Kinder, preschool or early learning centre? What Hoppers Crossing families need to know
Kinder in Victoria is a funded learning program for three and four year olds in the two years before school, planned and taught by a qualified early childhood teacher. Families in Hoppers Crossing can do kinder in two places. One is a sessional kinder that runs set sessions during school terms. The other is an early learning centre with an approved kinder program, where kinder runs inside a full day. Free Kinder applies in both. Lili's Early Learning Centre on Sayers Road delivers Free Kinder in Hoppers Crossing for families from Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina, Werribee and Wyndham Vale.
Is preschool the same as kinder in Victoria?
Yes. "Preschool" isn't an official program name in Victoria, and most parents who use it mean kinder. The confusion usually comes from New South Wales, where the names are swapped around. In Victoria, kinder (or kindergarten) always means the years before Prep.
| Term | In Victoria | In New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Kinder or kindergarten | The funded program for three and four year olds before school | The first year of primary school |
| Preschool | An everyday word for kinder, not an official program name | The program in the year or two before school |
| First year of school | Prep | Kindergarten |
Who can start kinder in 2027?
Wyndham City uses the same start dates for council kinder registrations. If your child's birthday falls between January and April, you can choose which year they start, and our kinder readiness checklist can help you decide.
| Program | Your child can start in 2027 if they turn |
|---|---|
| Three year old kinder | Three by 30 April 2027 |
| Four year old kinder | Four by 30 April 2027 |
Sessional kinder or kinder at an early learning centre
Sessional kinders run fixed sessions on set days, usually across school terms only, with no care before or after. At an early learning centre, the same funded kinder program happens within the centre's normal day. Your child does their kinder hours with a qualified teacher, then stays on for the rest of the day at the same centre. You can read how each year differs on our three and four year old kinder page.
| Comparison | Sessional kinder | Kinder at Lili's |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | Three and four year olds | Kinder for three and four year olds, with rooms for children from six weeks to school age |
| Hours | Set sessions on set days, decided by the kinder | Kinder from 9am to 5pm, within a day that runs 7am to 6:30pm |
| School holidays | Closed, school terms only | Open, Monday to Friday through the holidays |
| Groups | Varies by kinder, some combine three and four year olds | Separate groups for three year olds and four year olds |
| Teacher | Qualified early childhood teacher | Bachelor qualified early childhood teacher |
| Care around kinder | Families arrange care before and after sessions | One drop off and one pick up, at the same centre |
| Suits | Families who only need school hours in term time | Families who need care that fits around work |
How Free Kinder works
Free Kinder is available at participating services across Victoria, whether that's a sessional kinder or an early learning centre. It can only be claimed at one service at a time.
Free Kinder covers up to 15 hours a week of kinder. Four year old kinder is 15 hours, and three year old kinder is between 5 and 15 hours.
At an early learning centre, the Free Kinder offset is up to $2,101 a year for 15 hours of kinder.
The funding rules take some working out, so if you'd like to know what your family would pay, our team can walk you through it. Call us on 03 8580 7112.
Registering for kinder in Wyndham
Wyndham City runs a central registration scheme for council kinders and partner sessional kinders. Here's how it worked for 2027.
Registrations openRegistrations for 2027 kinder opened in March 2026.
First round offersFamilies who registered by the end of May were included in the first round of offers.
Places allocatedPlaces follow priority of access guidelines and local criteria, such as siblings at the same kinder, so first preferences aren't guaranteed.
The council's kinder registration page has the details, plus a free interpreting service on 1300 370 567.
Kinder programs at early learning centres are enrolled with the centre directly. If you missed the council registration window, or you'd prefer kinder that fits around work, you can contact Lili's any time to ask about places.
How kinder gets children ready for school
Kinder is where children practise the things Prep teachers notice in the first weeks. They learn to follow a short routine, take turns, ask for help, look after their own belongings and stick with a task they find tricky. Early literacy and numeracy come through play, in counting games, stories, drawing and building, rather than worksheets.
Friendships matter just as much. Children who've learned to join a game and sort out a disagreement walk into school with more confidence, and our post on how children make friends at kinder has ideas for supporting that at home.
At Lili's, kinder is led by a bachelor qualified early childhood teacher, and each year has its own focus.
Three year old kinder
Children spend the year getting comfortable in a group. Early literacy and numeracy are woven through songs, stories and games, alongside gardening and cooking.
Four year old kinder
The focus moves to school routines, such as following instructions with several steps, managing their own belongings and working in a group.
Four year olds also have sports sessions with visiting coaches, excursions and incursions with community groups. Across both years, children celebrate cultural days like Harmony Day and Holi, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives part of everyday learning. Our curriculum draws on Montessori and Reggio Emilia ideas and links to the Early Years Learning Framework.
Four year old kinder is gradually growing to 30 hours a week through a program called Pre-Prep. Under the Best Start, Best Life reforms, Greater Melbourne is scheduled to start Pre-Prep in 2034 at 16 to 20 hours a week, with children across Victoria able to access up to 30 hours from 2036.
Questions worth asking on a kinder tour
When you visit a kinder, ask whether it's approved to deliver funded three and four year old kinder and who teaches the program. Ask how Free Kinder appears on your invoice, and whether they can show you an example fee with the Free Kinder offset applied. It's also worth asking how teachers share what your child is learning, and what a typical kinder day looks like from drop off to pick up.
Our guide to questions to ask when choosing a centre covers the rest.
Come and see the kinder rooms
Meet our educators and see a kinder day at Lili's, or call us on 03 8580 7112.
Book a kinder tourFrequently Asked Questions
-
Yes. Preschool isn’t an official program name in Victoria. Most families who say preschool mean kinder, the funded program for three and four year olds before school.
-
Yes, at participating centres. Free Kinder applies at both sessional kinders and early learning centres with an approved kinder program. Lili’s in Hoppers Crossing is a Victorian Government approved kinder.
-
For 2027, children can start three year old kinder if they turn three by 30 April 2027, and four year old kinder if they turn four by 30 April 2027.
-
Only for council and partner sessional kinders on Wyndham’s central registration scheme. Kinder programs at early learning centres such as Lili’s are enrolled with the centre directly.
-
At an early learning centre, yes. Free Kinder comes off your fees as an offset, and the Child Care Subsidy can apply to the rest of your child’s day, depending on your eligibility.
-
Free Kinder can only be claimed at one service at a time, so most families choose one kinder for the year.