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Best Start, Best Life

Drawings

Best Start, Best Life is the Victorian Government's once-in-a-generation reform to strengthen early childhood education and support families. The Program is designed to give every child the best possible start in life by expanding early learning opportunities, reducing cost barriers for families, and creating a more accessible early childhood education system.

The reforms include:

  • Free Kinder for all three- and four-year-old children at participating services, helping families save on early education costs. All kindergartens in the South Gippsland Shire offer free kinder.
  • Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, with programs rolling out to provide up to 15 hours per week by 2029. All kindergartens in the South Gippsland Shire offer families between 10 and 15 hours per week.
  • Pre-Prep - an expanded four-year-old program transitioning to 30 hours of play-based learning per week by 2036, starting from 2027 for all children in the South Gippsland Shire.
  • The establishment of 50 government-owned early learning and childcare centres in areas of greatest need. Meeniyan Early Learning Centre has been announced by the Victorian Government as one of these centres and is expected to be open in 2027.

Together, these reforms support children's learning and development, make early education more affordable for families, and help parents participate in the workforce.

Going to Kinder

What This Means for our Community

Best Start, Best Life is being rolled out over several years and will have a meaningful impact on how early childhood education is accessed locally. As part of this reform, children in our community will benefit from two quality years of funded kindergarten and play-based learning before starting school.

Key outcomes include:

  • Increased access to early learning close to home.
  • Greater affordability of early childhood education.
  • More opportunities for children to develop foundational skills.
  • Support for families to balance work and care commitments.

From 2027, children in the South Gippsland Shire will have access to between 16 and 20 hours of kindergarten per week before they start school. The hours offered by each kindergarten will vary depending on the enrolment capacity and staffing availability. To ensure we are ready to support Best Start, Best Life locally, we are actively working with local kindergarten providers and the Victorian Government Department of Education to plan for future needs.

Building blocks

Planning Spaces and Facilities

We are using local information to understand how many kindergarten places are needed now and in the future. This helps us identify where there may be gaps in kindergarten facilities and where new or expanded spaces may be required. Looking at population growth, enrolments and waitlists helps us plan so families can access services close to home.

Early years worker

Supporting Our Early Years Workforce

We are working with the Victorian Government's Department of Education, local early learning and childcare services, and community organisations to help build a sustainable workforce. This includes planning for a skilled and qualified workforce to support children and families as Best Start, Best Life expands. Working together helps services prepare for change and continue to provide high-quality early learning experiences.