This page explains how kindergarten places are allocated and offered to children, specifically for 2027.
- Is there a waiting list?
We don’t have a traditional waiting list. Once you have completed a registration, your child will be awaiting placement.
All applications awaiting placement are grouped together based on an allocated priority score and considered in offer rounds at the same time.
There is no guarantee your child will be offered a place at kindergarten.
Due to demand, there can be more children awaiting placement than places available. For kindergartens that are full, vacancies only become available when an offer has been declined or a family cancels a place.
Your child will be awaiting placement until:
- A place is offered and accepted
- The registration is cancelled
- 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 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
Where children hold the same priority score, the system will randomly allocate places based on the child’s listed preferences to make this fair and equitable for all children.
- 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 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 by their teacher).
- 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. Families will need to provide one of the following supporting documents:
- Approved National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan, or support letter from a specialist or medical practitioner showing that you are undergoing a continuing assessment of a disability under the NDIS
- Diagnosed with a disability or developmental delay, or undergoing diagnosis of a disability or developmental delay (supported by a letter from a specialist or medical practitioner)
- Presents with developmental concerns that present barriers to accessing a kindergarten program (supported by a letter or other evidence from a Maternal Child Health nurse (MCH), Pre-School Field Officer (PSFO), or allied health practitioner)
- Referred for an Early Childhood Intervention Service Continuity of Support Program (ECIS COC)
- Previously accessed the Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS), or Commonwealth Inclusion Support (CIS) program
- Disability Health Care Card
- Children with significant health, disability-related, or a complex medical condition that requires multiple supports and additional assistance to fully participate in the kindergarten program (including ongoing care, treatment or support). Families will need to provide a referral letter from one of the following:
- specialist
- psychologist
- psychiatrist
- medical practitioner
- allied health professional
- Parent, foster carer, or kinship carer with significant health, disability-related, or a complex medical condition that requires multiple supports and additional assistance for the child to fully participate in the kindergarten program (including ongoing care, treatment or support). Families will need to provide a referral letter from one of the following:
- specialist
- psychologist
- psychiatrist
- medical practitioner
- allied health professional
- Approved National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan or support letter from a specialist or medical practitioner showing that you are undergoing a continuing assessment of a disability under the NDIS
- Disability Health Care Card
Tier 2 Cohort
- Children currently attending a City of Casey CRES 3-year-old kindergarten 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 who have the closest kindergarten to their family residence listed as their first preference
- Children who previously attended or are currently attending a City of Casey CRES 3-year-old kindergarten and looking to access a different service for their 4-year-old kindergarten,
- Children of City of Casey residents or ratepayers.
Please note: While priority is given for children who attended 3-year-old kindergarten within the CRES, due to limited places it doesn’t guarantee they will be offered a 4-year-old place.
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 to be considered for a transfer, or
- decline the offer and be considered in future offer rounds.
What’s not considered when allocating places:
- The date you register for kindergarten
- Only listing one kindergarten or session
- Prior connection to a service
- Being enrolled at a certain school
More information
- Receiving your kindergarten offer
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
- accept and request to be considered for a transfer
- decline the offer and be considered in future offer rounds
- cancel the registration
As the offer stage progresses, if your preferred kindergartens are full, you may be offered different days, times or kindergartens to what you have listed.
Please note:
If your child is eligible to be considered for a transfer, they will be included in transfer offer rounds only, as transfer and offer rounds are undertaken separately.
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 no longer be considered in offer rounds,
- You’ll need to contact the Kindergarten Enrolment and Planning Team if you want to be considered in future offer rounds.
If you haven't received an offer
After each allocation families who did not receive an offer are notified via email. Your child will remain awaiting placement in future offer rounds.
- Deferring your 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.
Please note: If you are deferring your child’s kindergarten year after accepting a place, the place will be cancelled and cannot be carried over to the following year. Your child’s record will be updated to reflect the change in year.
Email kinderenrolment@casey.vic.gov.au if you would like your child to be considered for a deferral. If eligible, your child’s record will be updated to reflect the change in year.
- Transferring your Kindergarten or Session
If you want to move your child to a different kindergarten or session, see our Request to transfer kindergartens webpage
Please note: If your child is eligible to be considered for a transfer, they will be included in transfer offer rounds only, as transfer and offer rounds are undertaken separately.
Further information can be found Transferring kindergartens and sessions | City of Casey
What’s Next?
Once you have accepted your child’s place, you will be contacted later in the year with next steps.