The state-first trial of after preschool care has started in the first of 20 government preschools across South Australia this week.
The trial follows recommendations by the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care led by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The Royal Commission had submissions from a wide range of stakeholders who highlighted the need for government preschools to provide care options that meet the changing needs of working families.
Kindy Care will help support families who are increasingly needing care for their children outside of the regular preschool hours.
Families rely on OSHC provision for their school-aged children, but often OSHC services are not set up for preschool-aged children and do not generally accept enrolments for preschoolers. The general sessional hours of 9am-3pm do not offer flexibility and can make decisions more difficult for working families due to accessibility.
Many families need care for their preschool-aged children after preschool operating hours, so these trials will test how different models of a preschool out of hours care could work in preschool settings.
Kindy Care will allow children to maintain continuity, reduce transitions and engage in out of hours care appropriate to their developmental needs. The Kindy Care trials will continue into 2025 and will provide valuable feedback to determine a broader rollout.
The department will also continue to work closely with the Federal Government to ensure eligible families accessing the Kindy Care program receive the Child Care Subsidy from Term 1, 2025.
The first 10 Kindy Care trial sites will begin this week and will be delivered by department staff in preschools across the state. These are:
- Adams Road Children's Centre
- Cumberland Preschool Kindergarten
- Gabmididi Manoo Children and Family Centre
- Gawler & District B-12 Children's Centre
- Gladigau Park Kindergarten
- Loxton Preschool Centre
- Millicent North Kindergarten
- Renmark North Preschool
- Seaview Downs Preschool
- Salisbury Heights Preschool
An additional 10 Government preschools will also trial Kindy Care and will be delivered by third-party providers. These sites will roll out the trial later this year and early next year:
- Bridgewater Kindergarten
- Clarence Park Community Kindergarten
- Dernancourt Kindergarten
- Fairview Park Kindergarten
- Glossop Community Preschool
- Lantana Kindergarten
- Magill Kindergarten
- Ocean View College Children's Centre
- Park Terrace Kindergarten
- Wattle Park Kindergarten
As put by Blair Boyer
Kindy Care will help relieve pressure on working families and provide their children with continuity of care outside of the regular preschool hours.
This is an exciting reform that will lead the nation. It builds upon our existing investment into improving government preschool facilities and out-of-hours care, providing families with greater options and a higher quality of education and care.
The Royal Commission into Early Education and Care highlighted the need for government preschools to provide care options that meet the changing needs of working families.
We want to make it easier for families already facing considerable cost of living demands to access affordable quality care for their children.
Supporting people to actively participate in the workforce is a key ambition of these reforms and will have many wide-reaching benefits.
As put by Cumberland Preschool Kindergarten Director Melissa Slater
We are excited by the opportunity to expand our high-quality services to meet the needs of children and families.
Kindy Care will provide continuity for children who access both preschool and Kindy Care throughout the day in an environment that's familiar and developmentally appropriate for them while also allowing our community greater flexibility to access our services.
We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting initiative as we know that our families will benefit greatly from the provision of Kindy Care.
