The Queensland government has committed to invest more than $1 billion into the ECEC sector from 2023 over a five year period.
The new kindergarten funding model aims to give every child a great start and further support families to enrol, making it more affordable and more accessible. This investment is the most significant funding reform for early childhood education and care in Queensland in a decade.
From 2023, kindergarten in Queensland will be free for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children at both community kindergarten and kindergarten in long day care services. The reform package will deliver significant funding so all children can attend kindy and experience those lifelong benefits.The new kindy funding will replace the Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme (QKFS). The new scheme focuses on affordability, improved access, inclusion and educational outcomes for Queensland children.
The funding reform aims to:
- improve educational outcomes
- increase participation and attendance of all children in Queensland
target funding to children who need it most - improve inclusiveness of services
- improve affordability by reducing fees for families
- help children reach their full potential when they are at kindergarten.
The new funding reform package is in response to the 2019 Deloitte Access Economics ‘Optimising outcomes for children: A review of early childhood education funding and arrangements in Queensland’. The Queensland Government is now implementing review findings to support Queensland families.