Enrolment Process and Key Dates

Baw Baw Shire provides families a kindergarten application service via an online system.

The Central Registration and Enrolment Scheme (CRES) provides a single point of contact for Baw Baw Shire families to apply for multiple funded kindergarten services.

The Scheme ensures that the process is simple, consistent, inclusive and equitable for both three-year-old and four-year-old kindergarten programs.

Applications are free and no documents are required to complete the application form, this information will be collected by your allocated kindergarten.

Once you have received your offer, you have two weeks to respond.

Respond to your offer by clicking on the link in the email and selecting your response.

You can choose to:

• Accept: Accept the kindergarten offer. Families will be connected with their kindergarten provider to begin the enrolment process

• Accept and waitlist: Accept the offered kindergarten place but be put on a waitlist for a higher preference. Families will be connected with their kindergarten provider to begin the enrolment process. 

• Defer: Accept the offer but choose to defer. You will not automatically be given a place in the following year; however, you will be given priority for your place. You will need to complete another application form the following year.
•  Decline and waitlist: Decline the offered kindergarten place and be put on a waitlist for a higher preference. Please note this is at the risk of no places becoming available.
• Withdraw: Decline the offered kindergarten offer and withdraw from Baw Baw Shire CRES service.

Council does not operate or manage any of the kindergartens in Baw Baw Shire.

They are operated by an Early Years Manager in accordance with the State Government’s Early Years Management policy framework.

In instances where new facilities are to be established, Council will maintain its current partnership approach and adhere to its procurement policy when tendering these sites.

As of 2024, Council supports 13 kindergartens to be managed and operated by a number of different Early Years partners.

Current EYM partners include:

• Y Kinders

Website: Kindergartens : Y Kinders

 Service Policies: Children Services Website

• BestChance Child and Family Services

 Website: Early Childhood Education and Care

Service Policies: Access Our Policies & Publications

• Uniting Vic Tas

Website: Kindergarten in Melbourne & Regional Victoria

Service Policies: Child Safety at Uniting

• Yarragon Primary School Board

Website: Early Learning Centre

Service Policies: Policies

The National Quality Framework and Standards aim to improve education and care for early childhood services (long day care, family day care, kindergarten and out of school care).

The National Quality Framework (NQF) focuses on providing consistent and quality regulations, assessment and improvements. The National Quality Standards (NQS) outline the high national benchmark for quality education and care services.

The NQS addresses the following 7 quality areas that are vital for children’s education:

1. Educational program and practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationships with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership.

For more information, please visit ACECQA.

• Children are required to start school by the time they turn six;
• To work out the year your child starts kindergarten, you need to work back from the year your child will start school;
• Children are funded for two years of kindergarten;
• Children will not be able to withdraw and recommence in a state funded place once they start their kindergarten year;
• A second year of funding can still be applied for if a child has significant developmental delays in two or more areas. However, a child who starts 3- year-old kindergarten when they are too young may not be eligible to repeat 4-year-old kindergarten;
• If your child is born between January to April 30 you may choose to defer sending them until the following year. For example: if your child was born on April 1 2022 you may choose to have them attend three-year-old kindergarten in 2026 (when they turn 4), instead of 2025.

Contact the Kindergarten Enrolment Officer on 5624 2540 for further information about deferral.

• Children will be eligible for between 5 and 15 hours of funded kindergarten per week;
• Children must be three years of age before attending a pre-kindergarten program. Children turning three after the commencement of Term One can apply. A place will be allocated to children that turn three from February to April, however they will not be able to start kindergarten until they have turned three. Therefore, some children might not start until part-way into Term 1 and will have less time overall at kindergarten compared to their peers. If your child is born between January to April 30 you may choose to defer sending them until the following year;
• When your child starts 3-year-old-kindergarten, they are expected to attend 4-year-old kindergarten the following year and prep the year after that.

For more information access the Kinder Age Calculator or contact the Kindergarten Enrolment Officer.

• 15 hours of funded 4-year old kindergarten will be offered prior to school entry (children that meet the Department of Education’s Priority of Access criteria will be eligible for 16 hours of funded Kindergarten from 2026);
• Children must be at least 4-years-old by 30 April in the year they are enrolled to attend kindergarten;
• A child can commence 4-year-old kindergarten at the beginning of term even if they have not yet turned four.

For more information access the Kinder Age Calculator or contact the Kindergarten Enrolment Officer.

The Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service offers supplementary assistance to kindergartens to support the inclusion of a child with additional needs into the program.

Applications are made by the Kindergarten Teacher in consultation with parents, early childhood intervention agencies and Preschool Field Officers.

Applications are made in the year prior to the child starting kindergarten and strict criteria exist for an application to be made.

Please speak to the Preschool Field Officer on 5624 2540 for further information on funding availability to children with additional needs.

For further information, visit the Preschool Field Office webpage.

Early Start Kindergarten allows eligible three-year-old children to access a kinder program for up to 15 hours per week for free or low cost.

To be eligible for Early Start Kindergarten, your child must be three years old by 30 April in the year that they attend kindergarten; and

• be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; or
• your family has had contact with Child Protection (or been referred by them to Child FIRST/Orange Door) or;
• Child/Parent have Refugee or Asylum Seeker status.

As part of the Best Start, Best Life reforms, the Victorian government is rolling out free funded kindergarten for all 3-year-olds, however during this process there is no changes to Early Start Kindergarten.

The Department of Education developed the Priority of Access to ensure the most vulnerable children have access to kindergarten.

