Changes to Early Start Kindergarten for refugee and asylum seeker children | Early Start Bright Future

Recent changes to the process for enrolling in ESK mean that children (and children with a parent, carer or legal guardian) who previously held a refugee or asylum seeker visa are no longer required to seek exemptions from the department. This will make it easier for these families to enrol and mean less administration for services.
More information on the eligibility criteria for ESK and Pre-Prep in 2026 will be made available on the Early Start Kindergarten information for professionalswebpage.
Services are encouraged to discuss the benefits of early childhood education with families and enrol eligible children in ESK and Pre-Prep so they can benefit from more hours of kindergarten. Enrolling eligible children in ESK also helps with planning for the delivery of Pre-Prep to eligible children the following year.