Thank you for choosing a Meli kindergarten for the care and education of your child. Meli kindergartens offer 3 and 4 year old kindergarten programs.
Please note, this is an application form only. It is not confirmation of a kindergarten place.
Applications are not prioritised by date entry.
Kindergarten places are allocated to eligible children in accordance with the Department of Education Priority of Access and our Locally Agreed Criteria. See Meli website for more details.
2026 Kinder allocations will include the service and the program. This means your child will be allocated to one of your Kindergarten preferences at the same time they will be allocated to a group and given the days they can attend.
2027 application will open February 2026.
2028 application will not open until early 2027.
Please note that applications for a Meli kindergarten is currently open for 2025 and 2026 only.
When to start kindergarten
Please note that your child cannot start kindergarten until they have had their third birthday.
Three year old kindergarten - Government Funded Program
- Children must be three years old to attend Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
- Families with children born between January and April are strongly recommended to consider the best time for their child to access Three-Year-Old kindergarten, as this will impact on their one year of Four-Year-Old kindergarten and their school starting age. e.g. If you access Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2026, your child will transition to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2027, then school in 2028.
Four year old kindergarten - Government Funded Program
- Children must be four years old by 30 April in the year they are attending kindergarten to be eligible.
- Children will only be able to access one year of Government Funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten and will transition to school the following year, unless your child is assessed as being eligible for a second year of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (when a child shows delays in at least two key outcomes of learning and development as assessed by your child’s kindergarten teacher.
| Child Is |
Eligible for 3YO |
Eligible for 4YO |
Eligible to attend school |
| Born before 30 April 2022 |
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
| Born before 30 April 2023 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
| Born before 30 April 2024 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
Starting age calculator