Which states fund free kindy / preschool?

All 8 states and territories. NSW (Start Strong), VIC (Free Kinder), QLD (Free Kindy / QKFS), SA, WA, TAS, ACT, NT each fund a year of free or heavily-subsidised preschool for 4-year-olds. NSW and VIC also fund 3-year-old preschool. The hours, eligibility cut-offs, and how the funding interacts with childcare differ by state.

Does state kindy funding stack with the Child Care Subsidy?

Depends on the program. VIC Free Kinder and NSW Start Strong (both for 4-year-olds and 3-year-olds where eligible) work alongside CCS — the state offset reduces your out-of-pocket fee, and CCS then applies to what's left. QLD Free Kindy is a standalone program at approved providers; CCS doesn't double-up. Always check with your specific centre whether they're claiming state funding for your child.

When can my child start kindy / preschool?

Varies by state. NSW Start Strong covers ages 3 and 4. VIC Free Kinder covers 3 and 4. QLD Free Kindy is for the year before school (typically 4-turning-5). Other states focus on the year before school. Eligibility cut-off dates differ — NSW uses "age 4 on or before 31 July of the year"; check your state's specific rule.

How much is the funding worth per child per year?

For 2026, VIC Free Kinder offsets roughly $2,101/year against LDC fees for 4-year-olds. NSW Start Strong is around $1,783 for 4-year-olds and $423 for 3-year-olds at standard rates (higher amounts at Higher-Rate eligible families). QLD Free Kindy is provider-funded so it shows up as reduced fees rather than a dollar figure. Other states vary.

Do I need to apply separately for state kindy funding?

Usually not. The funding is administered through approved kindy / preschool / LDC providers — you enrol your child, the centre claims the state funding, and your fee reduces accordingly. NSW Start Strong, VIC Free Kinder, and QLD Free Kindy all work this way. Smaller schemes (sport vouchers, child dental) typically need a family-side application via the state's portal.

What if my centre says they're not part of the state program?

Some centres opt out (especially private LDCs in QLD that haven't joined Free Kindy). You're not entitled to the offset at those centres — your fees stay full. If state funding matters financially, ask up front before enrolling whether the centre claims your state's preschool program for your child. Some areas have wait lists at participating centres.

State kindy and preschool funding — what each Australian state gives your family

Every Australian state funds free preschool or kindergarten for 4-year-olds. NSW and VIC also fund 3-year-olds. The program names, funding levels, eligibility cut-off dates, and whether the funding stacks with CCS all differ — NSW Start Strong, QLD Free Kindy, VIC Free Kinder, and the equivalents in SA / WA / TAS / ACT / NT.

Every Australian state and territory funds free preschool or kindergarten for 4-year-olds — but only NSW and VIC also fund 3-year-olds in any meaningful way. Program names, funding levels, eligibility cut-off dates, and whether the funding is paid against private long-day-care fees (it stacks with CCS) or delivered through the public school system (no CCS interaction) all differ. NSW Start Strong, QLD Free Kindy, and VIC Free Kinder are the three programs where there's a real per-family dollar amount to calculate. SA, WA, TAS, ACT, and NT deliver preschool through public schools, so it's free but there's nothing to "calculate" — your child attends, full stop. This guide gives you the headline for each state plus the practical question: does it stack with CCS, or is it separate?

NestWise's State Kindy Calculator implements NSW + QLD + VIC in detail (the three states with the largest user base + most predictable funding). For the other states, we link directly to the relevant Government program — those programs change frequently and we'd rather link than risk a stale figure.

NSW — Start Strong (kindergarten in long day care)

NSW's Start Strong for Families program funds 15 hours per week of kindergarten programming in long day care centres for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds. The funding is paid to the centre, who reduces your fee. It runs alongside Child Care Subsidy — they stack.

Eligibility: 3 or 4 years old by 31 July of the calendar year, attending an approved NSW long day care service running a registered Start Strong program.
Effect on fees: the centre reduces your daily fee by a published per-day amount before CCS is applied. Net result: significant out-of-pocket savings on kindy-eligible sessions.
Source: education.nsw.gov.au — Start Strong for Families
NestWise: Kindy calculator models NSW's per-day funding alongside your CCS percentage so you see your true out-of-pocket.

QLD — Free Kindy

Queensland's Free Kindy program (from 1 January 2024) funds 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year of kindergarten for all eligible 4-year-olds. The Government pays for the kindy programming directly — most families pay nothing for those funded hours.

Eligibility: 4 years old by 30 June of the kindergarten year, attending an approved kindergarten or long day care service running a registered kindergarten program.
Effect on fees: the centre receives the funding from the Government; you pay $0 for the funded 15 hours/week. Any additional hours beyond the funded program are charged at the centre's normal rate (where CCS applies).
Source: earlychildhood.qld.gov.au — Free Kindy
NestWise: Kindy calculator models QLD Free Kindy and shows your net out-of-pocket after both the kindy funding AND your CCS percentage are applied.

