Frequently asked questions about kindergarten

In Boroondara, kindergarten is offered in 3 settings:

• standalone (sessional) kindergartens
• long day care services
• independent schools.

Find out more about kindergarten settings.

Use our kindergarten dates calculator to help decide your options and to add important registration dates to your calendar.

It can be difficult to know when your child is ready because children develop and learn in different ways. Talk to your Maternal and Child Health nurse for resources to help you decide. Kindergarten open days also provide a great opportunity to talk things through with an experienced early years professional.

Find out more on the Victorian Government's When to start kindergarten page. 

Yes.

If your child will attend kindergarten at a service that is not part of our kindergarten central registration service (such as a long day care or independent school), you will need to contact the service directly to discuss enrolment. 

If your child will attend a kindergarten that is a member of our kindergarten central registration service, you will need to register with us (Council) for each year of attendance. Visit our Submit an application page for more information.

A child can attend both a sessional kindergarten and a long day care service. But they can only access a Victorian Government funded kindergarten place and receive Free Kinder at one service. 

Your sessional kindergarten will require you to sign a letter to confirm you are accepting your child’s funded place.

You will then need to advise the long day care centre that they will not be able to access the Victorian Government’s Free Kinder funding.

If your child will attend kindergarten at a long day care or independent school, you should contact the service directly to discuss their enrolment processes and waiting lists.

If your child will attend a kindergarten that is part of our kindergarten central registration service, registration is open from 1 May to 30 June in the year before your child will start. A waiting list is created only when offers are made and there are more applications than places available.

There may be some children for whom an additional year of funded kindergarten is appropriate. Find out more under Eligibility for Free Kinder.

Absolutely. Every child is entitled to an early childhood education, regardless of ability.

According to the Victorian Government's Priority of Access (PoA) criteria, your child might have priority to secure a place at your preferred kindergarten. 

Funded kindergartens can apply for extra support to help them provide the right environment and programs for children with additional needs. Also, the Preschool Field Officer program provides free support, guidance and coaching to kindergarten teachers to enhance inclusive practices. Find out more on our Extra support for children at kindergarten page. 

The Kinder Tick helps families find a funded kindergarten program that’s been approved by the Victorian Government and complies with the National Quality Framework. Find out more at Look for the Kinder Tick.

For information or assistance, contact us during business hours: 

• by email at [email protected]
• by phone on (03) 9278 4444.

Council delivers the kindergarten central registration service, which streamlines the process for registering children in kindergarten for families and service providers, ensuring the process is simple, consistent, inclusive and equitable.

Council manages the registration for 27 standalone kindergartens in Boroondara.

Council manages registrations for 27 standalone kindergartens, which are known as member kindergartens because they are members of our central registration service.

To register at one of our member kindergartens, visit our Submit an application page.

Yes, certainly. We encourage families to sign up for updates about kindergarten registration from birth. 

If your child will attend kindergarten in 2028 or beyond, we'll send you critical information at the right time, including: 

• dates for kindergarten open days
• a reminder to register your kindergarten preferences the year before your child starts kinder
• opportunities to participate in community consultations about kindergarten. 

Sign up for updates

*Registrations willl be accepted after 30 June but will be considered after first round offers are made. Priority applications are accepted and prioritised at any time.

Register to attend kindergarten for next year on our Submit an application page.

To find out which member kindergartens have vacancies, call us on (03) 9278 4444.

In simple terms, registration is a 4-step process. 

1. Submit an online registration form on our Submit an application page.

2. You'll receive an email offering you a place or advising that you're on a waitlist for a place.

3. Accept the offer within 7 days.

4. Enrol at the kindergarten. The kindergarten will advise you how to do this. 

View a more detailed timeline, including what happens if you choose to decline the offer of a place.

After you’ve registered your child, you will receive a confirmation email from us outlining next steps.

The first round of offers for next year are made in late July this year. 

Offers are made by email. You’ll have 7 days to accept or decline an offer. If you accept the offer, we’ll notify the kindergarten and they will contact you to enrol your child.

