- The Crisafulli Government is expanding hospital kindergarten to eight regional areas across the State.
- The program brings play-based learning activities to young children undergoing hospital stays.
- Cairns, Gold Coast, Logan and Townsville recently started the program, with four more regional hospitals to follow.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for Queensland and better services for families.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering an expansion to Hospital Kindy to ensure more young children across the State can access important early years education.
Hospital Kindy offers play-based learning activities for children in hospital, delivered by a qualified teacher and tailored to each child's interests, physical and learning needs.
Building on the success of the program at the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Hospital Kindy is extending to eight regional hospitals, with an additional investment of more than $700,000 per annum.
The roll out started in Cairns, the Gold Coast, Logan and Townsville in Term 3 2025, with 100 bedside kindy sessions already delivered to 68 children.
Hospitals at Ipswich, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast will begin delivering the kindergarten program in 2026.
Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek said the expanded program delivers a fresh start for Queensland and better services for families.
"The Crisafulli Government is delivering Hospital Kindy to the regions to ensure our young and vulnerable Queenslanders don't miss out," Minister Langbroek said.
"Kindy helps children's early learning and development and sets them up for school through play-based education.
"It's important that children who are affected by illness or injury can continue to learn while they're undergoing treatment and this program helps give parents and carers one less thing to worry about.
"We're ensuring the best start for young Queenslanders through our record $21.9 billion Education Budget, which is delivering Hospital Kindy, 15 new schools, safer classrooms, and more teachers and teacher aides."
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said that every child deserved as many opportunities as possible to grow and learn, no matter their circumstances.
"Queensland's world-class hospital kindy and education services ensure that when young children and students face serious illness or long hospital stays, their learning and development doesn't stop," Mr Nicholls said.
"This partnership with Education and the Queensland Children's Hospital is a powerful reminder of what's possible when agencies come together with a shared purpose.
"Hospital education is not just a service - it's a lifeline that keeps children connected to school, their peers and their futures."
Queensland Children's Hospital School Executive Principal Michelle Bond welcomed funding to expand Hospital Kindy to the regions.
"Teachers have been providing an education service to kindergarten-aged children receiving treatment at the Queensland Children's Hospital or Mater Children's Private Brisbane since 2018," Ms Bond said.
"In partnership with regional hospitals, we already deliver 25 quality educational programs to students who are inpatients, outpatients and their families at hospitals and health sites across Queensland.
"Our highly qualified teachers and support staff deliver tailored school educational programs across all our hospital programs. We look forward to welcoming a whole new cohort of kindergarten-aged children to our hospital education programs in regional Queensland."
