Kindergarten coming for South Aussie three-year-olds in $715m state budget spend

The state government will spend $715m over five years to drastically overhaul early childhood education in South Australia – including kindy for three-year-olds.

The state budget will include $715m over five years to deliver preschool for three-year-olds in South Australia.

The state government made the announcement on Monday, with the investment including almost $340m over five years to deliver universal three-year-old preschool, including long daycare settings.

Kindy for three-year-olds will be delivered to long day care providers from 2026.

Other kindergartens will phase in the delivery between 2026 and 2032.

Toddler Nate, 1, will be among the first group children starting preschool at three-years-old.

His mother, Krystal Kimble, who is the director of a preschool in Underdale, said there are “massive benefits” to starting kindergarten early.

“We know the importance of early education and they build a wealth of knowledge in the formative years of their life,” Ms Kimble, 40, from Woodville South said.

“Children think they’re playing but they’re learning.”

The funding is in line with the recommendations from the Royal Commission Early Childhood Education and Care by commissioner Julia Gillard.

The spend will also include about $127m over four years to provide 30 hours a week of preschool to 3 and four-year-old children at risk and more than $96m over four years to grow the early childhood workforce.

There will be $30.6m over four years to ‘align the support’ for four-year-olds and three-year-olds.

The funding will include $14m over four years to partner with Aboriginal communities to support the delivery of three-year-old preschool among Indigenous children.

Premier Peter Malinauskas announces a significant state budget spending boost for early childhood education at Gowrie Preschool in Thebarton. Picture: Tom Huntley

The first two integrated hubs be established in 2025 in Port Pirie and in Adelaide’s northern suburbs – acting as a pilot program.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said early childhood education was “pivotal” in shaping the rest of a child’s life.

“We have been unapologetic in our ambitious goal to reduce the rate of South Australian children entering school developmentally vulnerable,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said more than 23 per cent of South Australian children “start Reception with at least one form of developmental delay” and the move would “literally change the lives of thousands”.

He said workforce would be “a big challenge” in delivering the three-year-old program.

“We’re investing in TAFE on the front end in particular … to really drive up the number of people that are homegrown that could be doing the early childhood education,” Mr Malinauskas said.

Charlie and Krystal Kimble with son Nate, 1, who will benefit from extra state government spending on preschool and kindy. Picture: Tom Huntley

Education Minister Blair Boyer said he was “confident” that the expanded preschool program would reach at least 3000 three-year-olds in 2026.

“We think we could do more (than 3000) but it will depend on how quickly we can on-board long day care providers,” Mr Boyer said.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said it was the biggest early years education reform “in a generation”.

Australian Education Union SA vice president Kendall Proud welcomed the funding to grow the early childhood workforce.

“Preschools are already experiencing workforce shortages, so ensuring they are equipped to support the additional three-year-old cohort is crucial,” Ms Proud said.

It comes after the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care delivered its findings in August 2023 including rolling out the universal three-year-old preschool offer in SA.

It recommended three-year-old preschool programs be available in long daycare to children attending those services, while other children will attend government, community and non-government programs.