New ad campaign features official SpokesKids to promote free kindy in Queensland

A new campaign has been launched by the Queensland Government to promote the introduction of a free year of early learning for all children in the year before school – known as Free Kindy. 

Using official ‘SpokesKids’ the campaign outlines the value of kindy, where free kindy is offered, and when it will commence (from January 2024). 

Along with the campaign the Queensland Government has created a new tool – Free Kindy Finder   to help families to find a local free kindy and enrol. 

“The early years are critical to a child’s future and we want every single Queensland family to know kindy is free, inclusive, and accessible. Who better to spread that message than kindy kids (sic.) themselves?” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. 

There are currently around 8,000 children who are eligible to attend a kindy but don’t, and it’s time to close that gap, she continued, which is why the campaign – which also includes TV, radio, social, digital and print elements – will have an additional push in areas where kindy enrolments are low. 

The campaign is translated into several different languages other than English including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Tamil, Tagalog, Spanish, Punjabi, and Arabic, to ensure maximum engagement, and will appear on targeted media channels including Aboriginal Health TV and non-English speaking radio. 

Currently, 14,000 Queensland children receive free kindy, and these historic reforms mean more than 50,000 additional children will be able to attend for free. The Government estimates that the reforms will save families up to $4,600 a year. 

The Palaszczuk Government will also ramp up its Be One of the People our Youngest People Need recruitment campaign, to attract and retain early childhood workers in order to support the reform.