Friday 4 April 2025

The Allan Labor Government is making sure thousands more children get a high-quality education at a local kindergarten with dozens of new or expanded services opening this year – creating more than 6,500 kinder places.

Member for Northern Victoria Jacyln Symes visited Yea Uniting Kindergarten to officially open the service – one of 65 new or expanded services across the state welcoming children in 2025.

Yea Uniting Kindergarten has capacity for up to 59 kindergarten places for sessional kindergarten. This includes three-year-old and four-year-old kinder (pre-prep).  

Yea Uniting Kindergarten is one of 20 new kindergartens that has opened this year on government school sites, providing up to 2,575 new kinder places for Victorian children – and saving parents time by eliminating the dreaded double drop-off.

Pre-Prep has also arrived in the local government area of Murrindindi Shire Council – extending four-year-old kindergarten programs to up to 30 hours of play-based learning each week.

Free Kinder continues to save nearly families up to $2,627 in fees per child at sessional kindergartens and up to $2,101 per child at long day care centres.

The Labor Government is investing billions to build and expand hundreds of kindergartens across the state. It’s all part of our nation-leading $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, which are transforming early childhood education, saving families money and supporting parents and carers to return to work or study if they choose.

Quote attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“Families in Yea and the wider Murrindindi area deserve access to modern early learning facilities close to home. Our focus on education ensures local kinders are ready to meet the needs of growing communities, providing more places and better facilities.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn

“Our Best Start, Best Life reforms are delivering 65 kindergartens this year and thousands of kindergarten places right across the state – so more children and families can access a world-class kinder close to home.”