From 2026, all Victorian funded early childhood education services will start to deliver Pre-Prep to eligible children from priority cohorts across the state.
Evidence shows 2 years of early childhood education has a stronger positive effect on children who need extra support, giving them more time to deepen their learning experience with teachers and educators.
Eligibility information
2026 Pre-Prep priority cohort group
From 2026, between 16 and 25 hours of Pre-Prep will be available to:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- children from a refugee or asylum seeker background
- children who have had contact with Child Protection
- children who were supported by Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) or Access to Early Learning (AEL) in their Three-Year-Old Kindergarten year.
Pre-Prep hours for this group of priority cohort children increase to up to 30 hours from 2028.
Figure 1: 2026 Pre-Prep priority cohort group roll-out
| 2025 | 2026-2027 | 2028 onwards |
| Children offered 15 hours each week of kindergarten programs through ESK and AEL | Children eligible for 16-25 hours of Pre-Prep each week (or up to 1,000 hours per year) | Children eligible for up to 30 hours of Pre-Prep each week (or up to 1,200 hours per year) |
2028 Pre-Prep priority cohort group
From 2028, between 16 and 25 hours of Pre-Prep will be available to:
- children who have (or have a parent or guardian who has) a Commonwealth concession card
- children from a multiple birth family (triplets or more).
Figure 2: 2028 Pre-Prep priority cohort group roll-out
| 2027 | 2028-2029 | 2030 onwards |
| Children offered up to 15 hours each week of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten | Children eligible for 16-25 hours of Pre-Prep each week (or up to 1,000 hours per year) | Children eligible for up to 30 hours of Pre-Prep each week (or up to 1,200 hours per year) |
Pre-Prep hours for this group of priority cohort children increase to up to 30 hours from 2030.