Yesterday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the State Government would fully fund Victorian kinder services in sessional and Long Day Care centres in 2021.
This announcement extends free kindergarten delivered in 2020 to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic to 2021. It will also include funded kindergarten programs in long day care.
This means eligible three and four-year-old children attending kinder will have their education and care funded, with families saving around $2,000 in annual fees.
Quotes attributable to Helen Gibbons, United Workers Union Early Childhood Education and Care Director:
“This is a welcome announcement in ensuring access to high quality early learning in Victoria, regardless of setting. The Victorian Government is investing in secure jobs in the hard-working critical early education workforce.
“Every child deserves quality early education and care, and the best start possible in life. This is an investment in families and children, but also an investment in quality jobs for educators, in recognition of their hard work throughout the year in Victoria.
“United Workers Union welcomes this announcement and improved job security for educators in kinder across Victoria.”
Quotes attributable to Quynh Nguyen, Kindergarten Teacher in Victoria:
“The kinder program in our Centre provides critical early education and care to three and four-year-old children. The program will set the children up for success, teaches the children social skills, self-regulating, builds on their self-independence, certain aspects of life within their community and gives them the building blocks to be a success later in life.
“Educators in Victoria welcome the new funding announced today to support our families in lowering fees, to allow greater access to programs for young children, and to improve job security in our sector.”