Kindergarten allocation and offer process

Families can only register for either integrated or sessional kindergarten for round one.

Timeline of allocation process for 2027

Kindergarten rounds 

Kindergarten places are first allocated to children who meet the Victorian State Government Priority of Access and Darebin Locally agreed Priority of Access. Remaining allocations are then made through Hub Hello randomised system.

Places are filled depending on the vacancies provided to the registration team from individual kindergartens. 

There is no guarantee that families who attended the service for funded three-year-old kindergarten will receive a place at the same service for four-year-old kindergarten as it depends upon the Priority of Access families. 

Priority of access – 2026 registrations

Victorian State Government Priority of Access:

• Children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in Out-of-Home Care
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
• Asylum seeker and refugee children
• Children that meet the eligibility criteria for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy
• Children with additional needs, defined as children who: with an identified specific disability or developmental delay; who require additional assistance to fully participate in the kindergarten program
• Children being assessed as having delays in 2 or more areas and is declared eligible for a second year of funded kindergarten

Darebin locally agreed priority of access criteria:

• Children currently attending childcare at participating service on the registration system and will be doing kindergarten at that service
• Families who are Darebin residents
• Child's sibling attended the first selected service within the last 2 years
• First selected funded kindergarten program is closest to the child's address
• Child has attended a 3-year-old program at their first selected for 4-year-old kindergarten
• Child is in the family which includes a person with a diagnosed disability

Priority of access for kindergarten 2027

The Victorian State Government Priority of Access criteria have been updated for 2027. All of the existing eligibility criteria are still in place.

The revised approach introduces 2 tiers:

• Tier 1: children who will benefit the most from improved access and participation in a kindergarten program.
• Tier 2: for children currently attending the service, applied after all Tier 1 children are placed.

Tier 1

• Children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in Out-of-Home Care
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
• Asylum seeker and refugee children
• Children and/or families holding concession cards
• Children from families with multiple births - Triplets or more
• Children and/or families with additional needs who require additional assistance to fully participate in the kindergarten program
• Children access an additional year of three- and Four-year-old kindergarten or Pre-Prep

Tier 2 – applied after all Tier 1 children are placed.

• Children currently attending the service – depending 

Darebin locally agreed priority of access criteria.

• Children currently attending childcare at participating service on the registration system and will be doing kindergarten at that service
• Families who are Darebin residents
• Child's sibling attended the first selected service within the last 2 years
• First selected funded kindergarten program is closest to the child's address
• Child is in the family which includes a person with a diagnosed disability

More detailed information about the Victorian State Government PoA

Making offers

The Hub Hello system will randomly generate offers to the successful families, families will receive a sms and an email advising them of the offer. Families who are unsuccessful in round one will receive an email from the Kindergarten Registration Team.

Accepting offers 

Families will have two working days (24 hours) to accept or decline an offer by:

• accessing their HH account
• calling the registration team on 03 8470 8825
• emailing the registration team. 

Declining or refusal of offers

Families will have two working days (24 hours) to decline an offer by:

• accessing their HH account
• calling the registration team on 03 8470 8825
• emailing the registration team. 

No response to offers

If there is no response to the offer by the due date:

• The families will be notified in writing that the offer has been withdrawn and their child’s registration has been archived.
• The record will be reinstated once the family has made contact with the registration team.
• Attempts will be made to contact families who do not respond to an offer.
• The registration team will contact families via, phone, SMS and email.
• If there is no response the offer will be withdrawn and the registration archived.

Second year of kindergarten

Kindergarten services participating with the Registration system will advise the Registration team of a list of children for consideration for a second year of kindergarten. They will get priority into their preferred service. 

Families whose children attend a funded kindergarten not through the registration system will be asked to supply the team with an email from the current service that a second year of funded kindergarten is being considered for the child and will be submitted to the Department of Education.

If registration for a second year of funded kindergarten occurs after 30 June, the registration will be treated as a priority. If the current service has no availability, the registration will be top priority when a place becomes available. 

Darebin Kindergarten Centralised Registration 2025(PDF, 354KB)

Feedback

The Registration Team welcomes feedback from services, families and carers about their experience.  You can provide feedback at any time by calling or emailing the team. Every Year, our team reviews the processes and procedures to make sure we are providing the best service possible. 

More information

Darebin Centralised Registration Team
Phone 03 8470 8825 (Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm)
Email registration.kindergartenchildcare@darebin.vic.gov.au