regional office of the Department of Education
  • Children who attended Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in the previous year.

Once a child has had a funded year of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, they will be expected to transition to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten the following year and then onto school the next year. The only exception will be if the child has been recommended for a second year of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten by an early childhood professional, as the child has at least two areas of developmental delay.

Families are therefore encouraged to:

  • carefully consider the best time for their child to start kindergarten, as all children learn and develop in different ways.
  • consult with relevant early childhood professionals for guidance.
  • seek advice and reassurance about how the kindergarten program will support their child’s learning and development.

Special considerations

Second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten: children may be assessed as eligible for a second funded year of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten where there are delays in key outcomes of learning and development.

Early entry to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten: may be appropriate for some gifted children, where families are seeking early entry to school. Early entry to kindergarten is no guarantee of early entry into school.

School exemption: a child may be exempt from starting school if they turn 6 before or during their first funded year of kindergarten and there are special circumstances such as: the child’s early education has been delayed due to chronic illness, they are a refugee, or recent arrival from a province where enrolment age is different to Victoria, or other such special circumstances.

Early Start Kindergarten: eligible children can access 15 hours of free kindergarten for two years before school.

Unfunded Kindergarten Places: are full fee-paying places accessed by children who are not able to access kindergarten funding. These places are allocated last in the enrolment process, must pay the full fee equivalent to the usually allocated funding, are not eligible for additional support, and must if requested to do so, vacate their place for a higher priority child.

Registration and enrolment procedure

How do I get my child into kindergarten?

Getting your child into kindergarten is a straightforward process with four steps.

Step 1.Prepare your documentsStep1

You will need to upload copies of the following documents:

  • Immunisation History Statement from Australian Immunisation Record (AIR) (required)
  • Child’s birth certificate (required)
  • Any current concession cards (if applicable)
  • Court order (if applicable)
  • Intervention order (if applicable)
  • Medical management plans (if applicable)

Step 2.Create accountStep 2

Create XAP account

Step 3.Complete enrolment formStep 3

Complete enrolment form

Step 4.Step 4

Complete other required forms

Complete the registration process

First, complete the registration process. You can use either:

The form asks you for:

  • contact details
  • information about your child
  • which kindergarten you would like your child to go to
  • any circumstances that might give your child priority access to kindergarten.

You will need to provide copies of:

  • proof of identity such as your child's birth certificate, birth notice or passport (please speak to us if these are not available as a doctor’s note and/or Medicare card and/or Immunisation History Statement may be used as proof of identity in some cases)
  • proof of immunisation in the form of an Immunisation History Statement
  • any court orders relevant to the child
  • like a utilities bill, rental agreement or rates notice with your family name and address (this must be where your child lives most of the time)
  • any concession cards
  • any evidence of Australian visas including ImmiCards
  • any evidence of additional needs such as documents from Family Support Services or a Maternal and Child Health nurse confirming high support needs and/or disability, or a letter from a doctor for complex medical needs
  • proof supporting employment within Moyne by parent/guardians.
  • Information supporting a sibling attending the kindergarten in the last 5 years
  • any medical management plans relevant to the child
Timeline
Date What happens?
July Registrations open
August Registrations close*
End of September First round offers
Beginning of October Acceptance of first round offers due
Mid-October Second round offers
End of October Acceptance of second round offers due
Weekly or when vacancies become available Subsequent offers

* Registrations will still be accepted after July but will only be considered after registrations received before 30 July. Priority applications will be accepted and prioritised at any time.

An offer of a kindergarten place is confirmed by the provision of an up-to-date Immunisation record (AIR Immunisation History Statement), or confirmation that the child is eligible for a 16-week grace period. Resources and templates - Immunisation enrolment toolkit (opens in new window)

Where a service offers more than one kindergarten group, consideration will be given to meeting individual needs.

Parents/guardians who do not wish to accept the offer of a place, or intend to withdraw their enrolment, will be requested to notify the early years administration team in writing as soon as possible.

Note: Places will not be allocated to children until any substantial debt owed by the family to Moyne Shire Council is paid, or a payment plan is agreed to between the family and council. (Refer to the Fees policy.)

How are kindergarten places allocated?

Moyne Shire Council allocates kindergarten places fairly.

When giving out places, Moyne Shire Council gives first priority to children who meet the Department of Education priority of access criteria. These are children:

  • are at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in out-of-home care
  • who are Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander, or
  • from asylum seeker and refugee families with an appropriate visa, or
  • your family has had contact with child protection
  • with additional needs
  • who are eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy. For more information, visit Costs of kindergarten (opens in new window)

These children are given a place first to make sure they do not miss out on early childhood education. For more information on the Department of Educations’s Priority of Access Criteria, visit Priority of access for early childhood education (opens in new window). 

Children who meet our local priority criteria are given a place next:

  • Children of families residing in Moyne Shire
  • Children who attended the preferred kindergarten as a Three-Year-Old enrolment now seeking Four-Year-Old enrolment
  • Children who have had siblings attend the preferred kindergarten in the last five years

For the rest of the children, a random ballot is used to give each child their highest available preference. There is no ‘first in, first served’ rule.

Can I still contact the kindergarten directly?

Yes, you can contact kindergartens you are interested in to ask questions or organise a visit. However, you cannot register with the kindergarten directly if it is participating in our CRES. Instead, kindergartens will tell you to use the Moyne Shire Council enrolment registration website or hard copy form.

How do I choose the right kindergarten for us?

Every child is different, so you should look for a kindergarten that works for you. We recommend visiting kindergartens you are interested in to see if they are the right fit. You should think about whether the session times, location and transport options suit you and your family.

Priority of access (after kindergarten care – If available)

Priority 1 - a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect

Priority 2 - a child of a single working parent, or couple families with two working parents

Priority 3 - any other child

Within these main categories, priority will also be given to the following children:

  • children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
  • children in families which include a person with a disability
  • children in families with a non-English speaking background
  • children in socially isolated families
  • children of single parents.
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