Register for kindergarten or accept an offer

Key points

  • Council manages registrations for community kindergartens in Cardinia Shire. 
  • You can register your child for 3-year-old and 4-year old kindergarten using the online kindergarten portal on this page.
  • Cardinia Shire residents must register by 30 June to be included in the first round of offers.
  • Please read the schedule of important dates on this page, which includes when the draft timetable will be released, the registration deadline, and when 1st and 2nd round offers will be made. 
  • You'll receive your placement offer by email. Please accept your offer using the online portal.

Key dates for kindergarten registration for 2024

From Monday 15 May 2023

All registered families for the upcoming 2024 kindergarten year will receive a reminder email to check their registration information including contact details and the selection of timetable preferences (a minimum of three preferences are required).

Friday 30 June 2023

Final date Council can receive new registrations or any changes to existing registrations from Cardinia Shire residents in order to be eligible for first-round offers.

On or before Monday 21 August

4-year-old - First-round 2024 kindergarten offers will be sent to residents.

During or before the last week of August 2023

4-year-old - Second-round offers for 4-year-old kindergarten (including new registrations and changes received after 30 June) will be sent to residents on an ongoing basis.

On or before Monday 18 September

3-year-old - First-round 2024 kindergarten offers will be sent to residents.

During or before the last week of September 2023

3-year-old- Second-round offers for 3-year-old kindergarten (including new registrations and changes received after 30 June) will be sent to residents on an ongoing basis.

From October 2023

All remaining offers will be sent to residents on an ongoing basis

From the middle of November 2023

3-year-old and 4-year-old offers from non-Cardinia Shire Council residents will be processed (subject to availability) on an ongoing basis from this date.

If you do not live in Cardinia Shire - please read

Everyone is welcome to register for kindergarten at our Shire.

However: 

  • You are not guaranteed a place at one of our kindergartens if you do not live in Cardinia Shire. 
  • We will only start processing registrations of non-residents from mid-November. First-round offers will be sent to Cardinia Shire residents only, and we will continue to only send offers to our Shire's residents through to October.
  • Even if your child is accepted into a 3-year-old kindergarten at Cardinia Shire, your child is not guaranteed a place at a 4-year-old kindergarten at Cardinia Shire.
  • Please decide if you need to consider alternatives, such as arranging kindergarten with your local Council or at a long day-care program.

There are exceptions for children who qualify for the Early Start Kindergarten program. Please contact us to discuss.

Early Start Kindergarten program for eligible families

The Early Start Kindergarten program provides eligible children with priority access and up to 15 hours of free community kindergarten per week for 2 years before school.

To be eligible, your child must be 3 years old by 30 April in the year they'll start kindergarten, and;

  • from a refugee or asylum seeker background, or
  • your child is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or
  • your family has had contact with Child Protection or Child FIRST.

If you think you may be eligible for Early Start Kindergarten funding, please call the Central Registration Officer on 1300 787 624 BEFORE using the kindergarten portal.

Victorian Government website - Early Start information

Kindergarten fees

  • Each year, you will need to pay a small fee ($31 in the 23/24 financial year) to register in the Kindergarten Portal - enrolling you in the Central Registration and Enrolment Scheme.
  • Kindergartens will need to charge their own additional fees such as incursion costs, excursion costs, late pick up fees, etc. These fees will be advised by individual kindergartens.

Register for kindergarten or accept an offer

Our online kindergarten portal is the easiest way to register for kindergarten.

Use the portal to:

  • register your child for kindergarten 
  • respond to kindergarten offers
  • view, access and update registration information
  • change preferences (only before accepting an offer)
  • change year of attendance
  • withdraw registrations
  • cancel registrations

Important information - What you need to know before using the portal 

Your status will say 'Waitlisted' until an offer is made

See our important dates info about when offers are made.

You may have trouble logging in

If a large number of people are trying to use the portal at the same time. you might have trouble logging in. Please try again later. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Issues with Safari browser 

The portal is currently experiencing issues in Safari. If you are using an Apple device to access the Kindergarten portal, please open in Chrome or Firefox. We appreciate your understanding.

If you think you might be eligible for Early Start Kindergarten funding

It's important that you call the Central Registration Officer on 1300 787 624 BEFORE using the portal.

If you're registering a child 

An admin fee of $31 per registration year (non refundable, non transferable) is payable by credit/debit card when you register. 

Proof of birth needed if you're registering a child

You need to provide proof of birth by attaching one of the following documents:  

Register or accept an offer using the kindergarten portal

How placements are decided

There will always be enough kindergarten places across all the kindergartens in Cardinia Shire. We work with the kindergartens and the Victorian Government to make sure there are enough facilities and places to cater for demand.

If there is a high demand for first preference places at a particular program, priority is given as identified in the Victorian Government Kindergarten Guide to:

  • children attending four year old kindergarten for a 2nd year
  • children who are known to child protection
  • children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background
  • children from families with asylum seeker and refugee visas
  • children with additional needs

Additional consideration is given to:

  • Cardinia Shire residents and ratepayers
  • families applying to their local community kindergarten
  • families with other siblings who have attended, or who have another connection to the kindergarten (such as a parent on the committee, or a parent who attended the kindergarten).

What happens after you accept an offer

  • Offers are sent by email. Please accept your offer using the kindergarten portal
  • After you've received a placement, please contact your kindergarten directly with any questions.  
  • Once you've accepted the offer, the kindergarten provider will contact you with information about the enrolment process and orientation process.
  • Your kindergarten provider will also ask you to provide your child's immunisation history statement

Immunisations before your child starts kindergarten

All parents/guardians planning to enrol their child at childcare or kindergarten in Victoria must provide the service with a current immunisation history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

The statement must show that the child is up to date with all vaccinations that are due for their age, or that they are able to receive. 

How to get your child's immunisation history statement 

It's sent to you: The statement is mailed to you after your child gets their final immunisation boosters at 4 years. 

Online: You can also get your immunisation history statement straight away using either:

Request to have it mailed to you: You can also call the Australian Immunisation Register and ask them to send your immunisation history statement to you.

More information

Benefits of our central registration process

  • Simplifies the registration process for families
  • Supports kindergarten Early Years Management Services
  • Creates an equitable and fair process for kindergarten placement
  • Helps to shape our early year’s services and infrastructure planning.

We engage Early Years Management Services and Committees of Management to deliver and manage education and care services on our behalf.

Questions?

Contact the Central Registration Officer
Ph: 1300 787 624
Email: mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au

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