Enrolments are managed by the kindergartens, not Council, and may occur some time after you accepted an offer.

If there are more registrations than places for your preferred kindergarten, we will email to advise that you've been placed on a waitlist. 

After the first round, the offer process continues as places in different programs become available. 

The allocation process is the same for 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten.

When allocating places, we must give priority to children who meet the Victorian Government’s Priority of Access criteria. This aims to support children who will benefit most from improved access and participation. 

After Priority of Access, we apply agreed local criteria to allocate places. 

Find out more about how member kindergarten places are allocated. 

Priority of Access (PoA) helps service providers determine which children should receive first round offers for funded kindergarten places, when there are more applications than places. PoA aims to support children who will benefit most from improved access and participation.

To find out more, visit the Victorian Government's Priority of Access page. 

If your family is experiencing hardship, you may be covered under the Victorian Government Priority of Access (PoA) criteria. Children who have medical conditions, or whose parents or carers have medical conditions, can receive PoA. The kindergarten registration form captures this information and you do not need to apply for special consideration.

If your family is experiencing hardship not covered under PoA criteria, you may apply for special consideration due to extenuating circumstances, which may give your registration higher priority. You can apply for special consideration through the kindergarten registration form and it will be assessed by officers in our Health and Wellbeing Services team.

If you've already registered for a kindergarten place and would like to apply for special consideration, please email us at [email protected]. We will then email a special consideration request form for you to complete.

Our central registration service allocates places at member kindergartens based on the Victorian Government’s Priority of Access, followed by agreed local criteria. Find out how member kindergarten places are allocated.

For Boroondara residents, one of the agreed local criteria is your closest kindergarten. This means your closest kindergarten is the one you have the best chance of getting into. In accordance with our criteria, siblings are considered but they don't guarantee a place. Sometimes we have more applications than places available.

No. Kindergartens are not zoned in the same way as schools. Our central registration service allocates places at member kindergartens based on the Victorian Government’s Priority of Access, followed by agreed local criteria. 

For Boroondara residents, our agreed local criteria includes your closest kindergarten, meaning your closest kindergarten is the one you have the best chance of getting into. However, this does not mean you are guaranteed a place at your closest kindergarten. Sometimes we have more applications than places available.

Find out how member kindergarten places are allocated. 

If you are a Boroondara resident, your closest kindergarten is measured by drawing a straight line from your house to the closest member kindergarten. Use our map to find your closest kindergarten.

If you registered for next year after 30 June and your preferred kindergarten session has a vacancy, we may be able to offer you a place. If not, you will be placed on a waitlist.

If you want to be included in the first round of offers for a place next year, you must change your preferences by 30 June this year. 

Preference changes submitted after 30 June will change your original date of registration, and allocation will be considered in later offer rounds.

You can update your preferences by selecting the 'Change preferences' button in your registration acknowledgement email, or contact us.

• Email [email protected].
• Call (03) 9278 4444.

If you move house after submitting a registration, you need to contact our central registration service to update your address as it may affect the allocation of places.

• Email [email protected]
• Call (03) 9278 4444.

You may register. Places are allocated in a fair, equitable and consistent manner, in line with the Victorian Government's Priority of Access criteria, followed by agreed local criteria. Find out how our member kindergarten places are allocated. 

The following are not considered when allocating kindergarten places:

• The date between 1 May and 30 June when a child is registered. This does not prioritise eligibility for an offer in the first round (i.e. there is no ‘first in, best dressed’).
• The primary school your child will attend.
• The route you will take to kindergarten by walking, driving or public transport. For Boroondara residents, our allocation criteria include your closest kindergarten and this is measured by drawing a straight line from your house to the closest member kindergarten. Find your closest kindergarten using our map.
• Listing fewer than 6 kindergarten program preferences. We recommend listing 6 preferences because it gives you the best chance of allocation to your preferred program. 

For information or assistance, contact us during business hours: 

• by email at [email protected]
• by phone on (03) 9278 4444.