From 2022, the City of Casey will be expanding its kindergarten service to offer a funded three-year-old kindergarten program in addition to the four-year-old program that is currently delivered.
New Victorian Government policy requires three-year-old kindergarten to be made available to all eligible children from 2022, with research showing that two years of kindergarten leads to better long-term outcomes for children both academically and socially.
The council will begin offering the minimum required five hours of three-year-old kindergarten per week for each eligible child next year in a number of existing facilities.
Additional staff will be employed to deliver the expanded service including teachers, assistants, team leaders and central enrolment staff.
Chair of administrators Noelene Duff said the council was pleased to be able to provide this valuable program to local families and was currently working through the necessary internal processes to scale-up the program.
“With the rapid growth of the City of Casey and the significant number of young families moving to the area, Council recognises the immediate need to provide three-year-old kindergarten services,’’ Ms Duff said.
“We are now in the process of upgrading our central enrolment system so that it can accommodate the additional intake of families and will be working with our kindergarten staff to determine what is needed to deliver this new program.”
Registration for three-year-old kindergarten will open from July 2021 and more information will be provided over the coming months. Check the website for updates at www.casey.vic.gov.au
