Work is taking place at more than 45 public preschools across South Australia to ensure they are ready to welcome three-year-olds next year, building on the valuable services they already offer their local communities.
Construction and renovation work worth $2.8 million is taking place at 31 of the 45 sites, stretching from the far north to the Eyre Peninsula and the mid-north region of South Australia, to ensure sites are ready. Four sites are undergoing major work while 27 are having a range of more minor facility adjustments to help them meet the needs of three-year-olds.
The government preschools are largely in rural and remote areas in the first year, along with three metropolitan demonstration sites and the Port Pirie West Integrated Hub, with the staged rollout to progress to regional and metropolitan government preschools between 2026 and 2030.
These preschools will be the first to provide three-year-old preschool, an important milestone in the staged delivery of a $1.9 billion investment by the Malinauskas Labor Government to support the state's youngest learners.
This work includes the upgrade of change facilities, making changes to ensure safety such as moving switches or improving line of slight and other general updates.
All of the work currently being done to ensure the 2026 sites are ready, is expected to be completed by Term 4, 2025. By 2029, these renovation works are expected to be completed at about 290 government preschools.
Additionally, one-off grant funding of at least $10,000 per site, is being provided to all government preschools rolling out three-year-old preschool in 2026 to further support their readiness for children and families.
The grant funding is to support sites with professional development, additional resources for children's programs, furniture and equipment such as fridges, or environmental adjustments to indoor and outdoor learning spaces.
A Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, led by the Hon Julia Gillard AC, showed children benefit from two years of quality, teacher-led preschool programs. These programs help children to thrive when they are young and set them up for a stronger start to school and beyond.
All South Australian children will continue to have a guaranteed place in their local government preschool in the year before school. Aboriginal children continue to have access to government preschool from their third birthday, as do children in care.
The roll-out of three-year-old preschool in partner long day care services across the state will also start from 2026.
As put by Blair Boyer
This is a significant step in ensuring that our preschools and kindergartens have been upgraded where needed to ensure they continue to provide the best possible support and opportunities for our state's youngest learners.
The State Government is committed to enabling as many children as possible to access three-year-old preschool, while not compromising on the quality, safety and service that is already delivered by our preschools to families.
The public system is a key part of delivering three-year-old preschool with significant numbers of children expected to enrol in government preschools – and this investment is part of readying the infrastructure to set up sites ahead of next year's roll out.
As put by Burra Early Learning Centre Director Sarah Stoddart
Here at Burra Early Learning Centre we are very pleased to be providing this service to our local community and surrounds from next year, and are hosting a Parent Information Session to answer any questions the community has on 18 September at 10am.
Our site is the only government preschool servicing the Burra region, along with outlying communities such as Hallett, Mt Bryan and Booborowie – so we have an integral role in our community supporting local families.
Three-year-old preschool will build on the Rural Care service we already offer, ensuring a play-based education option led by early childhood teachers is available to local families while supporting future generations of children in the region.
Full list of preschools
Amata Preschool
Andamooka Preschool
Fregon Preschool
Indulkana Child Parent Centre
Koonibba Preschool
Marree Preschool
Oodnadatta Child Parent Centre
Point Pearce Child Parent Centre
Yalata Preschool
Warooka School Based Preschool
Pipalyatjara Anangu Preschool
Ernabella Anangu Child Parent Centre
Kenmore Park Child Parent Centre
Oak Valley Aboriginal School CPC
Mimili Preschool
Murputja Preschool
Eudunda Community Preschool
Minlaton District Early Learning Ctr
Brentwood Drive Kindergarten
Ocean View College Children's Centre
Riverbanks College B-12 Preschool
Ardrossan & Districts Comm Kgtn
Booleroo Centre & District Kgtn
Central Yorke Early Learning Centre
Port Pirie West Children's Centre
Elliston Children's Centre
Gladstone Kindergarten
Hawker Childhood Services Centre
Jamestown Community Children's Ctr
Laura Preschool Centre
Leigh Creek Kindergarten
Lock Early Learning Centre
Yorketown Community Children's Ctr
Orroroo Kindergarten
Peterborough Community Preschool
Quorn Kindergarten
Burra Early Learning Centre
Streaky Bay Children's Centre
Riverton Kindergarten
Saddleworth Early Learning Centre
Wilmington Preschool
Miltaburra Children's Centre
Wudinna RSL Memorial Kindergarten
Penong Preschool
Karcultaby Preschool
