Kindergarten in Tasmania

Kindergarten and OSHC with Goodstart in TAS 

In this article:

Government-approved kindergarten programs 

The benefits of staying with Goodstart for kindergarten 

LDC vs school-based kindergarten

Play-based learning and the EYLF

Fees, rebates and the CCS 

Outside school hours care (OSHC) 

Inclusive learning

Enrol for 2025

We offer kindergarten programs  

To start kindergarten in Tasmania (TAS), your child needs to be four on or before Jan 1st of their kindergarten year. Kindergarten programs are part-time, and every school offers at least 15 hours per week during the school term. Kindergartens are on school grounds, and while it's not compulsory, it marks the first year of formal school—new classroom, school, teacher and friends. 

These are all significant changes that some children and families aren't ready to make yet. At Goodstart, we offer kindergarten programs that you can enrol your child in for their kindergarten year to keep those big disruptions to a minimum.

The benefits of staying with us for kindergarten

If you have a happy, pre-kinder age child at Goodstart, they can stay and do our kinder program. Staying at Goodstart for kinder offers you these perks: 

• The security and routine of staying in the same place; perfect for families that thrive with consistency and certainty. 
• If you have more than one child at a Goodstart, staying for kindergarten keeps everyone's daily transitions to a minimum; there is only one pick-up and drop-off. 
• Your children already have a relationship with their educators. 
• Your child's educators already them and understand how they learn best. 
• A Goodstart kindergarten program gives children the same skills they'd get at a school-based kindergarten, but with longer sessions that are flexible. 
• Your child gets another year to grow and mature before school in a safe, secure space until they feel ready to spread their wings in Prep.  

Most working families' lives don't fit around the 15 hours per week that school-based kinders offer; then they need to enrol in outside school hours care (OSHC) to cover the extra hours school-based kindergarten can't provide. Enrolling in kindergarten with us means your child stays in one place all day rather than attending two centres for kinder each day. 

If you've got a child in a school-based kinder program and you need after-school hours care, we can help you! Contact your nearest Goodtstart to see how they can support you with OSHC.

Play-based learning and the EYLF 

The Australian Early Years Learning Framework, or EYLF is the national curriclum that covers birth to five years. The EYLF is play-based and supports children to grow the following skills in preparation for their 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 reading and understanding 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 kindergarten and play-based learning. 

LDC and school-based kindergarten programs: What's the difference? 

At Goodstart, we're a long day care (LDC) kindergarten provider. We operate five days a week, 52 weeks a year, except on public holidays. School-based kindergarten programs operate during school hours, between 15 and 30 hours per week, 40 weeks of the year. 

Like school-based kindergarten, we also offer federal government-approved kindergarten programs and undergo the same strict approval process as school-based kinders. 

Every Goodstart kinder program meets the following National Quality Framework (NQF) criteria: 

• We deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged three and above, following the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
• Our kindergarten program is delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher (ECT). 

The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care and outside-school-hours care (OSHC) services in Australia. Our programs meet these criteria and run during LDC hours. Your child gets extra kindergarten enrichment led by an ECT in addition to the 15 hours per week available at a school-based kindergarten. 

Child care subsidy (CCS), fees for TAS kinder

The downside of attending an LDC kinder is your child won't be eligible for the 15 free kinder hours per week. You'll still get your fees reduced through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), and you can use our child care fee calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket costs. 

Most working families need to enrol in outside-school-hours care (OSHC) to cover the extra hours that school-based early learning programs can't provide. We call these extra hours wrap-around care, and we offer them at Goodstart kindergartens. 

OSHC and vacation care  

If your child's at a school-based kindergarten, you can also enrol them at Goodstart for the extra hours you need to cover your family's work and life commitments. This way, your child can use their free kindergarten hours and get quality outside-of-school hours (OSHC) kinder care. Your CCS will discount any out-of-pocket fees you'll pay after your free 600 hours of government kindergarten. 

We offer inclusive learning environments   

Inclusion is everything to us. Every child deserves to feel seen and valued for who they are. We work hard to create environments and support networks that welcome all children and their families to our centres. We take reconciliation seriously, walking with our families, children, and communities on this journey.  

Save your kindergarten spot for next year! 

We hope we're a good fit for you and your family in this exciting early learning stage. If you'd like to know how we can support your child from kindergarten to school, call our Family Services team or book a tour of your local Goodstart Early Learning below.