We know that children’s early years set the groundwork for their lifetime learning. Because of this we are making sure every three year-old can take part in quality early childhood education. This is a key part of Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT.
Quality early childhood education for three year-olds initiative
The ACT Government aims to provide 15 hours per week, 600 hours per year of free, universal quality early childhood education for all three year-old children in the ACT.
We are taking the first step towards this goal through the quality early childhood education for three year-olds initiative. Three year-old children who are most in need – those experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability – can now access two days per week of free, quality early childhood education.
Places for priority three year-old children are offered in participating education and care services across the ACT.
We are in the first phase of this initiative and up to 500 places are available for priority children. Up to 100 places are also available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander three year-olds across all five Koori Preschools in the ACT.
How children are identified
The Education Directorate, Community Services Directorate, ACT Health Directorate, Canberra Health Services, Justice and Community Safety Directorate and community organisations are working together to identify priority children.
Eligible families are contacted directly to be offered the opportunity to have their child join the initiative. Families are not able to self-refer as only a limited number of places are available at this time.
For more information please contact the Early Childhood Policy team at EarlyChildhoodPolicy@act.gov.au.
Culturally safe and inclusive early education
Koori Preschools provides rich, play-based experiences in a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 0 to 5 year-olds. Koori Preschool runs for 15 hours per week at five ACT public schools across Canberra.
Under Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT up to 100 additional places are available at Koori Preschool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander three year-olds.
Eligible children can attend either Koori Preschool, an early childhood education and care service under the quality early childhood education for three year-olds initiative, or both.
Early Entry to preschool is also available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, providing them with an additional semester of preschool beginning at the start of term 3 of each school year. Children can attend Koori Preschool and their local preschool through Early Entry at the same time.
For more information about Koori Preschool or Early Entry to preschool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children please contact EDU.LearningandWellbeingPolicyandDesign@act.gov.au or (02) 6207 1106.
Frequently asked questions
- International and national evidence tells us that children’s earliest years set the groundwork for their social, physical, emotional, language and cognitive development.
- The ACT Government is making sure every child from the age of three will be able to access the best early childhood education possible.
We have received advice from an Early Childhood Advisory Council and a targeted consultation process which told us two years of play-based learning before school is supported by the community.
Early Childhood Strategy Consultation Report
(1.2Mb)
Early Childhood Strategy Consultation Report
(1.2Mb)
- As a limited number of places are presently available, families cannot self-refer or enrol their children at this time.
- Eligible families with children who are most in need will be contacted directly to be offered the opportunity to have their child join the initiative.
- Services participating in the initiative must first be accepted onto the Prequalified Panel of Centre Based Service Providers (the Panel).
- Providers on the Panel are committed to the objectives of Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT. They include centre-based services that provide education and care in Education Directorate facilities (long day care for 0 to 5 year-olds, as well as Out of School Hours Care services for 4 to 12 year-olds in public schools), and other services.
Submissions from prospective education and care providers that would like to be part of the initiative are welcome on an ongoing basis. Interested providers are encouraged submit an application to the Panel. More information can be found in the Centre Based Services Procurement Framework or by emailing EDUStrategicProcurement@act.gov.au.
- All early childhood education and care settings in the ACT use Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
. The Early Years Learning Framework ensures that children receive early childhood education that is appropriate for their age. - Play-based learning, communication, language and relationships are key parts of the Early Years Learning Framework.
- The best evidence suggests that a minimum of 15 hours a week, 600 hours a year of quality early childhood education helps three and four year-olds have the best start to life.
- We are continuing to provide 15 hours a week, 600 hours a year of free quality early childhood education to four year-olds in partnership with the Australian Government.
Offering three and four year-olds quality early childhood education is a key recommendation of the Lifting our Game report commissioned by States and Territories. Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT aligns with the findings of Lifting our Game.
- Children across the education system have a range of life experiences. Some may have experienced trauma or may have been impacted by domestic and family violence.
- We are providing training for early childhood education and care staff in supporting children with trauma and early identification of families experiencing domestic violence.
- Early support for children can bring immediate improvements, reduce the lifelong impact of domestic violence and interrupt intergenerational patterns of violence. This investment responds to a recommendation from the Domestic Violence Prevention Council’s Extraordinary Meeting Report .
- The sector as a whole has existing capacity to provide places for more children.
- The phased implementation of this initiative will ensure that education and care services are ready for the increase in attendance.
- States and Territories are continuing to advocate to the Australian Government for long term funding for early childhood education.
- Two years of quality early childhood education, prior to starting school, is a key recommendation of the Lifting our Game report which was commissioned and supported by States and Territories.
Lifting our Game report (2.6Mb) - States and Territories are taking different approaches to early childhood education.
- NSW announced 600 hours per year of subsidised access to community preschool for three year-old children from 2019.
- Victoria began the phased roll out of a subsidised 15 hour per week kindergarten program for three year-olds in 2020.
- Tasmania introduced the Working Together for Three Year-Olds pilot program in 2019 and the program is continuing to expand.