If your child is turning 4 this year, you’ve probably heard the words “Free Kindy” thrown around and wondered what it could mean for your family. The good news is that it’s one of the more straightforward government programs, and it can make a difference to what you pay for childcare in Queensland.
Below we cover how QLD’s Free Kindy in 2026 program works, who’s eligible and how to get the most out of it.
What Is Free Kindy QLD?
Free Kindy QLD is a Queensland Government initiative that funds an approved kindergarten program for eligible children. It covers up to 15 hours a week across 40 weeks of the year; that’s up to 600 hours of funded kindy in total.
The program is delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher and is available at approved long day care centres and sessional kindergartens across Queensland.
Free Kindy QLD 2026 Eligibility: Does My Child Qualify?
Free Kindy QLD 2026 eligibility is based on your child’s age. Children generally attend kindy in the year they turn 4 by 30 June.
For 2026, the standard birth date range is 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.
Free Kindy is not income-tested, so your family’s earnings don’t affect whether your child can access it. Your income does affect your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) percentage, though, which plays into how your final bill is calculated.
Different rules may apply if your child delays kindy, is outside the usual age range or has already done a funded kindy year. It’s always worth checking with your centre or the Queensland Government directly.
How Does Free Kindy Work in QLD?
This is the question we get asked most, so here’s how it works.
At a long daycare centre like Rise & Shine, your child attends their regular childcare sessions. The approved kindy program runs during part of those sessions.
Here’s the order of how your fees are worked out:
- Your centre reports the eligible childcare session fee
- CCS is calculated against that fee
- Free Kindy then covers the part of your remaining fee linked to the approved kindy program
- You pay any remaining costs for care outside the funded program
One important thing to know: Free Kindy makes the approved kindy program free. It doesn’t make the entire long day care day free. If your child attends a 10-hour day, you may still pay for the care that sits outside the funded kindy hours.
Use our CCS percentage calculator to get a clearer picture of what your out-of-pocket cost could look like.
Does Free Kindy Affect My CCS?
No. Free Kindy does not change your CCS hours or your subsidy percentage. From 5 January 2026, all CCS-eligible families receive at least 72 subsidised hours per fortnight (three days a week), regardless of work or study activity. Free Kindy sits separately on top of that.
What Free Kindy does affect is your remaining gap fee after CCS has been applied. Because it’s treated as a prescribed discount under federal CCS rules, Queensland’s contribution reduces what you owe without reducing the CCS calculated on your session. Your centre should not deduct Free Kindy from the reported session fee before CCS is calculated.
Why Am I Still Getting a Bill?
If you’re seeing a charge on your statement and wondering why, here are the most common reasons:
- Care outside the kindy program hours sits outside what Free Kindy covers. A full childcare day is usually longer than the funded 15 hours per week.
- Extra attendance beyond the approved program is charged at normal childcare rates, with CCS applied as usual.
- Non-program weeks are not covered. Free Kindy runs across 40 weeks, but your centre may be open outside those weeks. Normal fees apply during those periods.
Fees above the CCS hourly rate cap can also increase your out-of-pocket cost, so it’s worth asking your centre how the cap affects your bill.
If you’re unsure, ask your centre to break your statement down: the full childcare fee, the CCS amount, the Free Kindy contribution and what you still owe.That should make it clear.
Free Kindy QLD and School Readiness Go Hand in Hand
Free Kindy does more than lower your fees.The kindy year gives your child a strong foundation, so what happens in the funded program counts.
At Rise & Shine, our approved kindy program is built around the Shine Advantage curriculum, which covers literacy, numeracy, social-emotional learning, physical development and independence. It’s a full school readiness program designed to make sure your child walks into Prep feeling confident and ready.
Planning for Free Kindy QLD in 2027?
Queensland has confirmed that Free Kindy is continuing beyond 2026. For children entering kindy in 2027, the standard birth date range is 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
Before locking in a centre for 2027, check that your chosen service takes part in Free Kindy QLD and confirm which days and hours make up the approved program. It’s also worth reviewing the current CCS settings that will apply when care starts.
How to Apply for Free Kindy QLD at Rise & Shine
Applying for Free Kindy QLD through Rise & Shine is simple. Once your child is enrolled at an approved centre, the funding is applied directly to your fees. No claiming, no paperwork on your end.
Our team will confirm your child’s eligibility and walk you through how Free Kindy QLD and CCS work together, so you get the full benefit from day one.
Enrol with Rise & Shine today and secure your child’s kindy spot before the waitlist fills.
