At Grimshaw St Early Learning Centre (Grimshaw St ELC), we proudly offer Victorian State Government Approved ‘Free Kinder’ for 3 and 4-year-old children enrolled in our Integrated Long Day Care program, available 5 days a week.

As a registered Long Day Care provider offering both childcare and integrated Kindergarten, our 3 and 4-year-old rooms function as our Kinder Rooms, staffed by Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers. These educators deliver a rich, play-based program focused on social and emotional development, with a strong emphasis on school readiness.

To support each child’s learning journey, our curriculum includes engaging experiences in language, literacy, and numeracy, designed to encourage curiosity and exploration. Our teaching practices align with the National Early Years Learning and Development Framework (EYLDF).

Why Choose Grimshaw St ELC for 3 & 4-Year-Old Kinder?

• Flexible Hours: We’re open from 6:30am – 6:30pm, giving families flexibility to drop off and pick up at times that work best for them.

• Child Care Subsidy (CCS): Eligible families can access the Australian Government CCS, which helps reduce out-of-pocket fees for each day your child attends.

• Victorian ‘Free Kinder’ Funding: Families receive Kinder funding credits (up to $2,101 annually) from the Victorian Government to reduce your fees. These are applied to your account as they are received by our centre from the State Government Department of Education as part of the Free Kinder initiative

  • 3 Days/week (3 & 4 YO Kinder): $2,101.00 credit/year

  • 2 Days/week (3 YO Kinder only): $1,400.66 credit/year

  • 1 Day/week (3 YO Kinder only): $700.33 credit/year

• All-Inclusive Care: Each child receives five nutritious meals daily, along with nappies, wipes, bedding, and sunscreen — all included within the centre’s daily fee.

• Additional Programs Included: Children engage in a variety of enriching programs including our signature Playground to Plate® Food Garden Program, Art Classes, Cooking Classes, Yoga & Mindfulness sessions, Bush Kinder, Sport and Music Classes. Each program is guided by a thoughtfully designed curriculum and delivered to our children by qualified professionals. To further enhance children’s learning, excursions and incursions are thoughtfully planned to align with inquiry topics, extending children’s understanding through meaningful, real-world experiences both within the centre and out in the community.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why isn’t Kinder at Grimshaw St ELC completely free like it is at council-run kindergartens?
Grimshaw St ELC operates as a Long Day Care service, not a Sessional Kindergarten. As well as delivering a kinder program to enrolled children, our daily fee includes additional services not offered in sessional settings — such as extended care hours (6:30am–6:30pm), meals, nappies, wipes, sunscreen, linens and additional programs. Fee reductions are available through both (Federal Government) Childcare Subsidy (CCS) and (State Government) ‘Free Kinder’ credits.

2. How do ‘Funded Kinder’ hours work?

• 3-Year-Old Kinder: The Government requires a minimum of 5 hours attendance per week. At Grimshaw St ELC, this is delivered across at least 1 full day per week, spread throughout the day. This can extend up to 15 hours attendance per week, if a parent chooses to enrol their child for 3YO Kinder across three days per week (5 hours per day).

• 4-Year-Old Kinder: A minimum of 15 hours attendance per week is required. This is delivered over at least 3 days per week (5 hours per day).

Note: We do not offer two 7.5-hour sessions across two days due to staff scheduling requirements.

Important: State Government-funded ‘Free Kinder’ hours are separate from the Child Care Subsidy ‘hours per fortnight’ allocated by the Federal Government as part of a family’s CCS (Childcare Subsidy) Entitlements.

3. Can my child attend Grimshaw St ELC for childcare if they’re already enrolled in a sessional kinder elsewhere?
Yes, your child can attend Grimshaw St ELC in a childcare-only capacity, subject to availability. However, priority placement in our Kinder Rooms is given to children enrolled in our integrated Kinder program.

4. Can I split my child’s funded Kinder hours between Grimshaw St ELC and another provider?
No. Kinder funding can only be claimed from one provider during a Kinder year. You must nominate a single service to receive the state government subsidy/’Free Kinder’ credits.

If you have any more questions or would like to arrange a tour, feel free to call or email us. You can also book a tour here. We’d love to welcome your family to Grimshaw St ELC.

3YO Kindergarten at Grimshaw St ELC

4YO Kindergarten at Grimshaw St ELC