03 February 2025
WA Labor to lead the nation in early childhood education and care
- Re-elected Cook Labor Government to transform early childhood education with extended free kindy and out-of-school-hours care
- $33.8 million for nation-leading rollout of free full-time kindergarten for four-year-olds
- $15 million for major expansion of before and after-school care at WA primary schools
A re-elected Cook Labor Government will transform early childhood education in Western Australia by introducing free full-time, school-based kindy for four-year-olds.
WA Labor’s commitment to boost kindy access is part of a $48.8 million investment in early childhood initiatives that will also deliver easier care options and cost of living relief for WA families.
While kindy is not compulsory for four-year-olds, implementing full-time kindergarten for this key age group will increase the number of days of quality early childhood education and care on offer from five days per fortnight to five days per week – putting WA ahead of the rest of Australia, and saving working parents thousands of dollars in childcare costs.
The $33.8 million commitment includes funding for implementation, minor infrastructure, development of additional curriculum, and measures to grow WA’s early childhood workforce. It will also support the establishment of a dedicated Office of Early Childhood Education in WA.
Free full-time kindergarten for four-year-olds will begin in 2027 at 10 pilot locations across the State, with participating schools offering kindy five days a week. Five sites will be in regional WA – in the
Kimberley, Mid-West, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance and Great Southern – with another five sites in the metropolitan area.
The trial will inform the broader rollout, with an aim to expand free full-time, four-year-old kindy Statewide through phased implementation.
WA’s kindy enrolment rates are the best in the nation at 97 per cent, meaning WA Labor’s commitment to take this next step will eventually benefit every family with young children.
A re-elected Cook Labor Government will also significantly increase the number of WA primary schools where parents have access to easy and convenient before and after-school care.
The expansion of high-quality out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) attached to primary schools will be a gamechanger for many working parents, allowing them to work the hours they need to do their jobs well and support positive outcomes for their children and families.
This $15 million investment will make OSHC available at more WA primary schools through improved facilities and workforce attraction and retention grants, with grants of up to $25,000 to be made available for OSCH and long daycare providers to attract, retain and support workers with subsidised housing, relocation packages, training and other measures.
A new central unit in the Department of Education will help school communities establish OSHC services where they are needed. This will include a requirement that all State school principals work to deliver on-site OSHC where the school community wants it.
The first schools to get new OSHC services under a re-elected Cook Labor Government will include:
- Mount Lawley Primary School
- West Byford Primary School
- Jarrahdale Primary School
- Lesmurdie Primary School
- Maddington Primary School
- East Maddington Primary School
- Bramfield Park Primary School
- Nollamara Primary School
- Koorana Primary School
- Maylands Peninsula Primary School
- Sorrento Primary School
- Westminster Primary School
- Belmont Primary School
- Boyare Primary School
- Dryandra Primary School
- Swan View Primary School
- Maidens Park Primary School
- Manjimup Primary School
WA Labor’s $48.8 million commitment will build on the Cook Labor Government’s unprecedented work to improve access to early childhood education and care, including through the Attraction and Retention Packages for Regional Childcare Workers Program and Free TAFE courses.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
“Free kindy is important to give every WA kid the best start to their learning."
“That’s why we’re doing what’s right for WA and committing to introduce free full-time kindy for four-year-olds – giving parents the option of more high-quality early childhood education that is good for their child’s development, and good for their budget."
“We know more working parents are making use of before and after-school care, and yet less than half of WA’s public primary schools have an OSHC service on site."
“Greater access to free kindy and OSHC in local primary schools will make an enormous difference to working parents trying to manage the drop-off and pick-up dilemma.”