QLD Kindy for All FAQ's
QLD Kindergarten for All FAQ's
What is Free Kindy?
In QLD from January 2024, Kindy is Free for 15hrs a week, 40 weeks a year.
Funding essentials for long day care providers
Funding essentials for sessional kindergartens
FAQ's
- Do I need to set a gender for my Kindy children?
A YES,
To allow a forecast or acquittal to be submitted with completed fields for Gender, this will need to be selected as either:
- Male
- Female
- Other
- Will Kindy be free for all Families?
A. Yes. From 1 January 2024, kindy will be free for all eligible kindy-age children who attend a government-approved free kindergarten program in a sessional kindergarten or long day care service for the first 15hrs per week.
- If a child attends Kindy in a Long Day Care, will there be additional costs for the hours before and after the kindy program?
A. Yes. If a child attends kindy in a long day care, families will need to pay for the hours of care before and after the kindy program. These costs may be covered in part by the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy. The Queensland Government funds 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year of free kindy.
- Can a child access free kindy if they aren't vaccinated?
A. Unvaccinated eligible-aged children are able to participate in an approved kindergarten program at a sessional kindergarten or long day care service and receive free kindy funding. The decision to enrol an unvaccinated child is for the Approved Provider in accordance with their enrolment policies. Visit the immunisation page for more information.
- Can a child on a visa access free Kindy?
A. Children of families on Refugee and Humanitarian visas can access free kindy in 2024. Children of families with a temporary resident visa which is exempt from State School fees as listed on the Department's International schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions will also be eligible for free kindergarten.
- How many centres can the Child receive the free kindy for?
A. Families can only access funding at one centre for 15 hours a week over 40 weeks. They must decide which centre to claim the free kindy for. The centre will note this via your enrolment form and forecast/acquittals.
- Will the funding impact a Families CCS or activity hours?
A This is an additional subsidy from the QLD government that will apply to a portion of your fees after the CCS has ben applied. The CCS% your family is entitled to for non-kindergarten program hours will not change.
- A Family is receiving ACCS, will this continue?
A ACCS will continue to be applied to their fees. Free Kindy covers the childs gap for the duration of a Kindy program. If there is no gap, no Free Kindy applies.
- What CCS Enrolment types will receive the Free Kindy?
CCS Enrolment type | Free Kindy Outcome |
|---|---|
Confirmed CWA | Will receive more standardised Kindy payments (based on current entitlements from forecast), entitlement changes will be adjusted after the Acquittal |
'Informal CWA' (pending confirmation, pending eligibility, submitted) | Forecast will include - full Kindy coverage for 15hrs. |
'Informal CWA' (pending confirmation, pending eligibility, submitted) | Acquittal (if enrolment is confirmed after forecast is submitted) - Credit information will only be adjusted after the acquittal is completed not during the quarter |
RA | Full Fee = Full kindy coverage for 15hrs unless they select other VISA type |
OA | $0.00 FAP = $0.00 free kindy |
PEA | $0.00 FAP = $0.00 free kindy |
- As a Long Day Care Service, I have children who are booked under a eg.
- 10hr
- 1hr
- 12hr session time fee
- My Kindy program hours are from 8:30am - 4:00pm = 7.5hrs
Do I need to create different sessions for before and after the Kindy program times?
A. No. Xap will automatically apply the entitled Free Kindy funding the the assigned Kindy program times.
- I am a Long Day Care service, do the Kindy program hours come off the child's CCS subsidised hours?
A. YES, The Kindy program hours will be included in the total amount of the child's CCS subsidised hours.
- How many hours should my Kindy programs run for?
A They will need to between a:
- minimum of 5hrs per day
- maximum of 7.5hrs per day
- I am a Long Day Care Centre. I have session fees for bookings of eg. 10hrs and 12hrs per day. Do I need to create different fees for my Kindy children to cover before/after and the kindy program?
A No, Xap will automatically calculate the Kindy program hours from your Kindy program. The session hours before and after the Kindy program that the child is booked into will apply their standard CCS entitlements.
This is called wrap around hours
- My Kindy program runs for 7.5hrs per day from 8:30am-4.00pm. However I have children who attend the Kindy program who have a booking linked to a session that runs from 8am - 3:30pm, will they be eligible for Free Kindy?
A NO, the session times the child is booked under must cover the full kindy program times. Even if they attend the 5 or 7.5hrs per day they aren't attending for the full Kindy program hours. so will not be eligible for free kindy.
- If a child is absent during their first 2 days in the week that they are enrolled in the Kindy program, will they still get the Free Kindy?
A YES, Funding is not tied to attendance, it's tied to their enrolment. As long as they meet the requirements of being booked into the kindy program for the 15hrs per week, then it doesn't matter if they are absent or not, they still receive the Free Kindy.
Updated on: 22/05/2025
Thank you!