Kindy

Free Kindy provides eligible children with 15 hours per week for up to 40 weeks per year in a Queensland Government-approved kindy program, for free, in the year before they start school.

Yes, Free Kindy will be available for all eligible Queensland families in 2026 and beyond.

With over 2,200 services across Queensland, Free Kindy is available at both sessional kindergartens and long day care services. Use the Free Kindy Finder above to locate a Queensland Government-approved Free Kindy near you and contact them to enrol today.

The start date for your child’s kindy program will depend on the service you’ve enrolled with, so it’s best to speak directly with your kindy provider for specific details.

Sessional kindy operates during school terms and school hours, typically for 40 weeks a year.

Kindy (not just Free Kindy) in long day care, on the other hand, usually runs for at least 10 hours a day, Monday to Friday, for at least 48 weeks a year. These services provide a kindy program alongside extended hours of care. Families whose children attend kindy in long day care will need to pay for any additional care provided outside the kindy program hours.

To learn more about the different types of kindy, visit: Types of Kindy.

Yes. If a child attends kindy in a long day care, families will need to pay for the hours of care before and after the Free Kindy program. These costs may be covered in part by the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy. The Queensland Government funds 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year (or 600 hours) of Free Kindy.

Yes, unvaccinated eligible-aged children can participate in an approved kindy program at a sessional kindy or long day care service and still receive Free Kindy funding. However, the decision to enrol an unvaccinated child is up to the approved provider and will depend on their enrolment policies.

Yes, children of families on Refugee and Humanitarian visas can access Free Kindy. Children of families with a temporary resident visa which is exempt from state school fees, as listed on the department's international schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions (PDF, 266KB), will also be eligible for Free Kindy. If the visa is not fee-exempt, families will be required to pay fees for the kindy program.

Information about Free Kindy is available in a range of languages. Visit the kindy resources page to download materials in your language.

Starting kindy is an important milestone in a child’s life and making the move to somewhere new takes time. Creating a positive experience and transition for your child as they move from home or early learning and into kindy, sets the foundation for their learning, wellbeing and development. Families can access fun and helpful activities designed to support your child starting kindy.