Kindy savings

Many families will see real savings and for some families, kindy will be free.

Families can determine if they are eligible for kindy savings or fee free kindy by meeting the Kindy plus criteria or if they receive Family Tax Benefit. Contact your kindy provider to confirm eligibility and out-of-pocket costs or read more about the Family Tax Benefit.

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a trusted, well-known and equitable mechanism and measurement tool used by the Australian Government to help low-to-middle income families.

It is means tested and helps ensure government subsidies are provided to families who need them most to help with the cost of raising a child.

Alignment to the Australian Government's FTB ensures the Queensland Government is helping families on low- to middle-incomes with the cost of raising children and sending them to kindergarten.

Families eligible for FTB will receive a subsidy of up to $3,544 a year if enrolled in a sessional kindergarten and $500 a year for kindy in a long day care. Families may also access the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS) to reduce their kindy fees. Read more about the Family Tax Benefit.

No. The kindy savings or subsidies are provided directly to your service provider who must pass the savings on to families through reduced fees.

Families should confirm their eligibility to receive kindy savings with their kindergarten program provider. Use the eligibility checker to find out about cheaper or fee free kindy.

Sessional kindergartens run during school terms and school hours for 40 weeks a year. They provide kindergarten without extended hours of care.

Long day care services providing kindergarten usually operate at least 10 hours a day, Monday to Friday, for at least 48 weeks a year. They provide a kindergarten program and extended hours of care.

Learn more about the different types of kindergarten

The eligibility checker helps determine if you’re eligible for a Queensland Government subsidy to make kindy cheaper from 2023.

No. The kindy savings or subsidies are provided directly to your kindergarten program provider to pass on through your reduced fees. Confirm your kindy savings eligibility with your kindergarten program provider.

The eligibility checker shows you the overall annual kindy savings or subsidies you are eligible for. Your kindergarten program provider will apply your savings to your fees and tell you what kindy will cost.

You are encouraged to take your result from the eligibility checker to your chosen kindergarten program provider. You may need evidence or documentation on enrolment to enable the provider to confirm your eligibility and apply your savings. For example, you may have to show your Health Care Card if that is a subsidy you are claiming.

Each kindy is different and sets their fees individually. You will need to check what daily fees are set by your provider and what your Child Care Subsidy entitlement is if attending a long day care service. The eligibility checker tells you what your annual fee reduction is from the Queensland Government. For some families kindy may be free from 2023. Talk directly with your kindergarten program provider to determine your out-of-pocket costs.

The eligibility checker provides different results for sessional kindy or long day care. This is because families accessing kindy through a long day care service can access the Child Care Subsidy from the Australian Government, which already reduces their out-of-pocket costs.

The Queensland Government is helping families to reduce their kindy fees. The new subsidies are in addition to any Australian Government or CCS entitlements, making kindy even cheaper. Talk directly with your kindergarten program provider to determine your final out-of-pocket costs.

No, your results won't change unless your circumstances change, for example, if you decide to go to a sessional kindy instead of a kindy in a long day care. Head to the Starting Block website to find your nearest kindergarten program provider. All government approved kindergarten program providers will apply the kindy savings.

The new Queensland Government kindy subsidies help to reduce the cost of the 15-hours-per-week kindy program. A kindy program is delivered by qualified early childhood teachers through an approved program. This is 600 hours per year or 40 weeks per year. Additional hours at child care may attract other fees.

Unless your eligibility changes, if you move from one sessional kindergarten to another, or from one long day care service to another, your kindy subsidies will follow you. If you move from one setting to another e.g sessional kindy to long day care, subsidies amounts will change as different subsidies apply to each service type. Check the kindy savings webpage for more information about eligibility.

Different subsidies are available for kindy through long day care and sessional kindergarten. Your savings will depend on what setting you use. Subsidies are provided directly to your kindergarten program provider to pass on through your reduced fees. Kindy subsidies are provided to 1 kindergarten program provider per eligible family.