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Eligibility basics
To enrol in a government preschool, your child needs to:
- meet the minimum age requirements to start preschool
- live in South Australia
- be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold an eligible visa or ImmiCard, and
- meet the immunisation requirements to attend a government preschool.
Universal 3-year-old preschool eligibility
In addition to the above, to be eligible for a universal 3-year-old preschool enrolment at a government preschool, a child cannot be enrolled in a long day care service that is partnered with the government to deliver 3-year-old preschool.
If this is the case, your child will receive their universal 3-year-old preschool program at their long day care service.
You can search current Flying Start partnered long day care services on the Office for Early Childhood Development.
Children who start 3-year-old preschool at a government preschool will be eligible to continue at the same preschool for their year-before-school preschool program.
Important preschool enrolment terms
Here are some key terms to know about preschool enrolment.
Registration of interest
A registration of interest (ROI) form is how families let preschools know they’d like to enrol their child. The child’s name and details are then on record so the preschool can consider them when enrolments are offered. Filling out an ROI doesn’t guarantee an offer of enrolment.
Local preschool
Your local preschool is determined by your home address. It might be the preschool nearest to your home, or it might be another preschool based on the boundaries of preschool catchment areas.
Families can apply to any preschool, even if it’s not your local one.
Catchment area
A catchment area is the local geographic area linked to a preschool. Preschools give priority enrolment to children who live inside their catchment area. All metropolitan and some regional preschools have a catchment area.
Find your local preschool
Preschools give priority enrolment to children who live in the local catchment area, Aboriginal children and children in care.
Enter your address in the catchment tool to find the preschools in your local area.
Placement for year-before-school (4-year-old) preschool
In most cases, your child will be offered a place at their local preschool. If the preschool has places available after enrolling local children and other priority enrolments, places may be offered to children living outside of the preschool catchment area.
The preschool will consider:
- how close the family lives to the preschool
- how long they’ve lived there
- if the child has a brother or sister already at the preschool or nearby school
- if the family already joins in preschool programs.
When there are no more places available
A child who cannot be offered a place at their local preschool for their year-before-school preschool entitlement will get help to enrol at another nearby preschool.
Families outside the catchment zone
Families can apply for any preschool, even if it’s not their local one. If there are still available places after local children and other priority children are offered enrolment, children who live outside the area may be offered a place.
If you apply to a preschool outside of your catchment area, you should also apply to your local preschool.
Enter for Success strategy for Aboriginal children
Aboriginal children have the opportunity to enrol at any government preschool they nominate, regardless of their home address, where there are places available. This is called the Enter for Success strategy.
Special consideration
Children with serious health, disability, or family issues can get special consideration for enrolment. Talk to your local preschool if this applies to you.
