How valuable is 3yo kinder??

[Pandora]

Willow, what do you have preschool, kinder, grade 1?
In Vic preschool and kinder are used interchangebly for early learning before kids start at school.

In Vic, school starts at Prep, and kids have to either be 5 (min) or turn 5 by 30th April in the year they start. Then grade 1 next, etc

The immediate year preceding prep is 4yo kinder which is govt subsidised, but still costs depending on your council area and how many hours/week the program runs. In my area its 10-14 hours a week, and about $600-$900 a year.

The year before that you can do optional 3yo kinder, but I thought that was all run at
only private centres?

As DS goes to childcare I'm not sure about 3yo kinder. I think his centre has 4yo kinder but if I can work around it I want him to go to proper kindergarten as its a lot more hours a week.

[Tracey]

No, Ray, there's a council run 3yo kinder just 5 mins away from me, so not all private??

[Rouge]

Ditto what Tracey said, council's run 3 y.o. here too.

*hugs*
Cailin

[Pandora]

ok thanks. We don't have any council run 3yo kinders in our area. I might have to follow that up soon since I'm in my assertive, psyched up mood ATM.

[Rouge]

In victoria it is yes... and I should clarify too the Council run Kinder I meant isn't actually in my area its more inner city but I do know they exist

*hugs*
Cailin

[~Raven~]

Ours is council run. Perhaps look for one that also has the mchn in the same building as an indicator if it's private or council run.

[Tracey]

Yep ours is across from Maddy's School, it's MCHN, 3yo kinder, 4yo kinder all in the 1 block of buildings, they also run palygroups at the centre too...

[Rouge]

OH hang on I think there's one of them up near the MCHN LMAO I'm a dill!

The one I was thinking of inner city is also part of the MCHN.

*hugs*
Cailin

[Willow]

Ray - here in NSW kids start primary school when they are about 4.5 or 5 yrs (there are different cut offs for starting age but I think they vary from public to private schools slightly). Before that you can choose whether or not they go to day care or what we call preschool (which is for learning before they start school and they start this at 3 years). Some day care centres run 'preschool programs' so it's preschool within a day care facility. I want our DD to go to one that is just for preschoolers (so no kids younger than 3). she would then continue preschool when she was 4 and then start Kinder the next year when she's 5 - well that's the plan anyway!

Our primary school starts Kinder, then year 1, 2, etc etc. I know it's very different in other states. My sister is in Perth for example and they do things very differently.

[kidscatsnbunnies]

Im in Victoria and my son went to 3 year old kinder, he loved it. he made some good friends and is now in 4 year old kinder with the same kids and a few are going to his school next year. I think its great and gets them used to interacting with other children, being in care of other adults and following rules and routine.

3 year old kinder is not compulsory and unfortunately you dont get a government discount like you do for 4 year old kinder.. BUT now if you hold a Concession/Health care card you dont have to pay kinder fees for 4year old kinder.. so if you think about this... you pay a higher amount per term for 3 year old kinder then when you get to 4yr old kinder you dont have to pay anything... (as long as you have a concession card)

[barbie-up]

My Cait went to 3yo kinda - it was $90 a term for one 2.5 hour session a week. It was the first time she had been away from me and home, so I was more than happy for her to go. You would pay $10 a week for some sort of activity session, so it wasn't expensive.

Rachel, for the 3yo kinda near us, you have to enrol 12 months ahead as it is so popular ! so get onto it.

It was run in the same facilities as the 4yo kinda, but the committee actually 'ran' it - paid all fees, super contributions, bills etc - no money at all from the council, apart from a small donation.