Families and children across Queensland are set to benefit from another year of access to a free, high-quality kindergarten program at long day care and sessional kindergartens.
Charlie is one of the children taking this exciting and crucial step in their educational journey this year at Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten.
His Mum, Cherry, didn't hesitate to enrol Charlie into kindy.
'I wanted my child to have the opportunity to learn through play and creativity, which is something that kindy offers in abundance.
'It's a great way for them to grow both academically and emotionally, while gaining confidence and independence.'
Cherry said what Charlie most loved about kindy was the outdoor playtime, where they can run around, explore and get active in nature.
'It's great to see them come home with stories about all the new things they've discovered or created each day.
'Most of all, I think they love how fun and engaging everything is—it's a place where they can learn while having a great time.'
For Charlie, he's excited to start kindy because he's in the big room now: 'At our kindy we get to play with our friends and play games.'
Cherry also said there was a sense of relief and excitement knowing all children can attend kindy without the financial burden, giving them a strong start to their education.
'My message to other parents is that by enrolling in kindy you are setting your child up for success later in life.
'It is so much more than a place for children to learn the basics; it's a space where they can grow emotionally, socially and cognitively in a supportive and engaging environment.
'As a parent, I have seen first hand how kindy has helped my children develop into more confident, independent and curious individuals.'
Early childhood teacher at Mother Duck, Amber Richardson said free kindy had given the service the opportunity to offer and support families with more access to the kindergarten program through additional enrolment days and access to a qualified kindergarten teacher.
'Free kindy has also supported the service by increasing educators' motivation to upskill and undertake further studies,' she said.
Kindergarten, also known as "kindy," is a part-time educational program for children in the year before they start Prep.
The 15-hour-per-week program, available for 40 weeks a year, aims to provide children with valuable preparation for school, fostering a love of learning in a fun, supportive environment.
While the kindy program is free, it may be delivered differently depending on the service.
In some cases, the 15 hours of free kindy will be spread across 2 or 3 days, with any additional care being paid separately. Families may also receive some support through the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy.
To be eligible for free kindy, children need to be at least 4-years-old by June 30 in the year before they start Prep.
Families can visit the free kindy finder online tool to find their nearest free Queensland Government approved kindergarten program.
Services can visit the free kindy page for more information and resources to share with families.