Work is taking place at more than 45 public preschools across South Australia to ensure they are ready to welcome three-year-olds next year, building on the valuable services they already offer their local communities.

Construction and renovation work worth $2.8 million is taking place at 31 of the 45 sites, stretching from the far north to the Eyre Peninsula and the mid-north region of South Australia, to ensure sites are ready. Four sites are undergoing major work, while 27 are having a range of more minor facility adjustments to help them meet the needs of three-year-olds.

The government preschools are largely in rural and remote areas in the first year, along with three metropolitan demonstration sites and the Port Pirie West Integrated Hub, with the staged rollout to progress to regional and metropolitan government preschools between 2026 and 2030.

These preschools will be the first to provide three-year-old preschool, an important milestone in the staged delivery of a $1.9 billion investment by the State Government to support the state’s youngest learners.

This work includes the upgrade of change facilities, making changes to ensure safety - such as moving switches or improving line of slight and other general updates.

All of the work currently being done to ensure the 2026 sites are ready is expected to be completed by term 4 2025. And by 2029, renovation works are expected to be completed at about 290 government preschools.

Burra Early Learning Centre Director Sarah Stoddart said, here at Burra Early Learning Centre, we are very pleased to be providing this service to our local community and surrounds from next year, and are hosting a Parent Information Session to answer any questions the community has on 18 September at 10am.

“Our site is the only government preschool servicing the Burra region, along with outlying communities such as Hallett, Mt Bryan and Booborowie – so we have an integral role in our community supporting local families”.

“Three-year-old preschool will build on the Rural Care service we already offer, ensuring a play-based education option led by early childhood teachers is available to local families while supporting future generations of children in the region”, said Ms Stoddart.

Additionally, one-off grant funding of at least $10,000 per site is being provided to all government preschools rolling out three-year-old preschool in 2026 to further support their readiness for children and families.

The grant funding is to support sites with professional development, additional resources for children’s programs, furniture and equipment such as fridges, or environmental adjustments to indoor and outdoor learning spaces.

A Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, led by the Hon Julia Gillard AC, showed children benefit from two years of quality, teacher-led preschool programs.

These programs help children to thrive when they are young and set them up for a stronger start to school and beyond.

All South Australian children will continue to have a guaranteed place in their local government preschool in the year before school. Aboriginal children continue to have access to government preschool from their third birthday, as do children in care.

The roll-out of three-year-old preschool in partner long day care services across the state will also start from 2026.

Read more about preschool for 3-year-olds.