Working with the Willaura community to ensure Pre-Prep access

August 22, 2024 Pre-Prep

Willaura Kindergarten is part of the Pre-Prep roll-out coming to Ararat Rural City Council in 2025. The Best Start, Best Life Reforms will see 4-year-old children being able to access up to 30 hours of fully funded play-based learning in the year before school – now known as Pre-Prep.

Y Kinders is delighted to announce that after working closely with the small rural community in Willaura and the Department of Education, that a unique kindergarten model will be offered in the town in 2025. 

Next year, kindergarten will be provided for 2 days (15 hours) at Willaura, with eligible Pre-Prep children able to attend an additional 2 days (15 hours) at the neighbouring community of Lake Bolac. This ensures all local Pre-Prep children are able to access their full entitlement of 30 hours, the same as their counterparts in larger urban areas.

“Y Kinders operates in many small, rural townships across Victoria,” said Y Kinders’ Executive Manager, Children’s Services, Vicki Dobson. “We understand how critical this service is for the community – not just to ensure the children have access a quality education, but to help keep these towns alive. These programs are a vital part of the community. Many parents talk about how they attended this kinder, and how they want their child to have that experience.”

There has been in-depth consultation with families in the area about Pre-Prep as part of the process. This has involved two surveys and multiple detailed sessions and conversations.

“Rolling out government reforms in the early education space is not always easy. Often these big decisions do not fit easily at a local level and require a lot of effort by the teams on the ground to bring everything together,” Ms Dobson explained.

“We are really excited to be able to offer this option to the Willaura children – the Department of Education has really come to the table to ensure equitable access for all children in this region.”

To access this unique opportunity, families who have a child attending Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2025 in the Willaura area, are encouraged to enrol online at ykinders.org.au or contact the Y Kinders’ Enrolment team on 03 4311 1500.

Read more about Willaura Kindergarten here

More information about Pre-Prep is here.