How the Child Care Subsidy (CSS) and free kindy work together

Free kindy funding usually provides 7.5 hours a day, applied to the first two days of your child's kindergarten week; the first two days are free. The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) gets applied to the wrap-around hours on those two days and the additional hours they attend that week. 

When the government covers 7.5 hours for the first two days of kindy, your CCS will cover: 

• the additional 1.5 hours on that day for a 9-hour session 
• the additional 2.5 hours for a 10-hour session
• the additional 4.5 hours for a 12-hour session. 

Your CCS covers the rest of the week's kindy hours at your standard CCS rebate amount. Eligible kindergarten-age children can enrol anytime during that calendar year and receive pro-rata funding. 

The Queensland Government only funds one year of free kindy or 600 hours. If your child attends kindy for two years, the CCS will still discount their second year. You can use our CCS calculator to estimate the fees. 

Families can save around $4,500 annually with free kindy.  To maximise these savings for next year, confirm a kindy spot by enrolling at a Goodstartcentre near you. 

When can my child start kindy?

Your child must be four by June 30th of the year they begin kindy. Many children in Queensland attend kindy for two years before starting Prep, provided they don't turn seven during their Prep year. 

The kindy tick: Government approval and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

In Queensland, government-approved kindergarten programs offer 15 hours of qulaity early learning per week to help prepare children for their transition to school. Look for the 'Free Kindergarten Approved Program' (Free kindy tick) to find these programs. 

This program follows the Australian Early Years Learning Framework, or EYLF. The EYLF is play-based and supports children to grow the following skills to help them transition to school: 

• Social skills, like making friends and respecting others. 
• Participation in groups and learning to take turns.  
• Emotional regulation and naming how they feel. 
• Empathy, like understanding and responding to the feelings of others.
• Communication skills, like saying what they need without getting frustrated. 

It's easy to see play-based learning as 'just having fun'. But it's important to remember that it's not 'just playing'. Children learn through play. You can read more about what they learn in kindy, play-based learning and the EYLF. 

Kindy sessions that work for you 

We're a long day care kindy (LDC) kindy. That means we offer longer opening hours from Monday to Friday and all year round. We'll help to fit kindy around your schedule. There are options for nine-hour, ten-hour, and all-day sessions. We're open before and after school hours so you can meet your work and life commitments, and they get extended hours of quality early learning. 

Community kindy vs long day care (LDC) kindy

Community (or sessional) kindergartens usually operate during school hours, with four terms a year. These hours work for families who don't need before- and after-school care or can be available on school holidays. But many families can't do that. 

At long day care (LDC) kindy, your children will learn and play all year, before and after school hours. You get extra learning and playing hours beyond the 15 hours a week at a community kindy. If you have a pre-kindy child who loves their Goodstart centre, we encourage them to stay for their kindy year, too. They can stay with their friends and keep their routine, and their educators already know them and their family. 

An LDC kindy continues to provide care throughout the year. Save some of your leave days for yourself; you deserve it. 

Our kindy programs support your child's unique learning journey

We meet your child at their current growth stage and regularly evaluate their milestones as they get ready to transition to school. We connect with them through their interests, ensuring they feel valued and understood. We also offer educational and behavioural support when it's needed. We respect and celebrate your children for who they are and give them what they need to become the best version of themselves. 

Our programs are desigend for smooth transitions to school 

We want your child to have the social and emotional skills to start Prep confidently. We'll collaborate with school teachers, families and communities to support your child's well-being. We work closely with our local schools, giving them everything they need to know about your child through the Queensland Government's Transition to School Statements; documents to help new teachers understand how your child learns. 

We also run school transition activities during the kindy year to help your child feel comfortable on their first day of Prep. We want everyone to have a smooth and supportive start for your child's education journey.

Inclusive learning where everyone's welcome!

Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. Every child deserves to feel valued and recognised for their unique qualities. We ensure our centres are inviting to all children and their families. Our commitment to reconciliation and inclusion means we build strong support networks and communities with you and your children. 

Save your kindy spot for next year! 

We hope you're excited by what we can offer your family in this exciting early learning stage. If you'd like to know about how we can support your child's transition to school, call our Family Services team, or make a booking to your local Goodstart Early Learning below.