The Andrews Labor Government is making it easier for parents and carers to find quality kindergarten programs.

Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt today visited Federation Children’s Centre in Ballarat to launch the Kinder Tick initiative.

The new initiative being rolled out across Victoria makes it easier for families to identify approved and funded kindergarten programs – ensuring their children are attending the best programs.

Signage will be placed on services that deliver kindergarten programs, whether that’s in a long daycare setting or a standalone kinder. Only services that meet the following criteria will be eligible to use the kinder tick branding:

• Led by a qualified teacher
• Provides a play-based learning program
• Funded by the Victorian Government

Research shows that having qualified teachers and educators plan, deliver and evaluate play-based kindergarten programs leads to better outcomes for children. 

Federation Children’s Centre in Ballarat is one of around 2,600 early childhood education services across the state that will now display and use the Kinder Tick.

The brand makes it easier for families that want their children to attend kinder by identifying long day care and standalone services that offer good quality funded programs. This will mean families can be assured that if they see the Kinder Tick branding – the kinder is endorsed by the Victorian Government as a good quality service.

This is one of the many initiatives the Government is launching to support the sector and deliver consistency across Victoria as we roll out universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

In an Australian first, the Labor Government has committed almost $5 billion to deliver 15 hours of funded kindergarten programs for three-year olds to children in Victoria by 2029. The Three-Year-Old Kindergarten reform has already been rolled out to 21 local government areas and will expand across the rest of the state in 2022.

Long day care centres make up more than a third of services already delivering universal funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and together with standalone kinders are an important part of the early learning sector.

Quote attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt

“We are making it easier for families to find good quality kindergarten programs that suit their needs.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Julianna Addison

“Ballarat families can simply look for the Kinder Tick to find a teacher-led kindergarten program that supports their child’s learning and development and suits their needs.”

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle

“It won’t matter where you’re sending your child to kinder– if you see a tick, it means it’s a good quality service.”