4YO Funded Kinder Program

About our funded kinder program

Our Funded (15hr per week) Kinder Program is incorporated into a 3-5 year old room to ensure we deliver an inclusive program to all children in the room. We deliver the Funded Kinder Program through play – based learning activities and group times. The children in the Funded Kinder Program participate in the group times and play-based activities alongside the 3-5 year old children as well as having an extra morning group time to help prepare them for school. To ensure we deliver an inclusive program in the kindergarten room the 3 year old’s are able to participate in this group time if they would like to.

The Kinder Program is run daily with planning on Wednesdays. The Kinder Program on Wednesdays is overseen by the Kindergarten Teacher but lead by the Assistant educator. We have an integrated program with LDC together with a sessional program which runs from 9.30am-2.30pm x 3 days OR 9am to 4:30pm 2 days a week.

Sessions We Offer

At Keysborough Freedom Club we offer two options for our funded kinder program to families:

Integrated sessions: Run daily allowing families to drop off and pick up any time within the LDC operating hours. This is handy for those that work full time and will also keep their children in childcare throughout school holidays.

Fees are charged as per service fees. If eligible for CCS, you can claim Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

Sessional sessions: Run daily from 9.30am–2.30pm (5hrs x 3 days) OR (7.5hrs x 2 days). Children must attend all enrolled weekly sessions to meet the criteria of 15 hours a week for funded kindergarten.

What children learn in the Funded Kinder Program

Throughout the Funded Kinder Program the children learn a variety of skills to assist in their readiness for school including developing their:

Social skills
Emotional skills
Communication skills
Fine motor skills
Gross motor skills

These skills are encouraged through the children participating in group times and a variety of play-based activities including practicing and participating in:

Drawing with pencils and other writing implements such as crayons and textas.
Cutting with scissors
Fine motor activities such as playdough and threading
Physical development activities and games
Social development activities and games
Emotional development activities and games
Communication activities and games

The children also participate in daily group times which continue to develop these skills through:

singing songs
discussing emotions
playing games
listening to stories
participating in show & tell
developing their number, letter and sound awareness

The Benefits of Attending a Funded Integrated Kindergarten Program

We all have busy lives to live, whether it is work commitments, family obligations, or even that specialist appointment we often see ourselves as time poor. When it comes to Kinder for our little ones, it is hard to make time work for us. Not every family has the flexibility to attend an everyday sessional kinder program. This is where funded integrated kindergarten programs can help.

Funded integrated kindergarten programs have been introduced to long day care services to assist families who are unable to attend a sessional kindergarten program.

Some of the benefits include:

Flexibility to choose when you drop off and pick up your child
Convenient opening and closing times, giving you plenty of time to get through that busy traffic, morning or night. No need to organise drop-off or pick-up times with work, family or friends

Your children also get to experience a full day with a set kinder program. Most sessional kindergartens generally only offer a short day program; where as children who attend an integrated kindergarten access the program all day long, assisting in better preparing your child for the longer days when they start school.

One question you may have is: Does my child have the same access to qualified teachers as a sessional kinder? And the answer is, yes.

A fully qualified Kindergarten Teacher is there supporting your child through their learning; and when it’s time for interactive play, your child will continue their journey with the aid of qualified Early Childhood Educators.

We all love receiving those special works of art from the creative minds of our children to keep for future memories. So at the end of each year, your child will receive an individual portfolio of all their learning experiences. This special portfolio gives you the opportunity to see the ins and outs of their daily kinder life. Group activities, individual activities, art works, observations, learning stories, incursions / excursions, photographs, and experiences learned are just a few keepsakes. Your child will love looking through their portfolios and reflect on what they have learnt and have shared with others in their community.

Opportunities for regular incursions happen throughout the year, some of these include:

Eat For Life
BK’s Gym & Swim
Police Victoria
Didgeridoo Australia – Indigenous Culture, Indigenous Art, Indigenous Meditation, Indigenous Dance, Meet an Elder
Dr Bethany’s Tooth Tales

Government endorsed transition statements are completed for your child’s new primary school prep teacher and a School Readiness Program (SRF) is also run in preparation for the transition into primary school.

The fees for funded kindergarten are incorporated in the service fees, so there is no additional cost to you. You can also claim Child Care Subsidy (CCS) as the program is integrated into the long day care service.

The government stipulates that a child must attend fifteen (15) hours a week to meet the criteria for funded kindergarten.

Questions or Inquiries

If you would like any further information on Keysborough Freedom Club’s Funded Kindergarten Program please do not hesitate to contact us on 9798 6696 or info@freedomclub.org.au or you can also submit an enquiry via our website.