02 Jan 2024
Free preschool for three-year-old children is now available to all Canberra families as part of the ACT Government’s new Three-year-old preschool program.
Delivered through participating Early Childhood and Education Care (ECEC) services, the funding of more than $50 million over four years is the biggest investment in Canberra’s early childhood education sector.
This investment will provide Canberra’s three-year-olds with up to 300 hours of free preschool per year delivered by a degree-qualified Early Childhood Teacher. This equates to about six hours per week, generating an average saving of $1329 per child for eligible families.
More than 140 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services across Canberra have signed on for the rollout of the free preschool, ensuring three-year-olds will be catered to across a broad range of services.
The ACT Government is committed to giving every child a fair start to life and has long recognised the benefit of investing in quality early childhood education. A quality early childhood education has lifelong benefits that helps children to develop social, communication, language, and physical skills. Children who participate in quality early learning programs are more likely to make a successful transition to school, stay longer in school, continue to further education and fully participate in employment and community life as adults.
Universal access to quality preschool is a key initiative under the ACT Government’s Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT.
Further information on the free Three-year-old preschool program, including the full list of ECEC services participating can be found at: https://www.education.act.gov.au/early-childhood/free-three-year-old-preschool