Early Childhood Education and Care Services at Schools

Enrolment

ECEC enrolments are managed under separate arrangements to school enrolments and the department’s Enrolment Policy for schools.

The ECEC service provider must advise enrolling families that the criteria used to assess enrolment eligibility in the kindergarten and the school are different. Enrolment at the ECEC service does not guarantee enrolment in the school.

Principals should be aware that families may assume attending the co-located kindergarten guarantees school enrolment.

Principals are encouraged to refer families to the department’s Enrolment Policy. It is important to proactively communicate this distinction early and consistently.

Enrolment waitlist for ECEC service at schools

Children may join the enrolment waitlist for the ECEC service through:

• local council’s central registration and enrolment scheme
• ELV
• ECEC service provider.

While the ECEC is under construction, the VSBA project pages have an email subscription option. Families can subscribe for updates to be notified when an ECEC service provider has been appointed and can then contact them directly to join the wait list.

Priority Access

Services offering funded kindergarten places are required to give priority access to children identified in the department’s Priority of access for early childhood education.

Funded kindergarten providers must apply the Department’s Priority of Access policy, including for:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• children at risk of abuse or neglect
• children from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds
• children with additional needs
• children eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy.

After priority children are enrolled, kindergarten services may prioritise others based on their own criteria, such as connection to the service or proximity.