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Preschool is a child-centred, play-based, leacher program for children aged 3 to 5 years.
A key focus of preschool is fostering a child’s sense of belonging, confidence, resilience, wellbeing and cultural identity.
Quality preschool education plays an important role in helping, children can develop all the things they need to start a life-long love of learning.
Preschool, kindergarten or kindy?
You might be familiar with 'kindergarten' or 'kindy' as well as 'preschool'. What's the difference? The simple answer is there is no difference. ‘Preschool', 'kindergarten' and 'kindy' can all refer to the same thing.
When can your child start preschool?
There are specific ages to start preschool.
Enter your child's birth date into the calculator to find out when your child can start preschool.
This calculator will show the year your child can start their year-before-school preschool entitlement.
This calculator does not give a universal 3-year-old preschool starting year as 3-year-old preschool will roll out at different times between 2026 and 2032.
More about start dates
Generally, children whose birthday is:
- before 1 May are eligible to start preschool at the beginning of the year
- between 1 May to 31 October are eligible to commence preschool at the start of term 3 (called mid-year-intake)
- after 31 October will be eligible to commence preschool at the start of the following year.
For universal 3-year-old preschool programs, children must be 3 years of age before they can start. Your preschool will provide advice on start dates during the enrolment process.
Government preschool access
Preschool in South Australia is currently available to all 4-year-old and some 3-year-old children.
Preschool hours
All children are entitled to up to 15 hours of preschool per week at a local government preschool in the year before school (4 terms). This is sometimes called 4-year-old preschool or year-before-school preschool.
Your local preschool
Your local preschool is usually based on the where your family lives. This is sometimes referred to as the catchment area. If the local preschool is full, we will help identify an alternative government preschool.
Children can access universal 3-year-old preschool from 3 years of age if their local catchment preschool offers a 3-year-old preschool program.
Access, inclusion and support
Aboriginal children and children who are or have been in care are entitled to 15 hours of preschool per week after they turn 3, continuing until they start school.
All children with disability have the right to access and participate in education on the same basis as other children. The department has support for preschool children with disability.
Preschool and child development
The ages between 3-5 are vital for children's development. Research shows that quality preschool experiences can have lasting positive effects on the direction of children’s education and wellbeing.
Learn how preschool can help and how you can best support your child to make the most of these years.
Services that offer preschool
Preschool in South Australia is offered in a variety of services. You might see preschool programs offered at preschools, kindergartens, long day care services, children’s centres, and some schools.
Government preschools
Government preschool services offer preschool programs during the school term (40 weeks per year). This is sometimes called ‘sessional’ preschool.
More about government preschools
Typically, children enrolled in a government preschool attend 15 hours of preschool per week. Each preschool determines their own session days and times.
Preschools follow the same term schedule as primary schools and generally close during school holidays.
Long day care centres
Long day care centres typically provide education and care for children from birth to school age, and usually operate 5 days a week and 48-52 weeks per year. Long day care centres provide preschool programs which can be combined with extra hours of care.
Visit the Office for Early Childhood Development to learn more about Flying Start partner long day care services.
Types of preschool programs
There are 2 main preschool programs available in South Australia.
3-year-old preschool
Universal 3-year-old preschool is being rolled out in government preschools from 2026 to 2032, based on geographic location. This means different preschools will have universal 3-year-old preschool available at different times.
Eligible children will be able to access between 6 to 14 hours of preschool a week at their local preschool for up to 4 terms, before transitioning to the year-before-school preschool program.
Find out when your local preschool will start offering universal 3-year-old preschool.
Year-before-school preschool
The year-before-school program (sometimes called 4-year-old preschool) is available to all children in South Australia for up to 4 terms before they start primary school. Our government preschool entitlement ensures all children have the opportunity to attend a 4-year-old preschool program for up to 15 hours per week once they meet the eligibility requirements.
