Best Start, Best Life early childhood education reforms: ECEC workforce input needed

Freya Lucas

Apr 28, 2023

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The Department of Education Victoria is planning for the rollout of its landmark Best Start, Best Life reform and needs the input of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, along with interested Victorians and parents and carers to shape the future of early childhood education in Victoria.

The Best Start, Best Life reform includes:

Free Kinder being available for all three- and four-year-olds at participating services in Victoria
Transitioning Four-Year-Old Kindergarten to 30 hours of Pre-Prep, gradually from 2025
Establishing 50 government-owned and operated Early Learning Centres
Ongoing rollout of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, which will continue as planned, with no changes to its roll-out schedule.

Three surveys are available to support shaping the implementation of the reform - one for those working in early childhood education, one for parents and carers and one for the Victorian public with an interest in early childhood education. Early childhood workforce survey Best Start, Best Life early childhood education reform | Engage Victoria Questions in the workforce survey will cover:

employment type (e.g. teacher or educator),
service type,
benefits of the Best Start, Best Life reforms
motivators for working as an early childhood professional

The responses will help to create aggregate data and feedback that will be used to influence the Best Start, Best Life reform. For more information on the Best Start, Best Life reform visit Kindergarten – Best Start, Best Life.

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