State government commitment on four-year-old kindy and after school care a major boost for WA children and their families

03 Feb 2025 – Minderoo Foundation has welcomed two significant state government commitments which will give more WA children a better start to life through earlier high-quality education and care.

The commitments will also benefit families and communities by creating greater access to support and opportunities for parents to return to work if they choose to do so.

Premier, Roger Cook, today announced that WA children would take part in a pilot for free full-time kindy for four-year-olds, effectively doubling the amount of time children can spend in high-quality early learning.

Trial sites will be set up in regional and metropolitan areas with the aim to expand the roll out across the state so that every four-year-old can attend kindergarten five days a week.

In addition, the state government has promised to expand the out-of-school-hours care programs attached to primary schools, which will give parents and families greater support so that they may juggle work and family life.

Minderoo CEO,John Hartman, welcomed the state government commitment saying there was very clear scientific evidence of the benefit to children and the community of focusing on early childhood development.

“Early childhood experts have long known that the first five years are critical and shape the trajectory of a child’s entire life,” said Mr Hartman.

“As a dad of three young children, I know how much we all want the best start to life for our kids.

“This kindergarten pilot program puts children’s development at the heart of WA’s early education and care system, and we look forward to it being rolled out across the state so that every child, no matter where they live, will benefit.”

Minderoo Executive Director Communities, Penny Dakin, said the changes, including the establishment of a new Office of Early Childhood Education, were a step on the path to putting children and families at the centre of government and community decision-making.

“As someone who has been working on improving outcomes for children for many years, these changes are a significant step-change for WA children and their families,” Ms Dakin said.

“Free full-time kindergarten means all children, not just those whose parents can afford it, will be able to benefit from high-quality early learning.

“These changes also reinforce the importance of schools being community focal points that can open up opportunities for further community-school led collaborations.”