Introduction
From 2026, all Victorian funded early childhood education services will commence the delivery of Pre-Prep to eligible children from priority cohorts across the state.
2 years of early childhood education has a stronger positive effect on children who need extra support, providing more time to deepen their learning experience with teachers and educators.
Pre-Prep will launch to eligible children from priority cohort groups in 2026 and 2028.
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 or Access to Early Learning 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.
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).
Supporting positive outcomes for children
To achieve a significant, long-lasting impact on children, an Early childhood education program must be of high quality. The way programs are structured contributes to this quality, as well as children’s development, learning, and wellbeing outcomes.
The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) is used as a guide to support planning the program and necessary model changes.
The Practice Principles within the VEYLDF describe the best ways to work together to facilitate learning and development.
There are different ways programs can be structured to deliver additional hours for children from priority cohorts. Children from a priority cohort can access their Pre-Prep hours in more than one group at a single service, including 4-year-old groups, multi-age, and where appropriate, 3-year-old groups.