Queensland – “Free Kindy”
The Queensland Government’s Free Kindy program is available at all Great Beginnings centres*. Eligible Queensland families can access 15 hours of free kindy per week, for up to 40 weeks each calendar year.
Children are eligible in our centres for two 7.5-hour days of government-subsidised “Free Kindy” each week, with Child Care Subsidy (CCS) applied to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for the non-funded hour on these days.
For more information, check the Queensland Government’s website.
*Please check with your local centre for specific program delivery days and hours that support the Free Kindy initiative.
Benefit of our Free Kindy program
- 15 hours per week FREE* for eligible children
- Government approved Kindergarten with the convenience of extended
hours, 5 days per week - Focus on school readiness and lifelong learning
- Program aligned with the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines
- Developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers*
- Open school holidays
- Nutritious meals included
Our Kindy program focuses on play-based learning, confidence-building, and meaningful experiences across literacy, numeracy, creativity, STEM, and community connections, preparing children for school and beyond.
Now enrolling at 60+ centres across Queensland
Calculate your estimated Kindy subsidy
Want to know how much you could save with Queensland’s Free Kindy program and the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) combined? Our Free Kindy Calculator lets you estimate your weekly fees at your long day care centre. Simply enter your details to see how both government subsidies may reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
Frequently asked questions
To be eligible for Free Kindy under the Queensland Government program, your child must:
- Be at least 4 years old by 30 June in the year they attend kindy.
- Be a Queensland resident.
- Not be enrolled in a school program during the kindy year.
In addition, families are required to complete an online Enrolment Declaration Form to confirm eligibility.
The QLD government is offering 15 hours per week for 40 weeks of subsidised kindy each year.
The out-of-pocket cost of kindy for 40 weeks of the year will be subsidised by the QLD government and reduce your GAP fees after your CCS is applied. This means kindy will be more affordable than ever before for Queensland families.
To access this funding, a child must attend 15 hours per week (minimum 2 days).
During the twelve weeks where the ‘Free Kindy’ subsidy is not applied, your CCS will be applied to your fees to reduce your out-of-pocket costs (as per CCS entitlements in pre-kindergarten years at your centre).
*In order to access the Queensland Governments 15 Hours of ‘Free Kindy’, your child must attend 15 Hours per week. This requires a 2-day minimum attendance.
Example:
Johnny is 3 years old and is turning 4 in March next year. Currently, Johnny attends a 10 Hour Session 3 days per week and is receiving a 72% Child Care Subsidy.
The weekly out-of-pocket cost for Johnny’s parents is $162.42 (Parent GAP $54.14 x 3 days) for 30 hours of care.
Next year, Johnny will opt in to the Queensland ‘Free Kindy’ funded program, where he will access 15 hours per week ‘free’.
Johnny will continue to attend 3 days per week; however, the weekly out-of-pocket cost for Johnny’s parents will be significantly lower due to the subsidised 15 hours of Kindy.
- 2x long daycare days with 15 hours of funded Kindy (2x $13.54) = $27.08
- 1x long daycare day (1x $54.14) = 54.14
Therefore, the weekly out-of-pocket cost for Johnny’s parents will drop to $81.21 per week for 30 hours of care. That’s an out-of-pocket savings of $81.21 per week thanks to the Queensland Government’s ‘Free Kindy’!
The 7.5 hours free kindy is delivered during our long day care hours at our centres. The QLD government is subsidising 7.5 hours of your long day care kindy day, therefore, there will be a reduced out-of-pocket cost on these days.
Our centres offer long daycare hours, you are welcome to drop off and pick up your child any time during our opening hours.
Your ‘Free Kindy’ subsidy will still apply to 7.5 hour (2 days per week) regardless of your child’s attendance.
Free Kindy applies during the Queensland Government’s designated kindy program period. Eligible families can access 15 hours of free kindy each week for up to 40 weeks within a calendar year.
The exact days and session times may vary by centre, so we recommend checking with your local G8 Education Centre for their specific schedule.
No, you can only access funding at one centre for 15 hours a week over 40 weeks.
This is an additional subsidy from the QLD government that will apply to a portion of your fees after the Childcare Subsidy is applied. The percentage of CCS your family is entitled to for non-kindergarten program hours will not change.
ACCS will continue to be applied to your fees. There is no change to this arrangement.
Good news for families who are not eligible for CCS. The QLD Government will subsidise the 15 hours per week of Free Kindy for 40 weeks per year. Outside of these subsidised hours, full fees will apply.
*Free Kindy funding is subject to specific requirements. Funding is available when a qualified Early Childhood Teacher delivers the Kindy program and is subject to scheduling and staffing resources. Please contact your Centre Manager to confirm program availability