These community services and programs may include early childhood education and care, child and maternal health, and family support.
Early Years Places
Early Years Places support families with children aged from birth to 8 years of age. Families can access multiple services or referrals to specialist services, including playgroup, early childhood education and care, health services, and family and parenting support. Early Years Places are an easy way for families to access a range of early childhood activities and support from the 1 welcoming location.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten fees vary. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander can attend kindy for low or no cost. From 1 January 2024, kindy will be free for eligible-aged children who attend a government-approved program offering free kindy. Families will benefit from free kindy regardless of whether they attend a sessional kindergarten or kindergarten in long day care. Kindy is 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year and is free.
State Delivered Kindergarten
Children in selected rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can attend a
State Delivered Kindergarten program at their local state school.
eKindy
eKindy is a comprehensive 'at home' kindergarten program for children in the year before Prep who cannot easily access a centre-based program due to distance, medical condition or itinerant family circumstance.
Deadly Kindies
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in South East Queensland and Townsville can receive a free
Deadly Kindy Kit. To be eligible, children have to have a health check at a participating Aboriginal Medical Service and be enrolled in kindy.
Teaching and learning support
The department supports quality teaching and learning in rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as part of its commitment to valuing diversity.
Learn about the key initiatives to support a strengthened professional learning community and education leadership.
Cultural competence support and guidance programs including:
The development of an Online Professional Learning Course for kindergarten teachers to build the capacity of educators to identify, support and monitor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are learning Standard Australian English as an additional language or dialect.
Foundations for success
Foundations for Success is a guideline for extending and enriching learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the kindergarten year.