When it comes to picking an early childhood education and care option, you want to make the best decision for your child. Every child is different, which means that different children thrive in different environments.
While kindergarten and childcare both offer quality early childhood education and care, we’ve taken a look at the difference between the two services to help you find the most suitable option for your child.
What is kindergarten?
Kindergarten, also known as preschool or kindy depending on which Australian state you live in, is a part-time service that offers government-approved early childhood education programs that are designed to help prepare children for the first year of school, which is also known as prep.
Kindergartens often operate during school hours from Monday to Friday (EG. 9am-3pm) and offer programs five days a fortnight, but this may change depending on the state or provider. In order for children to participate in a kindy program, they must be at least four years of age.
Kindergartens are often operated by not-for-profit organisations that are sometimes affiliated with independent or non-state schools.
Although the kindergarten program is optional, these high-quality programs are designed to help children begin their learning journey and set them up for success once they begin primary school. Through play-based learning, these programs help children to cultivate a love of learning, make friends and develop useful life skills. All kindergarten programs are delivered by a university-qualified early childhood educator.
What is childcare?
Childcare also referred to as long day care, is a setting that provides early childhood education and care for children from birth up to 12 years of age.
Childcare centres are often a great option for working parents as they tend to operate from 10-12 hours a day for at least 48 weeks a year providing both full- or part-time care. Depending on how many children attend the centre, they may be separated into groups based on their age and developmental stage.
Some long day care services also offer an approved kindergarten program taught by a qualified early childhood educator to help prepare children for their transition into prep and schooling.
Which early education service is best for my child?
When it comes to choosing the right early education service for your child, there’s no right or wrong answer. While both early education options offer high-quality childcare and education, the different settings may mean that one option might suit your child better than the other.
You also have the option to let your child complete kindergarten or preschool in the same childcare service they received early childhood education in, as long as that particular service provider is approved by the ACECQA to provide such a program.
Both kindergartens and childcare centres must comply with legislative requirements and are assessed under the National Quality Standard (NQS) as dictated by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
While each operator across both kindergarten and childcare settings is allowed to have their own fee structure, some families may qualify for fee assistance through the Childcare Subsidy if they satisfy the eligibility requirements.
Plenty to consider
If you’re stuck trying to decide between childcare or kindergarten, here are five factors worth considering when deciding where to send your little one.
Transitions
If your child doesn’t deal well with change, enrolling them in long day care or childcare may be the best option. Depending on the centre, they may be able to attend the same centre from an early age and complete the approved kindergarten program if it’s on offer.
Alternatively, some schools offer their own kindergarten programs for children who will go on to attend the school. In this instance, the transition between the kindergarten program and primary school at the same facility may be easier.
Time in care
This is often heavily dependent on your working circumstances. If you and/or your partner work full-time and require full-time care with flexible drop-off and pick-up hours, long daycare is your best option.
On the other hand, if you’d prefer to ease your child into education and care by sending them to a part-time program, a kindergarten could be better suited.
Siblings
If you have multiple children of different ages needing early childhood education and care a long day care centre can cater to children from birth through to age 12. This can also help to simplify things when it comes to dropping off and picking up your kids with a single stop. Having siblings at the same centre can also help the younger ones to settle into care.
In most Australian states and territories, preschool or kindy programs are offered to children between the ages of three and five before they start their first year of schooling.
Structure
If your child responds well to consistency and structure, kindergarten services offer a more structured environment, whereas long day care often has a changing group structure due to the irregular attendance of different children.
Daily meals
Many childcare centres provide meals whereas families provide their own food when attending a kindergarten. However, this often depends on the individual centre, so be sure to check what’s supplied before enrolling your child.
At the end of the day, the best educational and care setting depends on your child. Both kindergarten and childcare offer high-quality early childhood education delivered by qualified early childhood educators. One of the best ways to choose is to visit a number of different early childhood education and care services and centres to see which option best suits your child.
Alternatively, you can use the Care for Kids search tool to find childcare providers near you.
