FAQ’s

In the City of Maroondah, enrolments for kindergartens are taken the year before the child is due to attend kindergarten, enrolments open from 1st March and close on 30th June, for attendance the following year.

Enrolments received after the closing date will be placed in order of receipt after all on time applicants are placed, subject to availability of places. All enrolments must be made via the Maroondah Central Enrolment Office – Maroondah Integrated Kindergarten Association (MIKA) at www.mika.org.au 

Enrolments for all kindergartens within Maroondah are coordinated by MIKA (Maroondah Integrated Kindergarten Association) and can be done online at www.mika.org.au. Alternatively you can download a form from their website or obtain a copy from your nearest council office.

No you cannot enrol earlier, your enrolment will not be accepted prior to the enrolment period.

Kindergarten is normally not a free service. However, late in 2022, the Victorian Government advised that 2023 would be free for all children attending 3yo and 4yo kinder. This extra funding has continued on for 2024 and kindergarten is free for all children enrolled in a 3yo and 4yo kinder program.

In 2024, Three year old kindergarten will be funded by the government for up to 15hrs depending on the programs run by the kindergarten. Four year old kindergarten is subsidised by the government for 15 hours.

Normally the funding received from the government doesn’t cover the full cost of these programs and as such both our 3 year old programs and 4 year old programs will still incur fees. These fees are set by the individual kindergartens and are kept as low as possible.

If you are Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander, or are under child protection, or have a current pension or health care card, the government pays a higher amount to the kindergarten for your child so you will pay very little or nothing in kindergarten fees. Please contact the kindergarten of your choice for futher details.

Tarralla Kindergarten does have a uniform for purchase but it isn’t compulsory.

If you would like to purchase any Tarralla kinder uniforms you can buy them via: https://eduthreads.com.au/collections/tarralla-kindergarten 

No they are not guaranteed a place the following year. Attendance in three year old kindergarten is not a criteria for placement in four year old kindergarten. You will need to make a new application with MIKA for your child’s four year old kindergarten placement.

Yes. A large number of the children attending three year old kindergarten, will turn four during the year.

No. In fact, many of the children born in this period will attend four year old kindergarten the following year. Four year old programs are designed to accommodate children aged four to six. It is important that you make the decision that is right for your child, just because they are eligible to attend, does not mean that they have to. If you require assistance in making this decision, speak to the kindergarten teacher or maternal and child health nurse. There is also useful literature available on ‘Kindergarten and School Readiness’, which you can read, located in our 3 Year Old Program information .

Children turning three between the start of term 1 and April 30th can be enrolled, but will not be able to attend 3yo kindergarten, until on or after their birthday. 

If you choose to have a funded year of 3 year old kindergarten, then fees will be payable from the date that your child starts kindergarten. In 2024, three year old kindergarten is free for all children.

Tarralla Kindergarten holds an Open Day in May each year for prospective parents to look at the Kindergarten and ask questions of the staff and committee. The specific date is advertised on the website and outside the Kindergarten. In 2024, our Open Day will be held on Saturday 18th May from 10am-12pm.