Families who would like to enrol their child at Civic Kindergarten must first submit a waitlist registration application – link available on the landing page of this website.

PRIOR TO submitting a Waitlist Registration Application, we recommend you:

• Learn about our programs and take a virtual tour with 360 degree views of our indoor and outdoor spaces available on this website.
• Review and contact us with any questions regarding the Age Eligibility Information
• View our Program Times & Term Dates.
• View our TERM FEES & ‘FREE KINDER’ FUNDING & REFUNDS menu for information on our fees and charges.
• Refer to the Policies section of this website for a copy of the Enrolment and Orientation Policy.

In order to be registered in the enrolment waitlist, you must provide all the below mandatory documentation.  Failure to provide any of the below current and up-to-date documentation will result in our inability to enter your child on our waitlist.

Mandatory Documentation:

• Completed Enrolment Application Form – see link on the landing page of this website
• Child’s birth certificate
• Current up to date Medicare Immunisation Certificate History (we must have the latest version as it is a legislative requirement)
• Proof of Residency in City of Port Phillip (ie. Front page of a utilities bill).
• Payment of a $50 non-refundable registration fee. Payable by PayID:  civic.kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au    . Please upload a copy of the receipt with the application.

ADDITIONAL information you may want to include; court orders, copies of concession card etc

Children are eligible to attend Civic Kindergarten’s three-year-old sessional kindergarten program when they have turned three years of age prior to 30th of April in the year they are attending.  Where a child turns three in the same year, their commencement date will be from their birthday (this applies to children whose birthday falls up to 30th April only).

It is very important that families carefully assess whether or not their child is confidently ready for the start of their kindergarten journey. Once a child starts 3-year-old sessional kindergarten, they are then on the path to move into 4-year-old sessional kindergarten program the following year, followed by Prep the next year.  Ultimately if a child starts 3-year-old sessional kindergarten too early they may not be ready for 4-year-old sessional kindergarten and school.

The Department of Education (DET) no longer allow children to complete a second year of three year old sessional kindergarten.  We do not want to see children struggling through their early learning years and certainly do not want to send children to school before they are ready.  We see no disadvantage when children start kindergarten a little later.  In fact, the longer you allow your child to mature socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively the more prepared they will be for kindergarten and school and the more they will get out of these experiences.

Over the years, our observation has been children who turn 3 between January and April benefit from waiting a year and starting 3-year-old sessional kindergarten, the following year.  While every child develops differently and has had different experiences in their early years, it is often the case that younger children can sometimes find kindergarten very challenging.  Things that children feel very comfortable doing at home with their family may become very challenging in a large group environment.

To note, DET will only allow a child in the four-year-old program to repeat a second year where the child does not meet a minimum of two of the five developmental areas (social, emotional, learning, cognitive and physical).  A child is not eligible to repeat four year old sessional kindergarten based on their age and being deemed ‘young’.  DET and this service are not comfortable sending any four year old child to school in their Prep year.

If you are concerned about age eligibility, DET and Civic Kindergarten strongly encourage you to contact the Kindergarten directly – Director of Teaching (Natalie) on 0403 097 244 to discuss your personal circumstances. Natalie is available Mon, Tues & Thurs between 2:15pm – 4pm, Wed & Fri 1:15pm – 4pm.

Civic Kindergarten’s enrolments are prioritised as follows:

If you need to cancel your child’s enrolment, Civic Kindergarten require one terms notice in writing.  Any paid fees or co-payments are non refundable.

Are your child’s Immunisation Records Up to Date?

In Victoria, the law requires kindergarten services to have evidence that children are up to date with all vaccinations due for their age.  Please ensure the kindergarten has the most up to date Immunisation History Statement for your child.

All parents must provide the service with evidence that their child is:

• fully immunised for their age; or
• on a vaccination catch-up program; or
• unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons.

How to tell if your child is up to date?

At the top of the Immunisation History Statement next to NIP Immunisation Status: it will state either ‘next vaccine date’ or ‘up to date’.

If your child’s Immunisation History Statement states ‘next vaccine due’, please make arrangements for your child to have their vaccinations and email the up to date Immunisation History Statement to: civic.kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au .

You can obtain the most up to date Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register via any of these mediums:

• Medicare Express Plus App, Search for, Express Plus Medicare in the App Store once a MyGov account has been created.
• or once a MyGov account has been created
• or Online – through MyGov once a MyGov account has been created.

‘Free Kinder Payment’ (funded term fees) from 2024.

Civic Kindergarten are excited to opt in to the ‘Free Kinder Payment’ funding for 2024.  The funding provides families/guardians with the option to access free kindergarten term fees at this service (up to 15 hours of funding for the 4 year old program and up to 8 hours of funding for the 3 year old program).  This funding can only be claimed for your child in 2024 at one early learning service ie. sessional kindergarten or kindergarten incorporated in a long day care program.

Within the Letter of Offer, all enrolled families/guardians were presented with forms in order to ‘opt-in’ to the ‘Free Kinder Payment’ (term fee funding).  Families who returned their signed ‘opt-in’ forms with refund bank details received confirmation of their ‘Free Kinder Payment’ participation at the time of accepting their Letter of Offer via email.  Within that email, Civic Kindergarten included confirmation the Enrolment Deposit will be refunded (in full) within one week of your child commencing from 29th January 2025 and term fees will be *free for 2025.  Please refer to Excursions & Service Events on the following page regarding additional charges.

*Please note, we require one terms notice to cancel an enrolment.  See Cancelling an Enrolment.

*Please note the Department of Education have not yet confirmed ‘free kindergarten’ for 2025 yet.  We will not be advised until November 2024.

Fee Payment Agreement for 2024

Where families/guardians do not nominate Civic Kindergarten to receive their child’s annual ‘Free Kinder Payment’ for 2024, the Fee Payment Agreement (below tables) will be implemented per child and term fees will be collected as a direct debit via our Ezidebit Direct Debit system as follows:

An Enrolment Deposit refund WILL NOT be processed due to change of mind;

As directed by the Department of Education, when a family accept a place and settle an Enrolment Deposit at this service and their child does not commence at this service on 29th January 2025, Civic Kindergarten are not obliged to refund the enrolment deposit or any fee’s.

Reference:  https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/funding/faq-free-three-year-old-kinder2024.docx

Fee Payment Agreement fees are non refundable.

If you need to cancel your child’s enrolment, Civic Kindergarten require one terms notice in writing.  Any paid fees or co-payments are non refundable.