Dear families
The Government this morning announced free kindergarten in 2021 for funded kindergarten https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/supporting-families-free-kinder-more-out-hours-care.
Whilst we are awaiting further details from Government regarding the exact funding allocation per child, we can advise the following:
- Families can hold off the payment of fees until further notice for the funded 15 hour 4YO program only.
- Extended hours do not attract any Government subsidy or fee relief in the announcement made today. For families accessing extended hours in the 4YO program – the extended portion must still be paid. This can be done via direct deposit or by credit card over the phone. The invoices clearly outline the split in fees.
- In relation to fees that have already been paid for term 1 2021, please be advised that we are awaiting confirmation from Government as to the exact amount they are providing and will look at refunds after this time.
- In the case of three year old programs, at this stage we have been advised that there will be some Government support, but we are awaiting confirmation as to how much this will be. The amount subsidised will be a set amount regardless of the number of the number of hours the child participates in. We encourage families of three year olds to pay their fees to confirm their spot, and we will provide any refunds owed once we once we have further information.
Please note that this announcement was made only a few hours ago, and we are still being briefed on what this means for the Glen Education community. We welcome this support from the Government for families, but as you can appreciate, there are still many unknowns. We ask you to please bear with us as we await further information.
We will update our website as information comes to hand. If you have any urgent questions, please contact our finance team via email to finance@gekaoffice.org.au.
Kind Regards
Glen Education Management