Kindergarten

We support kindergarten providers in Moorabool through the coordination of Kindergarten Central Registration and the management of Council-owned buildings. This work is guided by Council's Kindergarten Central Registration Policy 2026(PDF, 268KB)

The State Government provides free kindergarten for all Victorian three- and four-year-old children at participating services. For more information about this initiative, including information about what year your child can commence kindergarten, please visit the Best Start, Best Life reforms website.

Council manages the registration and allocation of both three- and four-year-old kindergarten to the following kindergarten services:

Bacchus Marsh Montessori Uniting Kindergarten
Darley Kindergarten
West Maddingley Kindergarten
Young Street Preschool
Ballan Community Kindergarten
Ballan Early Education
Wallace and District Kindergarten
Gordon Kindergarten
Yaluk Burron Early Learning Centre (*Long Daycare Service fees apply)

Kindergarten services manage enrolment, coordinate tours, and determine group session times and orientation activities.

Kindergarten Registration

Registrations are currently being taken for the 2026 kindergarten year, registrations for 2027 will open on the 1st of March 2026.

A registration form is required for each individual child being registered.
A registration form must be submitted for each year your child attends kindergarten, including both 3-year-old and 4-year-old programs.
Only one registration form should be submitted.
To update or change registration details or kindergarten preferences, contact the Early Years team via email earlyyears@moorabool.vic.gov.au

Key dates for kindergarten registration are:

Round One	March - May	Round one registrations for the following kindergarten year will be accepted from the start of March and close at the end of May
Round One Offers	1st week in June	Round one offers will be sent via email at the beginning of June
Round Two	June – July	Round two registrations for the following kindergarten year will be accepted from the start of June and close at the end of July
Round Two Offers	1st week in August	Round two offers will be sent via email at the beginning of August

What is Free Kinder?

Free Kinder is available for children enrolled in funded:

Three-Year-Old Kindergarten programs
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten programs, including Pre-Prep

It’s offered across Victoria at participating standalone (sessional) kinder services and long day care services.

Kindergarten is an early learning program for children in the two years before school entry. It is designed to engage children in quality play based learning experiences and provide them with opportunities to further develop their cognitive, creative, social, emotional and physical skills.

Under Victorian Government funding provisions, kindergarten is free for children attending kindergarten at participating service providers.

Your child can attend kindergarten if:

They turn 3 years of age (for 3 year old kindergarten) or 4 years of age (for 4 year old kindergarten) on or before 30 April in the year of kindergarten attendance.
They have received funding for a second year of kindergarten.
They are turning 6 years of age in their year of kindergarten and have been granted an exemption from the Department of Education & Training school entry age requirements.

To check what year your child can commence kindergarten, and check their eligibility, head to vic.gov.au/kinder-quick-guide-parents#when-to-start.

What is Pre-Prep?

Pre‑Prep is the new name for what is currently known as Four‑Year‑Old Kindergarten.

As part of Victoria’s statewide transition, program hours will gradually increase from 15 to 30 hours per week, giving children more time for play‑based learning in the year before school.

Aside from the increase in hours, Pre‑Prep programs remain the same as Four‑Year‑Old Kindergarten.

From 2026, children in the following priority cohorts will be eligible for 16 to 25 hours of Pre‑Prep each week:

Children who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Children from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds
Children who have had contact with Child Protection

In 2027, all eligible families in Moorabool will be able to access 16 to 20 hours of Pre‑Prep each week. Priority cohort children (as listed above) will continue to be eligible for 16 to 25 hours.

Each kindergarten determines the number of funded hours offered within these ranges. Families are encouraged to speak directly with their chosen service to confirm available hours before enrolling.

When should I send my child to kindergarten?

To check when your child will be eligible to start Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten, you can use the starting age calculator. Use the Pre-Prep calculator to find out if your child is eligible to attend Pre-Prep Kindergarten Starting Age

When deciding the best year for your child to start kindergarten, we encourage families to also consider the age at which their child will begin school.

Children born between 1 January and 30 April

Families can choose which year their child begins kindergarten. This means a child may start:

Three‑Year‑Old Kindergarten in the year they turn 3, or
Three‑Year‑Old Kindergarten in the year they turn 4.

If you are considering delaying or deferring your child’s kindergarten start, please speak with your preferred kindergarten or contact our Early Years team.

How Your Choice Affects School Starting Age

Your decision about when to begin Three‑Year‑Old Kindergarten will determine the age your child starts primary and secondary school.