VIC — Free Kinder

Victoria's Free Kinder program funds 5 to 15 hours per week of kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds (the amount depends on the child's age and the service type). It runs alongside CCS in long day care settings.

Eligibility: 3 or 4 years old by 30 April of the kinder year, attending an approved Victorian kindergarten or long day care service.
3-year-olds: 5 hours/week (rising to 15 hours by 2029 under a phased rollout).
4-year-olds: 15 hours/week.
Effect on fees: Government pays the kinder programming costs; you pay $0 for funded hours. Long day care providers charge for non-kinder hours where CCS applies.
Source: vic.gov.au — Free Kinder
NestWise: Kindy calculator models VIC Free Kinder.

SA — Preschool

South Australia funds 15 hours per week of preschool for 4-year-olds, primarily through Government preschools (attached to public schools). Long day care services delivering equivalent programs may also be eligible.

Eligibility: 4 years old by 1 May of the preschool year, attending a Government preschool or eligible long day care service.
Effect on fees: Government preschool is free. Long day care services charging fees apply CCS to those fees as normal.
Practical note: SA preschool is generally separate from long day care — most families using long day care don't access SA's free preschool funding because the two streams don't overlap heavily.
Source: SA Department for Education — preschool information

WA — Kindergarten

WA's Kindergarten program is free for all eligible children the year before pre-primary (the year before Year 1). It's delivered through Government schools (and a small number of approved non-Government schools).

Eligibility: child turns 4 by 30 June of the kindergarten year, enrolled in a Government school kindergarten or approved non-Government school program.
Effect on fees: Free.
Practical note: WA's program is school-based, not long-day-care-based. Families needing care outside school hours pay for long day care or OSHC separately (where CCS applies).
Source: education.wa.edu.au

TAS — Kindergarten

Tasmania's Kindergarten program is free in Government schools for children turning 4 by 1 January of the kindergarten year. The program runs 15 hours per week for 40 weeks.

Eligibility: child turns 4 by 1 January of the kindergarten year, enrolled in a Government school kindergarten program.
Effect on fees: Free.
Source: Tasmanian Department for Education — Kindergarten information

ACT — Preschool

The ACT funds 15 hours per week of preschool for children turning 4 by 30 April of the preschool year, delivered through Government schools.

Eligibility: child turns 4 by 30 April of the preschool year, enrolled in an ACT Government school preschool.
Effect on fees: Free.
Source: ACT Education — preschool information

NT — Preschool

The NT funds 15 hours per week of preschool for children turning 4 by 30 June of the preschool year. The NT also offers programs for younger children (3-year-old kindergarten in some communities, and the Families as First Teachers (FaFT) program).

Eligibility: child turns 4 by 30 June of the preschool year, enrolled in an NT Government school preschool.
Effect on fees: Free.
Source: education.nt.gov.au — early childhood services

The two big interactions to understand

1. Does it stack with CCS, or replace it?

It depends on the program type:

Long-day-care–delivered kindy (NSW Start Strong, QLD Free Kindy in LDC, VIC Free Kinder in LDC): the state funding reduces your fee BEFORE CCS is applied. CCS then runs on the reduced fee. Both stack.
School-based preschool / kindergarten (WA, TAS, ACT, NT, SA Government preschools): standalone, free, no CCS interaction. Out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) is separate and uses CCS.

2. What about ages 0–3 and 5+?

State funding programs almost always target 3- and 4-year-olds (the kindergarten year before school). For:

0–2 year olds: no state funding; standard CCS applies to long day care.
5+ year olds (school-age): state schooling is free; OSHC fees use CCS at the school-age cap.

The three gotchas

1. The "must turn N by [date]" age rule trips families up. Each state uses a different cut-off date (30 April, 30 June, 31 July, 1 January). If your child's birthday falls after the cut-off, they wait a full year for the funded place — even if they're nearly the right age.

2. Funded hours don't replace your whole care need. 15 hours/week of kindy programming doesn't cover a full-time-work week of care. Most families combine kindy hours with paid (CCS-subsidised) hours for the rest of the time their child is in care.

3. State rules change frequently. State governments revise kindy/preschool funding regularly (new budgets, policy changes, expansion programs). NestWise's calculator covers NSW + QLD + VIC in detail and links to the official Government program for the others — we'd rather link than risk a stale figure.

How NestWise calculates state kindy

The State Kindy Calculator implements NSW Start Strong, QLD Free Kindy, and VIC Free Kinder in full — applying the kindy funding before CCS, then applying CCS to the reduced fee, then showing your true out-of-pocket. For SA, WA, TAS, ACT, NT we link to the relevant Government program.

The full source list is on the sources page.