40,000 children to benefit from $1bn investment in kindergarten in Qld

The cost of kindergarten will be cut by thousands of dollars for the parents of more than 40,000 children attending kindy in Queensland – including 14,000 who will attend for free – as a result of $1 billion state government investment.

More than 40,000 children will benefit from a $1 billion state government investment in kindergarten, reducing the price for their parents by thousands of dollars and making it free for 14,000 of them.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will announce the funding overhaul on Wednesday, which will also support more vulnerable children with specialised needs to get an early childhood education and aims to attract more qualified teachers to regional kindergartens.

Ms Palaszczuk said it would be the most significant reform for the sector in more than a decade.

The five-year package includes $33m to expand the Kindy Uplift program from 400 to 930 services, which funds targeted learning programs for children who need specific help with skills like oral language and communication, listening and processing language, physicality, inclusion, and their social and emotional capabilities.

A funding overhaul for Queensland kindergartens will be announced by the state government on Wednesday. File picture

The government will put up $38.5 million to help remote and regional services attract and retain early childhood teachers through measures including helping fund accommodation assistance and relocation costs.

And families of children with a disability will get a further $95m in support to enable them to attend long day care or community kindy.

Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted Queensland kindy to be educationally valuable and affordable.

“The first few years of a child’s life are incredibly important and play a major role in their future,” she said.

“The cost of kindy is a huge barrier for many children and a great burden for thousands of working families across the state.

“This reform will help change the lives of more than 58,000 Queensland children and their families.”

Education Minister Grace Grace said the changes would kick in for the 2023 school year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the new kindergarten investment will be the biggest reform in the sector in Queensland in more than a decade. File picture.

“A family with one child in kindy could save up to $3200 per year. And a family with two children in kindy could save up to $6400,” she said.

“Fourteen thousand children will also be able to access completely free kindy – this will be for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in areas we know kids can miss out.

“Currently, around 20,000 children have reduced kindy fees, and a very small number of them receive free kindy, so this investment will benefit thousands of families.”

Ms Grace said the Kindy Uplift program was being more than doubled under the funding.

“Kindy Uplift funding means services can invest in personalised programs so children can reach their full potential,” she said.

“For example, funding could be used to provide a dedicated support worker or professional development for staff.”