ACT Free Preschool for 3 and 4 Year Olds
This page is a direct rule-based guide for AU_ACT_PRESCHOOL (rule version 2025-26, effective 1 July 2025). It explains free ACT preschool — free public preschool hours for 4 year olds plus free 3 year old preschool for Canberra families.
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Quick Answer
You may qualify when you live in the ACT and have a preschool-age child — checked as state = ACT, dependent_children = true and child_age <= 5.
It produces no cash payment. Instead it removes the fee for public preschool: 15 hours a week of free 4 year old preschool plus free 3 year old preschool, so families do not pay for those early learning hours.
Outcome summary: a place in free public preschool for your child in the year or years before school, lowering the cost of early education and giving children a structured start before kindergarten.
What Is This Payment?
ACT public preschool gives children quality early education in the years before full-time school. The Territory funds free preschool hours so that cost is not a barrier to children attending in their preschool years.
The rule database tags this as a Group B benefit with eligibility_only as its result role. There is no cash payment and no fixed dollar figure: the value is the waived cost of the free public preschool hours your child attends.
Two strands sit behind the rule: 15 hours per week of free 4 year old preschool, and free 3 year old preschool. Together they extend free early learning across the two years before school for eligible Canberra families.
How Much Can You Get?
The amount block is eligibility_only with period: none. There is no direct cash payment; the value is free public preschool hours for your child.
- 4 year old preschool: 15 hours a week of free preschool at a public preschool.
- 3 year old preschool: free 3 year old preschool places, extending free early learning to the year before that.
- No fee for the funded hours, so the cost of those early learning hours is removed for the family.
Eligibility Conditions
The eligibility block is an all set, so every condition must pass.
- You are in the ACT:
state = ACT. The child attends preschool in the Australian Capital Territory. - You have a dependent child:
dependent_children = true. The benefit is for families with a child in their care. - The child is preschool age:
child_age <= 5. The funded hours cover 3 and 4 year old preschool in the years before full-time school.
The rule is not means-tested — it does not look at family income. What matters is that you are an ACT family with a preschool-age child.
Exact age cut-off dates for the preschool year and enrolment timing are set by the ACT Education Directorate, so confirm the enrolment window for your child's birth date when you apply.
How To Apply
The channel is online through the ACT Government's early childhood and preschool enrolment pages.
- Enrol online for public preschool through the ACT Government.
- No concession card or income evidence is required — the funded hours are free for eligible families.
- Check the enrolment window for your child's age so you secure a place for the right preschool year.
Rule-Based Scenarios
Scenario 1: a four year old starting preschool
Aisha lives in Canberra and her son turns four before the preschool year starts. She enrols him in 15 hours a week of free public preschool, so the family pays nothing for those preschool hours.
Scenario 2: free three year old preschool
Liam and his partner have a three year old daughter in the ACT. They take up a free 3 year old preschool place, getting her into early learning a year earlier without a fee for the funded hours.
Scenario 3: two years of free preschool
The Nguyen family uses free 3 year old preschool one year and free 4 year old preschool the next, giving their child two years of free early education before kindergarten.
Scenario 4: not yet preschool age
Sophie has a two year old. Her child is below the preschool-age range for these funded hours, so she would look at child care subsidies in the meantime and enrol in preschool once her child reaches the preschool year.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming it is a cash payment: the program removes the fee for public preschool hours; it does not pay money to families.
- Thinking there is an income test: there is none — eligibility is about being an ACT family with a preschool-age child, not your income.
- Missing the enrolment window: places are tied to the preschool year, so enrol within the window for your child's age rather than mid-year.
- Confusing preschool with child care: this covers free public preschool hours, which is separate from the federal Child Care Subsidy for long day care.
- Overlooking three year old preschool: free 3 year old preschool is available too, not just the 4 year old hours.
- Assuming any provider is free: the funded free hours are at public preschool; fees may still apply at some private services.
Related Benefits
- ACT Student Transport Program — free term-time travel for card-holder families.
- ACT Public Dental — subsidised dental care for eligible residents.
- ACT General Rates Rebate — a rates rebate for eligible concession card holders.
- Child Care Subsidy — federal help with the cost of approved child care.
- Family Tax Benefit Part A — federal help with the cost of raising children.
- Family Tax Benefit Part B — extra federal help for single-income families with a young child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ACT preschool cost anything?
The funded hours are free. Public preschool gives 15 hours a week of free 4 year old preschool plus free 3 year old preschool, so eligible families do not pay for those hours.
Is there an income test for free preschool?
No. Eligibility is about being an ACT family with a preschool-age child; there is no means test for the free public preschool hours.
What ages are covered?
Three and four year old preschool, in the years before full-time school, broadly for children up to around five years old.
How do I enrol my child?
Enrol online through the ACT Government's early childhood and preschool pages, within the enrolment window for your child's age.
Is this the same as the Child Care Subsidy?
No. This is free public preschool. The Child Care Subsidy is a separate federal payment that helps with the cost of approved child care such as long day care.
Do I need a concession card?
No. No concession card or income evidence is required for the free public preschool hours.
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