At Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten, we believe every child deserves access to a high-quality Kindergarten program that supports their learning, confidence, and smooth transition to school — without cost being a barrier for families.

That’s why all Mother Duck services have opted into the Queensland Government’s Free Kindy initiative.

What is Free Kindy?

Free Kindy is a Queensland Government initiative that funds approved Kindergarten programs for eligible children in the year before they start school.

When delivered in Long Day Care, Free Kindy means:

• Your child can access a Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Program
• Delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher
• For up to 15 hours per week, across 40 weeks per year (600 hours)
• With no out-of-pocket cost for the Kindergarten program component

Who is eligible for Free Kindy?

Children are eligible for Free Kindy if they:

• Turn 4 years old by 30 June in the year they attend Kindergarten, and
• Are enrolled in an Approved Kindergarten Program

Free Kindy funding applies regardless of whether your family receives Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Even families who are not eligible for CCS can still access Free Kindy.

How does Free Kindy work in Long Day Care?

Kindergarten in Long Day Care is part of your child’s normal day, rather than a separate session.

The Queensland Government provides:

• Kindergarten funding to support educator wages, planning time, and high-quality learning resources
• A Gap Fee Subsidy, which covers the cost of the Kindergarten program hours that families would normally pay after CCS is applied

This means:

• The Kindergarten learning program itself is free
• Families may still have out-of-pocket costs for care outside the Kindergarten program hours, depending on attendance patterns and CCS entitlement

We are always happy to explain how this applies to your family’s individual enrolment.

What does Free Kindy funding support?

At Mother Duck, this funding supports:

• Competitive wages and improved entitlements for our Early Childhood Teachers
• Dedicated planning and programming time
• High-quality learning resources and experiences
• A strong, play-based Kindergarten curriculum aligned with the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline

This investment directly supports educator quality, program consistency, and better outcomes for children.

What does “Approved Kindergarten Program” mean?

An Approved Kindergarten Program:

• Meets strict government quality and delivery requirements
• Is delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher
• Runs for a minimum of 15 hours per week
• Focuses on play-based learning, wellbeing, communication, and early literacy and numeracy
• Supports children’s transition to Prep

All Mother Duck Kindergarten programs are delivered under these requirements.

Why we’ve opted into Free Kindy

At Mother Duck, children always come first.

Opting into Free Kindy allows us to:

• Remove cost barriers for families
• Strengthen educator stability and retention
• Invest directly in high-quality teaching and learning
• Ensure every eligible child can access a rich Kindergarten experience

It aligns with our commitment to quality, transparency, and long-term outcomes for children.

Want to know how Free Kindy applies to your child?

Our leadership teams are always happy to talk with you about:

• Your child’s eligibility
• Kindergarten program hours
• How Free Kindy and CCS work together
• Your family’s individual fee structure

Please speak with your Franchisee or Nominated Supervisor — we’re here to help.