You may be able to access up to 300 hours a year of free preschool if your child is 3 and you live in the ACT.
More than 140 early childhood education and care services across Canberra deliver the program. These are known as partner providers.
They deliver the program either:
- 6 hours per week over 50 weeks, or
- 7.5 hours per week over 40 weeks.
How the program works
Your child needs to be enrolled in a participating service (partner provider). The free preschool time is then delivered as part of the day.
If your child needs to spend more time at the service, you only pay for those extra hours. You can reduce this cost if you are eligible for the Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy.
A degree-qualified early childhood teacher will usually deliver the 300 hours of preschool, depending on workforce shortages.
For more details, download the program delivery factsheet for parents [PDF 575 KB].
Check if you can get access
To access the free program, your child must:
- be three years old on or before 30 April
- live in the ACT
- be enrolled in a participating service.
You cannot access the free program if your child:
- holds a temporary visa under the Commonwealth Migration Act 1958, section 30(2)
- is already accessing the targeted 3-year-old initiative or 4-year-old preschool. If your child is accessing the targeted 3-year-old initiative, you can choose to access the free three-year-old program instead. You can't do both.
You can only access the free preschool program at one early childhood education and care service. You cannot enrol at multiple services.
If your child is turning 4 during the year, they can access the free three-year-old preschool program that year unless:
- they will attend 4-year-old preschool that same year
- you will be enrolling them in kindergarten the following year.
How to get access
Find a partner provider
The free program is delivered through participating early childhood education and care services. We refer to these as partner providers, or partnering services, as they partner with the ACT Government to deliver the program.
Explore the list of partner providers for free three-year-old preschool.
This program is not offered in ACT public preschools, which only provide preschool for children aged at least 4 years old. If the service your child currently attends is not a partner provider, talk to the centre director about your options.
Contact the partner provider
Contact the partner provider directly to enquire about accessing the free preschool program.
Your child must be enrolled at the service before you can access the program. If your child is not already enrolled, you need to do this first. The partner provider will tell you their enrolment process and if they have places available.
Your child can start the program at any time in the calendar year, as long as they have turned three on or before 30 April.
The free program is delivered during a single calendar year for up to 300 hours. These hours do not carry over to the following calendar year. For example, if your child starts free three-year-old preschool in 2025 and only uses 100 hours, you cannot use the other 200 hours in 2026.
About the free preschool funding
We pay the partner provider directly for the free program.
We do not make any payments to families.
Free preschool funding is passed on to families in the form of reduced fees. The service may refer to reduced fees, or fee relief, in their invoice. They will let you know when the fee relief has commenced.
Fee relief only applies to the 300 hours of free preschool. You will need to pay for any additional hours that your child attends the service.
Free three-year-old preschool is an ACT Government investment and a key initiative under the Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT.
Benefits of preschool
Three-year-old preschool is a quality play-based learning program. It is a powerful way to support your child's learning, wellbeing and development.
Through play, children develop social, language and physical skills. These critical skills help set them up for life.
Children who take part in quality, play-based early learning programs are more likely to:
- make a successful transition to school
- stay longer in school
- continue to further education
- fully participate in employment and community life as adults.
The three-year-old preschool program is aligned to the national Early Years Learning Framework.
Contact us
For more information, contact the partner provider directly or our three-year-old preschool team.
Email
three-year-oldpreschool@act.gov.au
Call
02 6207 4681