Childcare and kindergarten

Find out what you need to know about early childhood education - childcare and kindergarten, immunisation, fees and subsidies and how to find a place for your child.

Within the City of Port Phillip there are Council-managed, community-managed, not-for-profit, and privately managed early childhood education and care services for childcare and kindergarten.

Early childhood education and care services include:
 - childcare centres with kindergarten programs (integrated kindergarten)
 - stand-alone sessional kindergartens
 - family and children's centres which also offer other services such as Maternal and Child Health.

For Council-managed and participating community-managed early childhood education and care services, Council manages a Children's Services Integrated Registration and Enrolment scheme (known as the CSIRE). CSIRE registration is free.

For support or more detailed information, follow the links below or contact the Children's Services Waitlist Registration Officer:
Phone: 03 9209 6360
Email: cccwaitinglist@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Childcare with integrated kindergarten

Childcare centres provide childcare for children from birth to school age (actual starting age can differ). They also offer integrated kindergarten programs for three-year-olds and four-year-olds. This means children could attend the same centre from birth until they go to school.

Integrated kindergarten is subsidised by the Victorian Department of Education under their Free Kinder scheme. It is delivered during a set part of the day, within the childcare setting, by a fully qualified Kindergarten Teacher.  

The hours either side of integrated kindergarten sessions are not covered by the Free Kinder program so there is a cost for your child to attend for a full day. If eligible, families can access the Child Care Subsidy to help with that cost.

Four-year-old children currently attend 15 hours of funded kindergarten per week in the year before they start school. From 2025, four-year-old kindergarten is transitioning to Pre-Prep. All four-year-olds will be attending 30 hours of kindergarten weekly by 2032. Four-Year-Old Kindergarten is becoming Pre-Prep

All local Council-managed and community-managed early childhood education and care services with childcare and integrated kindergarten are listed below.

Select a Victorian Government endorsed kindergarten with the Kinder Tick

Community-managed centres

These not-for-profit services are managed by a committee, a board or a co-operative made up of parents or guardians of children and community members. Council provides the buildings and some funding to support the running of these centres.

Please be aware that centres may differ in their opening hours, the age range of children they accept and the cost to register or hold a place. Contact centres directly for more information.

Register online for the following centres

Contact the following centres directly to register as they manage their own waiting lists.

Community-managed centre in own building. Contact directly to register.

Not-for-profit, private and family day care centres

Kindergarten

Help and support information for families with children

Contact us

Our Children’s Services Waitlist Registration Officer is here to help.

Send us a message on My Port Phillip.

Phone: 03 9209 6360 or 03 9209 6777

Email: CCCWaitingList@portphillip.vic.gov.au