Priority of access will be given to applications for a kindergarten program participating in CRES in the following circumstances:

After high priority children have been allocated, children who meet the Baw Baw Shire’s local access criteria will be given priority.

For more information about Baw Baw Shire’s kindergarten allocation process, please refer to CRES Policy.

Kindergarten allocations work differently to primary school, in that kindergartens are not zoned to particular areas.

Points are not awarded depending on the distance you live from the kindergarten.

Our kindergartens are not feeder services for primary schools.

If your child attends a kindergarten on a primary school site, this does not mean that they will get into the primary school the following year.

This is the same for if your child attends the primary school, it does not mean that your child’s sibling will be given priority for a place at the kindergarten on site.

Although attending a 3-year-old Kindergarten on the same site as your preferred 4-year-old Kindergarten will not automatically guarantee your child a place due to the Department of Education’s Priority of Access criteria, your child will receive additional points for attending a 3-year-old program on the same site as your first preference.

Council is unable to advise you of where your child is currently sitting on the wait list.

A child’s position on the wait list is constantly changing, depending upon factors such as new registrations, whether other families accept places or whether they choose to cancel and go back on the wait list.

In the instance where two or more children have the same points value, the Central Registration System will allocate places randomly.

This is false!

Council encourages families to provide details of any diagnosed additional needs or medical requirements on the kindergarten registration form.

By having this information as early as possible, Council Service Providers will be able to work with your family to ensure a supportive transition to kindergarten. The Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS) offers supplementary assistance to kindergartens to support the inclusion of children with additional needs in the kindergarten program.

Applications are made by the Kindergarten Educator in consultation with parents/guardians, Early Childhood Intervention Agencies and Preschool Field Officers.

Additional priority points are awarded to those children that have additional needs.

For further information, please contact our Kindergarten Enrolment Officer on: 5624 2540 or by emailing kinder@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au.

To make changes to your kindergarten enrolment preferences, please contact our Kindergarten Enrolment Officer by phoning: 5624 2540 or emailing kinder@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au.

No Jab No Play – The Victorian Government Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 mandates childhood education and care services cannot confirm enrolment of a child unless there is documentation showing the child:

• Is fully vaccinated;
• Is on a recognised catch-up schedule;
• Has a medical reason not to be vaccinated − Conscientious objection to vaccination is not an exemption.

First round offers will prioritise residents of Baw Baw Shire or children who reside outside of Baw Baw whose closest service is located within Baw Baw Shire.

Non-residents of Baw Baw Shire that have a closer kindergarten service in another LGA will be eligible for second round offers.

However, if a non-resident qualifies as Priority of Access, as per Department of Education guidelines, they will be included in first round offers.

Your child does not need to be toilet trained to attend 3-year-old kinder.

Kindergarten services will assist all children with their toileting needs when and where required.

Some independently managed sessional kindergartens may choose not to participate in Free Kinder. These service providers will set their own fees and structures.

Free kinder is offered for up to 15-hours of kindergarten. If services offer additional hours on top of the free 15-hour program, services may charge for the additional hours.

A kindergarten program within a childcare setting may also have associated fees, however you may be eligible for up to $2,050 kindergarten fee subsidy.

For more information about fees within a childcare setting, please contact the provider directly.

To apply for kindergarten, you do not need to provide your child’s immunisation certificate. However, to attend three and four-year-old kindergarten your child will need to be up to date with all vaccinations that are due for their age.

Once your child is allocated a kindergarten session, your child’s kindergarten provider will request proof of immunisation (Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register is available on your Medicare online account through myGov or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app).

The Victorian Government introduced ‘No Jab No Play’ to help protect children from serious and possibly life-threating illnesses. For more information, please visit No Jab No Play - Better Health Channel.

The conversations about when a child is ready for kindergarten and also when a child is ready for school need to take place before the child begins their funded kindergarten year. You may prefer to wait until your child is a bit older before sending them to kindergarten.

Your decision is critical with long reaching implications for your child. Areas to consider when thinking about sending your child to kindergarten include emotional maturity and social confidence.

Questions to ask yourself in considering readiness:

• Can they separate easily from me?
• Can they be understood by other people?
• Can they express their needs clearly?
• Do they have the stamina to attend and enjoy a full kindergarten session?

Speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse, Kindergarten Teacher, Child Care Educator or Pre-School Field Officer if you are unsure of your child’s readiness.

Additionally, you may consider contacting your child’s intended Primary School to discuss their policy and practice regarding the enrolment of young children.

For more information about Kindergartens, visit the Department of Education and Training website.

The table below shows the earliest a child can attend school and kindergarten, or by following the link to the "starting age calculator".

Baw Baw Shire Council has developed a kindergarten application policy that:

• Promotes fair and equitable access to kindergarten programs
• Adheres to the State Government’s Priority of Access criteria
• Supports all eligible children to access a kindergarten program, including those who face barriers to participation.

A points-based weighting system is used to allocate kindergarten places based on the Department of Education Priority of Access Criteria and then our local Baw Baw Shire Council criteria weight is also given to applications received prior to the first-round closing date of June 30.

Where two or more children have the same points value and same preference, the Central Registration System randomly allocates places. Three and four-year-old kindergarten places are allocated separately (4-yearolds in August and 3-year-olds in September).

We always try to ensure children are at the same service for both 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten, however due to the Priority of Access requirements this cannot be guaranteed.

For more information about Baw Baw Shire’s kindergarten allocation process, please refer to CRES Policy.