Savings for Families
The Victorian Government ‘Free Kinder’ fee offset funding is available for children enrolled in Victorian Government funded Three and Four Year Old Kindergarten Programs, to support children to access a high-quality kindergarten program in the two years before they start school.
This Victorian Government initiative provides families in long day care with a potential saving of up to $2,101 per child, applied directly to your fees across 40 weeks of the year.
Who is eligible?
This funding is available for children enrolled in either our:
- Three-Year-Old Kindergarten Program between 5 to 15 hours per week.
- Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program for 15 hours per week.
Your child can only access a Victorian Government funded kindergarten place and receive the fee offset in one service at a time.
How our fee offset cycle works
The government Kinder funding is received by our services, and we pass these savings* on to you to reduce your out-of-pocket fees across the year. Your service will pass on the savings as a direct reduction to your out-of-pocket fees after the Commonwealth’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is applied.
- For three-year-old children, this means from $700.33 for 5 hours to $2,101 for 15 hours.
- For four-year-old children, this means $2,101 for children enrolled in a 15-hour kindergarten program.
*Please note that the fees outlined above are based on a full school year.
Example
- A child attends their Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program 3 days a week.
- The kindergarten service charges $360 for the 3 days.
- The family receives a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) of $252.
- This leaves an out-of-pocket fee of $108.00.
- In 2025, the service applies $2101 Free Kinder offset weekly over 40 weeks of the year ($52.53 per week).
- The family pays $55.48 a week after the CCS and Free Kinder offset has been applied.
For further information
Please speak to your local Niño ELA centre to confirm funded kindergarten program days and hours.
Savings for Families
The Victorian Government ‘Free Kinder’ fee offset funding is available for children enrolled in Victorian Government funded Three and Four Year Old Kindergarten Programs, to support children to access a high-quality kindergarten program in the two years before they start school.
This Victorian Government initiative provides families in long day care with a potential saving of up to $2,101 per child, applied directly to your fees across 40 weeks of the year.
Who is eligible?
This funding is available for children enrolled in either our:
- Three-Year-Old Kindergarten Program between 5 to 15 hours per week.
- Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program for 15 hours per week.
Your child can only access a Victorian Government funded kindergarten place and receive the fee offset in one service at a time.
How our fee offset cycle works
The government Kinder funding is received by our services, and we pass these savings* on to you to reduce your out-of-pocket fees across the year. Your service will pass on the savings as a direct reduction to your out-of-pocket fees after the Commonwealth’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is applied.
- For three-year-old children, this means from $700.33 for 5 hours to $2,101 for 15 hours.
- For four-year-old children, this means $2,101 for children enrolled in a 15-hour kindergarten program.
*Please note that the fees outlined above are based on a full school year.
Example
- A child attends their Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program 3 days a week.
- The kindergarten service charges $360 for the 3 days.
- The family receives a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) of $252.
- This leaves an out-of-pocket fee of $108.00.
- In 2025, the service applies $2101 Free Kinder offset weekly over 40 weeks of the year ($52.53 per week).
- The family pays $55.48 a week after the CCS and Free Kinder offset has been applied.
For further information
Please speak to your local Niño ELA centre to confirm funded kindergarten program days and hours.
