One-hundred-and-thirty early childhood education and care services across Canberra will provide free preschool for three-year-olds next year.

The ACT Government announced in this year’s budget that it would provide more than $50 million over four years to provide 300 hours of free preschool (one day per week, or an average saving of $1,329 per child) to more than 5,000 children from the start of 2024. The government describes this as the biggest ever investment in the early childhood sector.

“This investment will increase preschool programs delivered through early childhood education and care centres by degree qualified early childhood teachers, giving Canberra’s children the groundwork for a lifetime of learning,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr and education minister Yvette Berry said.

The full list of early childhood education and care services providing free preschool for three-year-old preschools next year can be found online: https://www.education.act.gov.au/early-childhood/coming-soon-free-three-year-old-preschool. 

“The benefits to Canberrans are far more than just financial,” Mr Barr and Ms Berry said. “Child learning and development in the years before school are key determinants of future school achievement, social, emotional and health outcomes, and ultimately life opportunities.

“Equitable access to quality, play-based early learning is a powerful way to support children’s learning, wellbeing, and development, and has life-long benefits.”

Equitable access to early childhood education and care is a measure under Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT (2020). The Parliamentary & Governing Agreement committed to one day per week of early childhood education for three-year-olds.