Y Kinders

Pre-Prep

Yes. Y Kinders has signed up to the Free Kinder program with the State Government, which means there are no fees to attend our kindergartens.

The educational program provided by the Early Childhood Teacher will continue as it has been delivered previously. The only difference in Pre-Prep is the number of hours that are provided.

Yes. We understand that family routines and needs may impact the time that you arrive at the service, or wish to collect your child. The times our sessions operate are the earliest arrival time and latest leaving time available. If you need to make arrangements to arrive later, or leave earlier, please speak with your child’s teacher to determine the best approach.

Yes, you can. You may wish to attend fewer days or shorter hours when your child first attends kindergarten, especially if they haven’t been in a care environment before. Speak with your child’s teacher during Orientation to determine the best schedule for your child.

For children attending a 4-day program, it may seem like a long time to be in kindergarten.

Our experience is that children will respond well and quickly if you have a consistent routine established. They may be tired at the end of the day or the end of the week when they first start attending, but they will soon adapt with the right support. Many children are already attending early education settings for more hours than kindergarten.

Our educators will also adapt their program to provide your child with the best educational experience, including opportunities to self-regulate if they need some quiet time, or encourage them to undertake restful or mindfulness activities.

Yes. Children will have opportunities to rest and relax across the course of the day. If you would like your child to have a designated rest period, please speak with your child’s teacher to understand how this will work in your service.

There’s a lot that happens in one day at kindergarten, so it’s likely your child will get tired! However, our educators plan experiences around the children’s energy levels, and will ensure they continue to benefit across the course of the day, even as their energy fluctuates. 

Opportunities for rest, mindfulness and other forms of relaxation are available, and educators will monitor and encourage children to rest if they are demonstrating signs of tiredness.

No. Unlike school, children are not required to attend all 30 hours. We encourage you to talk with your teacher about the best arrangements for your child at the service you have selected, to help provide a consistent and supported approach to your child’s time at kindergarten.

Our educators work closely with parents and children to identify any additional supports that may be required. Where your child has known needs prior to attending, please ensure this is included on your enrolment information, so the teacher can take steps as early as possible to provide the right level of support.

Some children speak more than one language in the home, and English may not be their first language.  Our educators are skilled at working with both the family and individual children to ensure they feel safe and supported while at kindergarten. If you feel your child may need additional support when first starting to help feel settled, please let the educators know.

Food is not provided at our Pre-Prep sessions. Depending on the times of the session, families should send appropriate snacks and food for their child, to ensure they have sustenance to enjoy their time at kinder. The kindergarten and teacher will provide more information at Orientation.

Food in lunchboxes should be able to be kept cool through the use of iceblocks and cool packs. During warmer weather, an option can be to freeze foods like fruit, which will not only be fun to eat, but will also help in maintain a safe temperature in their lunchbox.

While we can support some food cooling or warming, we encourage lunch box selections to be foods that can be safely stored at room temperature, as this supports your child’s self-help skills and sense of agency.

Play based learning has been proven to help support children in their social and emotional development, agency and cognitive elements. The ability to share the learning space with a group of other children is key to a strong start in primary school. Our educators use existing knowledge and preferences of children to create an individual learning experience that will support your child as they undertake their initial educational experiences.

It is also key to acknowledge the learning that occurs within the kindergarten experience for its own merits – if you view kindergarten as only a pathway to school, you will miss many of the accomplishments your child achieves across the course of the year.

Absolutely. You can gain information across the course of the term through the program that is displayed at the service, and information that is shared either through the on-site Day Book, or via StoryPark (depending on the platform the teacher is using). Educators will also pass along key information during pick up and drop off times.

If you would like to have a specific conversation with your teacher about your child’s development, we encourage you to make a time to meet with the teacher, to ensure they are able to have this conversation privately and without interruption.

You do not need to complete the enrolment form again, but you will need to complete the registration form to ensure we know that you want to continue at your current service. For 2025, that form can completed using this link