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Inclusion support

Yarra Children's Services offer free, extra support for kindergarten children with additional needs.

Do you think your child needs extra support in kindergarten? Our inclusion support programs offer extra support and help for your child at kindergarten.

About our programs

  • Kindergarten is for children of all abilities.
  • Children's Services offer three support programs 
    • Access to Early Learning
    • Preschool Field Officer
    • CALD Outreach Officer
  • The programs are free.
  • You need a referral to join

How to get support

For more information on the programs and how to access them, please see the links below.

More information

Read our information sheet for early childhood services [ PDF, 150.57 KB] .

Or contact us on [email protected] or 9205 5555.

The Access to Early Learning (AEL) program helps children from families with complex needs to engage in a high-quality kindergarten program.

It's a free program for 3-year-old children.

The program can:

  • connect families to kindergarten programs
  • help children with activities to learn at home
  • help parents understand a child's learning and development better
  • make sure teachers know how they can best support a child.

Find out more about the AEL program on the Victorian Government website.

Only specialist children services can give a referral for this program.

Please contact:

  • an enhanced maternal child health nurse
  • a family support worker
  • a Child First worker
  • a Child Protection worker

For further information contact the AEL facilitator AEL@yarracity.vic.gov.au 

How can the CALD Outreach Officer help you?

CALD outreach workers address barriers to kindergarten access and participation for children and families from CALD backgrounds. They also support families transition to school, as well as ongoing engagement and participation in education.

Any parent/carer of children who need support to enrol in a funded kindergarten program within the municipality can contact the CALD Outreach Officer for help.

CALD Outreach support is not just limited to the City of Yarra owned and operated services.

You can contact the CALD Outreach Officer at CALDOutreach@yarracity.vic.gov.au

The Preschool Field Officer (PSFO) program helps all Victorian children in a funded kindergarten program who may need extra support with:

  • learning and language
  • developmental delays
  • behavioural issues
  • giftedness
  • intellectual disability
  • physical disability.

The program is free and may include:

  • discussions about how your child learns and develops
  • kindergarten strategies and resources
  • teacher mentoring
  • additional support services, such as speech pathology or occupational therapy.

Read our Preschool Field Officer Program flyer [ PDF, 186.42 KB] to find out more 

If you'd like to enrol your child into the program please complete the PSFO Referral Form [ PDF, 175.52 KB] and email to PSFO@yarracity.vic.gov.au or you can talk to:

  • the Preschool Field Officer directly
  • a kindergarten teacher
  • an early childhood educator
  • a maternal and child health nurse
  • a paediatrician
  • a speech pathologist
  • an occupational therapist
  • another health professional.

What is the SEED program?

SEED is an intensive early childhood education and care model trial operating in partnership with the federal and state education departments, Parkville Institute and the University of Melbourne

The program, located in Richmond, offers intensive early childhood education and care to babies and toddlers who are experiencing significant family stress or social disadvantage.

SEED is FREE to families who meet the referral criteria and are referred by a support agency (5 days per week, 9:30am - 2:30pm, 50 weeks a year).

The SEED community (Educators, families and children) are supported by an Infant Mental Health Consultant and a Family Consultant. The program is based on key learnings from trauma and attachment theory and offers educational and relational interventions to reduce the impacts on children of living with toxic stress.  The program aims to enable children to become successful learners and begin school with the skills they need to flourish.

For more information read SEED project information factsheet [ PDF, 141.38 KB]

To refer a child into the program complete the SEED referral form [ PDF, 241.45 KB]

If you feel that your child needs some support the year before they attend kindergarten, please contact the PSFO at PSFO@yarracity.vic.gov.au to request a PSFO referral form.

Applications to book a place in kindergarten is open from February to July the year before your child begins 3-year-old or 4-year-old kindergarten.

Your 4-year-old child may be eligible for a second year of kindergarten if the teacher notices a learning or developmental delay in at least two key areas.

You can explore this further by talking to your child's kindergarten teacher or connecting with the PSFO.

To find out more, read the information from the Victorian Government.