Tuesday, 22 September 2026

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (14:33): I rise to update the house on the Carroll Labor government’s nation-leading free kinder program. Last week new research from the University of Melbourne confirmed what parents, carers and educators across Victoria already knew: that access to two years of quality early childhood education gives children a better start in life. The landmark five-year educational and developmental gains in the early childhood study involved 149 early childhood services and more than 2000 children, teachers and families. The research found that two years of kindergarten means stronger language development, improved memory and stronger early numeracy compared to children who only complete one year of kinder. Under this Labor government Victoria has been the first in the nation to roll out 15 hours a week of universal free kinder for three-year-olds. Before we introduced our free kinder reforms, a little over a half of eligible children were accessing three-year-old kinder. Today the participation rate is over 90 per cent, which is why, despite repeated attempts from those opposite to talk down this nation-leading program, we are getting on with the work, building and expanding hundreds of kinders and creating thousands of new places in every part of the state.

This includes an investment from our government of over $170 million in the City of Casey to deliver 79 projects, creating more than 3700 new kinder places; $239 million in the City of Wyndham to deliver over 100 projects, creating more than 6500 new kinder places; and $163 million in the City of Hume to deliver over 100 projects, creating more than 4000 new kinder places. In the interests of time I will not go on, but I will continue to take every opportunity to talk about this government’s historic investment in our free kinder program – a program which Jess Wilson wants to cut. More than $5000 in savings for families will be cut, improved learning and development outcomes for children will be cut and flexibility for working parents will be cut – (Time expired)