Kindergarten allocation and offer process

Kindergarten Rounds 

Families can only register for either Integrated or Sessional kindergarten for round one.
Kindergarten places are first allocated to children who meet the VDEKFG and Darebin 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. 

Timeline of allocation process

Priority of access

Darebin Kindergarten Central Registration System follows the Victorian Department of Education priority of access:

• Children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in out-of-home care
• Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islande children
• Asylum seeker and refugee children
• Children eligible for the kindergarten fee subsidy
• Children eligible for the Early Start Kindergarten
• Children with additional needs: those who need extra assistance in order to fully participate in the kindergarten program, require a combination of services which are individually planned, or have an identified specific disability or developmental delay. 
• Children approved for a second funded year of kindergartenand Darebin City Councils priority of access criteria.
• Children currently attending child care at participating service on the DCKRS and will be doing kindegarten 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

Families who are not Darebin residents and not eligible for Department of Education priority of access criteria will be in round three of the process.

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 DKCRS Team.

Accepting Offers 

Families will have two working days (48 hours) to accept or decline an offer by:

• Accessing their HH account
• Calling the registration team on 84708825
• Emailing the registration team 

Declining or refusal of Offers

Families will have two working days (48 hours) to decline an offer by

• Accessing their HH account
• Calling the registration team on 84708825
• 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 four-year-old kindergarten

Kindergarten Services participating in the DCCKRS will advise the Registration team of a list of children for consideration for a second year through the Department of Education. They will get priority into their preferred service. 

Families attending a funded 4-year-old kindergarten program not through the Registration System are required to provide the Registration Team in writing a statement from their current service that they have submitted an application to the Department of Education for consideration. Only after receiving this statement is your child able to be added to the Registration system.

Applications are determined by the Victorian Department of Education Kindergarten Funding Guide and are subject to approval. -Kindergarten-Funding-Guide-v6.pdf (education.vic.gov.au)

Further details regarding criteria for second year of funding should be discussed with the service.

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. 

More information: Kindergarten Registration Team
Phone 03 8470 8825 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
Email registration.kindergartenchildcare@darebin.vic.gov.au