Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 8:30am to 5:30pm The Kindy program is offered from 8:30am to 2:40pm. We also offer After Kindy Care (Kindy Club) from 2.40pm- 5.30pm. This service is run by qualified and consistent early childhood educators and allows for permanent or casual booking arrangements as required.
Thursday & Friday - 8:20am to 4:00pm The Kindy program is offered over two long days until 4:00pm, so we do not offer Kindy Club on these days.
Our service is open 40 weeks per year over 4 terms, and is closed during QLD State School holiday periods.
Please ensure you know what time your child’s Kindy session ends, and that you arrive to collect your child on time. Fees apply for late departures.
What year should my child attend Kindy?
Your child must be at least 4 years of age by 30 June in the year they are enrolled to participate in a QLD Government subsidised Kindergarten program. The table below shows your child’s eligible Kindy year (you can also find a very handy kindy calculator here):
1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 - attend Kindy 2024 (Prep 2025)
1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 - attend Kindy 2025 (Prep 2026)
1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 - attend Kindy 2026 (Prep 2027)
1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 – attend Kindy 2027 (Prep 2028)
Can 3 year olds attend?
We are required by the QLD Government to prioritise enrolments for 4-year old children, however if we have vacancies, children can attend St Lucia Kindergarten from 3 years of age. This is classified as “early entry” and children can attend Kindy for two years. For early entry, children must be 3 years old by 1st January of the year they wish to attend.
Parent fees are higher for 3-year old places as these children are not funded by the Government. If you are interested in early entry for your child, please let us know on their Waiting List form or contact us via email to request a place.
Can my child attend 5 days?
If we have vacancies, eligible Kindy age children (4 year olds) can enrol in two groups, meaning they can attend 5 days per week. We refer to this as a “double enrolment”, where one Kindergarten group is “funded” by the QLD Government and one group is “not funded”, meaning parent fees are higher for the second group. Children enrolled as 3 year olds (early entry) are not permitted to attend 5 days or two groups, as per our double enrolment policy.
What are your fees?
St Lucia Kindergarten is a not-for-profit and community managed organisation. As such, all our fees go towards paying staff wages and training, teaching resources, building and garden maintenance, and operational costs. Fees typically increase annually to meet the rising costs of service delivery. Please see our fee structure here.
Is there an enrolment fee?
To secure your child’s place at St Lucia Kindergarten, you will be required to pay an Enrolment Fee of $100 (from 2024).
How much would it cost for my child to attend 5 days per week?
Please see our fee structure here. The first group is "funded" and the second group is "non-funded". Please note this option is dependent on vacancies. We only offer a small number of 5 day places (double enrolments) per year.
How much does After Kindy Care cost?
From 2024, After Kindy Care is invoiced separately from the Kindergarten program and can be booked on a permanent term basis ($35 per afternoon) or on a casual basis ($18 per hour). Afternoon tea is provided as part of this fee.
How do I put my child’s name on the Waiting List?
Please visit our ‘Join Waitlist‘ page. We look forward to welcoming you to our Kindergarten soon!
When will I be offered a place?
We will contact you via email with a formal offer in July, the year before your child is due to start Kindy. If you change your mobile phone number or email address, please let us know. If you do not hear from us by August the year prior, please call or email us.
Does my child need to be immunised to attend?
Upon enrolment, you will be required to provide information regarding your child’s immunisation status, along with a copy of your child’s Government-issued Immunisation Record. In the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, C&K requires a non-immunised child to be withdrawn from the centre until the outbreak has cleared. You will be required to complete a “Withdraw a Non-Immunised Child” form stating that you will comply with this policy.
Do I need to provide food?
Each Kindy day, you will be required to provide your child with 3 clearly named separate containers for: 1. Snack 2. Morning Tea 3. Lunch We also ask that you provide a water bottle each day for your child.
As per food safety regulations, we are not permitted to reheat children’s food. All food must also be refrigerated. Morning tea and lunch will be placed in the classroom fridge. If you do not wish for your child’s food to be refrigerated, it must be kept in an insulated lunch bag on top of the fridge, and you must sign a waiver each day.
We encourage children to eat healthy foods at Kindy. Fruit, vegetables, cracker biscuits, home-baked goods, yoghurt, dried chickpeas and sandwiches are suggested as appropriate morning tea snacks. We suggest a healthy lunch of sandwiches, salads, rice/noodle dishes, pasta, sushi, pita bread, fresh/dried fruit. Children’s water bottles are available for them at all times. We do not allow your child to drink juice, flavoured milks or soft drink at Kindy. We strongly discourage lollies, chips, biscuits, muesli bars or chocolates, as this can cause issues with other children and does not promote healthy eating.
Will I receive any subsidy from the government? Are there subsidies for Health Care Card holders?
Kindergarten services and child-care services are funded differently. Kindergartens are funded by the State Government under the QKF scheme, whereas child-care services are funded by the Federal Government and operate under the CCS scheme.
As this funding amount is relatively low compared to our operational costs (salaries, resources, maintenance, utilities), we must also charge fees to parents.
The Kindergarten directly receives the State Government funding on your child’s behalf, if they are of eligible Kindy age. Families do not directly receive any subsidy from Centrelink or the Government.
In January 2024, the QLD Government introduced "Free Kindy" to cover 15 hours of Kindy for all eligible age children in Queensland. Please note, that some visas are not covered, however the Student 500 Visa is covered by this funding.
As our 3 day program is 18 hours per week, there is a fee to cover these additional hours. Our 2 day program (15 hours) is completely free for eligible children.
You can also find comprehensive information at the C&K FAQ page.
Do you apply CCS (Child Care Subsidy)?
As a Kindergarten service, we are not eligible for CCS.
Kindergarten services and child-care services are funded differently. Kindergartens are funded by the State Government under the QKF scheme, whereas child-care services are funded by the Federal Government and operate under the CCS scheme.
The Kindergarten directly receives the State Government funding on your child’s behalf, if they are of eligible Kindy age. Families do not directly receive any subsidy from Centrelink or the Government.
Unfortunately, our After Kindy Care program is also not eligible for CCS. Full fees apply. Please see more information at the C&K FAQ page and Services Australia page.
Have another question?
We invite all questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Please contact us anytime here.
WHAT IS FREE KINDY?
From 1 January 2024, Queensland children attending a government-approved kindergarten program, such as here at St Lucia Kindergarten, will receive "Free Kindy" for 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year. Learn more www.candk.asn.au/CK-free-kindy.
