2027 Offers
This page explains how kindergarten places are allocated and offered to children, specifically for 2027.
- Where is my child on the waiting list
Once you have completed a registration, your child will be added to the waiting list.
Children remain on the waiting list until:
- A place is offered and accepted
- The registration is cancelled
We can’t tell you where a child is on the waiting list as this changes daily.
Due to demand, there can be more children on the waiting list than places available. For kindergartens that are full, vacancies only become available when an offer has been declined or a family cancels a place.
- How kindergarten places are allocated for 2027
The City of Casey must follow the Department of Education’s (DE) Priority of Access guidelines when allocating kindergarten places.
Each child’s registration is given a score based on their family’s circumstances. Then, places are allocated in this order:
- Children that fall into Tier 1 priority based on the Department of Education criteria
- Children that fall into Tier 2 priority based on the Department of Education criteria
- Children who fit within the City of Casey local criteria
- Children who do not fall within the City of Casey local criteria
If children hold the same score, the system randomly allocates places to make sure this is fair and equitable.
- Priority of Access Criteria
Department of Education priority
The Department of Education use the following criteria to identify high priority children:
(families may be required to provide supporting documentation).Tier 1 Cohort
- Children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in Out-of-Home-Care (OoHC), or known to Child Protection (currently or in the past).
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children.
- Asylum seeker and refugee children (where the child or their parents/carers/legal guardian hold, have held, or are applying for an eligible visa).
- Child or parent holds a Commonwealth Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, or Veterans’ Affairs Card.
- Children from families with multiple births (triplets or quadruplets)
- Children with additional needs who require additional assistance to fully participate in the kindergarten program, and who can provide a letter stating complex medical needs from one of the following:
- Approved NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) plan
- Referral letter from a medical practitioner, specialist, MCH (Maternal and Child Health Nurse), allied health specialist, or PSFO (Pre-School Field Officer)
- ECIS (Early Childhood Intervention Service) support letter
- Approved KIS (Kindergarten Inclusion Support) program
- Disability Health Care Card.
- Parent, foster carer, or kinship carer with complex medical needs that presents barriers to accessing the kindergarten program, and who can provide a letter supporting both the medical needs and barriers from one of the following:
- Approved NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) plan
- Referral letter from a medical practitioner or specialist
- Disability Health Care Card
- Children accessing an additional year of 3-year-old, 4-year-old, or Pre-Prep Kindergarten (Children must have been assessed with delays in two or more areas and recommended for an additional year).
Tier 2 Cohort
Children currently attending a City of Casey CRES 3-year-old program and looking to return to the same service for 4-year-old kindergarten.
City of Casey Local Criteria
The City of Casey uses the following local criteria to identify priority children:
- Children whose closest kindergarten to the family residence is listed as their first preference,
- Children currently attending a City of Casey CRES 3-year-old program and looking to access the funded program at a different service for 4-year-old kindergarten,
- Children of City of Casey residents or ratepayers.
Important: While priority is given for children who attend 3-year-old kindergarten within the CRES, due to limited places it doesn’t guarantee they will get a 4-year-old place at the same kindergarten.
Twins
The City of Casey aims to place twins in the same service/group where possible. Where this is not possible, families can:
- accept the offered place and request a transfer, or
- remain on the waiting list to be considered in future offer rounds.
What’s not considered when allocating places:
- The date you register for kindergarten
- Listing one kindergarten or session
- Being enrolled at a certain school
More information
- How the kindergarten offer process works?
Kindergarten offers start in August, the year before your child begins kindergarten.
Here’s how it works:
- Offers for 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten are sent separately.
- Offers are sent out in stages and occur approximately every four weeks and continue into the kindergarten year.
- Families will receive an sms notification and offer email with instructions on how to accept, decline, go back on the waiting list, or cancel their registration.
As the offer stage progresses, if your preferred kindergartens are full and you have said you will consider alternates, you may be offered different days, times or kindergarten to what you have listed.
Important: Offer and transfer rounds are undertaken separately. If your child is on the transfer waiting list, they will be considered for a place in transfer offer rounds only. Further information can be found Transferring kindergartens and sessions | City of Casey.
How to respond to your offer
The offer email will explain how and when to reply.
If you don’t reply in time:
- The offer will be cancelled,
- Your child will be taken off the waiting list.
- You’ll need to contact the Kindergarten
Enrolment and Planning Team if you want to be added back to the waiting list.
If you haven't received an offer
After each allocation families who did not receive an offer are notified via email.
- Deferring kindergarten year
Children born between January and April may be eligible to change their kindergarten year to the next year. This can only be done if your child hasn’t started the program yet.
Important: If you are deferring your child’s kindergarten year after accepting a place, that place will be cancelled and cannot be carried over to the following year. Your child will need to rejoin the waiting list.
If you would like your child to be considered for a deferral, email kinderenrolment@casey.vic.gov.au.
If eligible, your child will be added to the waiting list and included once offer rounds commence in the new year.
- Transferring Kindergarten or Session
If you want to move your child to a different kindergarten or session, see our Request to transfer kindergartens webpage
Important: Offer and transfer rounds are undertaken separately. If your child is on the transfer waiting list, they will be considered for a place in transfer offer rounds only.
What’s Next?
Once you have accepted your child’s place, you will be contacted later in the year with next steps.