Kindergarten is an educational program for children in the year prior to starting primary school. Kindergarten programs can be offered in a sessional kindergarten setting as well as in long day care, often called children’s services or child care centres.

Being a working parent is a challenging role. It involves a balancing act between meeting your child’s needs for care and attention, sharing a satisfying relationship with your partner and friends and being a reliable and competent employee while trying to enjoy life and parenthood.

School is compulsory in Australia for children aged 6 (5 in TAS) to 15 (ACT, NSW, NT), 16 (QLD, VIC) or 17 (Tasmania, WA, SA), although each state has different cut-off dates for entry/exit. Regardless of the type of school – public (government/state), home schooling, private or otherwise – a curriculum is in place setting the framework of education across the country.

Placing your child in child care is an exciting, though sometimes overwhelming, experience for many families. Before you begin using child care, you will need to consider issues such as when you want to start using care, what child care options are available, how to access child care, and what you might expect when your child starts care. This article by the National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc. provides you with information to guide you through these issues, and to assist you to make informed decisions about the type of child care your family wants to use.