26 Feb 2024
More than 140 services are now offering free Three-year-old preschool to Canberra children.
Delivered through participating Early Childhood and Education Care (ECEC) services, the funding of more than $50 million over four years is the ACT Government’s biggest investment in Canberra’s early childhood education sector.
This investment will provide Canberra’s three-year-olds with up to 300 hours of free preschool per year delivered by a degree-qualified Early Childhood Teacher. This equates to about six hours per week, generating an average saving of $1329 per child for eligible families.
A quality early childhood education has lifelong benefits that helps children to develop social, communication, language, and physical skills. Children who participate in quality early learning programs are more likely to make a successful transition to school, stay longer in school, continue to further education and fully participate in employment and community life as adults.
Universal access to quality preschool is a key initiative under the ACT Government’s Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT.
Find a participating service and more information about the program at https://www.education.act.gov.au/early-childhood/free-three-year-old-preschool