Is three-year-old kinder really worth it? VIC just found out
If you've been going back and forth on three-year-old kinder, wondering if a second year makes a real difference or just adds another drop-off to the morning, there's now an answer from much closer to home. Until recently, most of the research on two years of kinder came from overseas.
Victoria was the first Australian state to fund a kinder place for every three-year-old, and more than 70,000 children now go through the program each year. Researchers at the University of Melbourne have been following some of them since 2022, and their first results, released in September 2026, found the second year shows up in children's skills before they've set foot in a Prep classroom.
What did Victoria's EDGE Study find about three-year-old kinder?
Children who had two years of funded kinder in Victoria started school with around five extra months of progress in language and two to three extra months in early numeracy and working memory, compared with children who had one year. Researchers also saw a gain of two to three months in behaviour regulation, which is how well a child manages their feelings and actions in a group.
The language gain was measured through how well children understand directions, a skill children lean on constantly in their first year of school.
The Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study is led by the University of Melbourne with The Front Project and the Victorian Department of Education. Its initial findings draw on 149 early childhood services and around 2,200 children across the state, and it's the first study in Australia to link children's results with detailed records of the kinder hours they attended.
Which children benefit most from two years of kinder?
Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds gained the most from three-year-old kinder, with at least five extra months in early numeracy and working memory. Other children gained two to three months in those same areas.
It's an encouraging result for equity. The researchers see two years of kinder as a way to give children a more even start to school, and their next round of work will look at whether it can narrow the gaps between groups of children over time.
How many hours of three-year-old kinder make a difference?
The biggest gains went to children who were funded for the full 15 hours a week and who attended more of those hours. The study tracked the hours children turned up for, as well as the hours they were enrolled in, so regular attendance made a measurable difference to how much they gained.
When you're choosing a program, it helps to look at how the sessions fit around your work week, since a schedule your family can keep up with is the one your child will get the most from. If kinder runs inside long day care, the Child Care Subsidy calculator can help you work out the cost of the days around it.
What makes a three-year-old kinder program high quality?
Teacher experience was the strongest factor linked to high-quality kinder programs in the EDGE Study. Researchers judged quality by the everyday interactions between educators and children and by play-based learning with a clear purpose behind it.
High-quality programs turned up in very different communities, so a great kinder isn't limited to well-off areas. Victorian kinder rooms scored well on making children feel safe and cared for, and on running a day where children know what to expect.
The area with the most room to grow was how adults stretch children's thinking and build their language through conversation. It's a useful detail for parents, because conversation is something you can watch for when you visit a kinder.
Questions to ask when choosing a three-year-old kinder
- How long has the kinder teacher been teaching? It's a fair question to ask, along with how long they've been at this service.
- How many hours a week does the three-year-old program run? Ask if the program offers the full 15 funded hours, or when it's expected to.
- How do educators talk with the children during play? Look for adults who ask open questions and build on what a child is already playing with.
- What's the service's quality rating? Every service is assessed against the National Quality Standard, and the rating was one of the factors linked to program quality.
- How do you settle three-year-olds in? Some children need a gentler start, and a good service will have a plan for shorter first sessions or a staggered start.
Is three-year-old kinder available outside Victoria?
Three-year-old kinder, usually called preschool outside Victoria, is rolling out at different speeds around Australia. NSW, the ACT and South Australia all fund some form of preschool for three-year-olds in 2026, and the support on offer varies by state and by the type of service.
The EDGE results come from Victorian services, but those tour questions work just as well for a three-year-old program anywhere in Australia.
When you're ready to compare options, you can search kinder and preschool services near you and get in touch with the ones that suit your family about places for next year.
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FAQs
Is three-year-old kinder free in Victoria?
Three-year-old kinder is free in Victoria at participating services through Free Kinder, which covers all three and four-year-olds. Standalone kinders offer the program free of charge. Long day care centres that run a funded kinder program apply Free Kinder as a fee offset, and your child does the program as part of their usual day.
How many hours of three-year-old kinder can my child do in Victoria?
Three-year-old kinder programs in Victoria run for between five and 15 hours a week, depending on the service. Programs are increasing to 15 hours a week across the state by 2029.
How old does my child need to be to start three-year-old kinder in Victoria?
Children need to turn three by 30 April in the year they start three-year-old kinder in Victoria. If your child's birthday falls between 1 January and 30 April, you can choose to start them in the year they turn three or the year they turn four, which also sets the year they start school.
When will more results from the EDGE Study be released?
More results from the EDGE Study are due from 2027. The researchers plan to link their data to NAPLAN and the School Entry Health Questionnaire to see if the gains last once children start school, and to publish an economic analysis of the reform.
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