Example:

Child born March 2022 – starting 3‑year‑old kinder in 2025
- Starts Prep at 4 years old
- Starts high school at 11 years old
Child born March 2022 – starting 3‑year‑old kinder in 2026

Starts Prep at 5 years old
Starts high school at 12 years old

Please note: Children aged six years or older must be enrolled in school. For school age requirements, visit the Victorian Government’s enrolment guidance.

What do I need to register?

The registration form will ask you for contact details, information about your child including factors that might prioritise your child’s allocation to a kindergarten.

Moorabool Shire Council follows the Priority of Access guidelines that supports the inclusion of children with additional needs, children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, asylum seeker and refugee families with an appropriate visa, and children known to Child Protection.

To complete the kindergarten registration form, make sure you have:

Proof of residence: a utilities bill, rental agreement or rates notice with your family name and address (this must be the main residence of your child)
Concession cards and immigration visas (where applicable)
Documents from Family Support Services or a Maternal and Child Health nurse confirming high support needs and/or disability, or letter from a doctor for complex medical needs (where applicable)

More information on Priority of Access can be found at: Priority of access for early childhood education | vic.gov.au

What if my child needs an additional year of kindergarten?

During the kindergarten or Pre-Prep year, the kindergarten or Pre-Prep teacher and the child’s parents/carers will work together to plan for the child’s transition to their next educational learning environment; either to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten/Pre-Prep or to school.

From 2026, across Victoria, children can apply to access an additional year of either:

Three-Year-Old Kindergarten
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (or Pre-Prep for eligible children).

That is, eligible children can access up to 3 years of funded kindergarten/Pre-Prep.

An additional year of funded kindergarten or Pre-Prep may be considered appropriate when a child shows delays in at least 2 learning and development outcome areas from the Victorian Early Years and Development Framework, and when:

The kindergarten/Pre-Prep program is deemed to be the most appropriate learning environment
The child will achieve better outcomes at Three-Year-Old Kindergarten than if they go to transition to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (or Pre-Prep) the following year
The child will achieve better outcomes at Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (or Pre-Prep) than if they go to school.

More information can be found at: Additional year of funded kindergarten or Pre-Prep from 2026

Kindergarten Mythbusters

Do you have questions about kindergarten?

Learn all about what is fact and what is fiction by reading our Kindergarten-Mythbusters.pdf(PDF, 1MB) factsheet.

Participating kindergartens

Bacchus Marsh Montessori Uniting Kindergarten

176 Gisborne Road, Darley Victoria, 3340

(03) 5367 7706

bacchusmarsh.els@vt.uniting.org

View the Bacchus Marsh Montessori Uniting Kindergarten website

Darley Kindergarten

182 Halletts Way, Darley Victoria, 3340

(03) 5367 8605

enrolments@ecms.org.au

View the Darley Kindergarten website

West Maddingley Kindergarten

26 McCormacks, Maddingley 3340

(03) 4317 4723

enrolments@ecms.org.au

View the West Maddingley Kindergarten website

Young Street Preschool

Corner of Young and Bennett Street, Bacchus Marsh Victoria, 3340

(03) 5367 2443

enrolments@ecms.org.au

View the Young Street Preschool website

Ballan Community Kindergarten

88 Simpson Street, Ballan Victoria, 3342

(03) 5368 1228

admin@ecka.org.au

View the Ballan & District Preschool website

Ballan Early Education

8-14 Duncan Street, Ballan Victoria 3342

(03) 5368 1228

admin@ecka.org.au

View the Ballan Primary School Kindergarten website

Wallace and District Kindergarten

739 Bungaree - Wallace Road, Wallace Victoria, 3352

(03) 5334 0268

admin@ecka.org.au

View the Wallace and District Kindergarten website

Gordon Kindergarten

15 Stanley St, Gordon Victoria, 3345

(03) 5331 5344

www.badac.net.au

Yaluk Burron Early Learning Centre (Long Daycare fees apply)

14 Stead St, Ballan Victoria, 3342

(03) 5368 1628

admin@yalukburronel.com.au

View the Yaluk Burron Early Learning Centre website

Non-participating kindergartens

Some long day care centres within Moorabool offer access to funded kindergarten programs, integrated within their sessions. Please contact your preferred centre for more information.

AMIGA Montessori Maddingley

Shop 101, Level 1/4A McCormacks Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340

(03) 4328 6100

maddingley@amiga-montessori.com.au

Click here to visit website

Aussie Kindies Early Learning Bacchus Marsh

59-63 Grey St, Darley VIC 3340

(03) 5367 3822

bacchusmarsh@aussiekindies.com.au

Click here to visit website

Bacchus Marsh Childcare & Kindergarten Centre

6 Clifton Dr, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340