Long Daycare vs Sessional Kindergarten in Victoria: What's the Difference?
If you''re a Victorian parent searching for "sessional kindergarten near me" or wondering whether kindergarten and childcare are really different things, you''re not alone. It''s one of the most common questions families ask us at Meraki Early Learning Centres in Mooroolbark and Bayswater.
The short answer: your child can attend a funded Three or Four Year Old Kindergarten program at either a sessional kinder or a long daycare centre — and at both, the Victorian Government''s Free Kinder funding applies. The difference comes down to hours, meals, and how the day is structured.
What is sessional kindergarten?
A sessional kindergarten runs short, set sessions — typically 5 to 7.5 hours, a few days a week, during school terms only. Children attend just for the kinder program, then go home (or to another carer) for the rest of the day. There are no meals provided beyond a small snack from home, and the centre is closed during all school holidays.
Sessional kinder works well for families where one parent isn''t working, or where grandparents and other carers can cover the rest of the week.
What is kindergarten inside long daycare?
A long daycare centre like Meraki ELC delivers the same funded Three and Four Year Old Kindergarten program, led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher and meeting the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework — but inside a longer day, from 6:30am to 6:30pm, 50 weeks a year.
Your child still gets their funded kinder hours with a qualified teacher. They also get:
- Five freshly-prepared meals a day included in the fee (breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late snack)
- Care across school holidays, not just term time
- Flexible drop-off and pick-up between 6:30am and 6:30pm
- Continuity — the same room, educators and friends every day
The Free Kinder funding is the same
This is the bit families often miss: the Victorian Government''s Free Kinder funding applies at long daycare centres too, as long as the centre is approved (Meraki Mooroolbark and Bayswater both are). You don''t have to choose between using your funded kinder hours and having long daycare — you can have both.
For Four Year Old Kindergarten, this means up to $2,500 per year off your fees. For Three Year Old Kindergarten, you also receive funded hours subsidised by the State Government.
On top of that, the Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy (CCS) can further reduce your out-of-pocket fees based on your family income and activity test.
Side-by-side comparison
| | Sessional kindergarten | Long daycare with funded kinder (Meraki ELC) | | --- | --- | --- | | Funded kinder program | Yes | Yes — same curriculum, same qualified teacher | | Free Kinder funding | Yes | Yes | | Hours per day | ~5–7.5 hours | 6:30am – 6:30pm | | School holidays | Closed | Open 50 weeks/year | | Meals included | No | Yes — 5 meals freshly prepared on-site | | CCS available | Limited | Yes | | Suits | Single-income or flexible families | Working families and anyone who wants meals + longer hours |
Which option suits Mooroolbark and Bayswater families?
If you live in Mooroolbark, Lilydale, Croydon, Kilsyth, Chirnside Park, Bayswater, Boronia, Wantirna, Heathmont or Ringwood, both options exist nearby — but the long daycare model is increasingly popular with working parents in the Yarra Ranges and Maroondah because it removes the juggle of school-hours pick-ups and holiday cover.
At Meraki ELC we run the funded kinder program inside our long daycare day, so your child gets the same educational foundation as a sessional kinder, plus the wraparound care, meals and consistency that working families need.
Common questions
Will my child miss out on "real kinder" if they go to long daycare? No. The Three and Four Year Old Kindergarten program at Meraki is the same funded program, led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher, that you''d get at a sessional kinder. It''s the setting that differs, not the curriculum.
Do I have to pay for the kinder hours twice? No. The Free Kinder funding offsets your daily fee — you don''t pay separately for the kinder program on top of your daycare fee.
Can I start with sessional and move to long daycare later? Yes, but places at quality long daycare kinder programs fill quickly. If you think you''ll need it for school holidays or working hours, we recommend booking a tour early.
Book a tour
The easiest way to see how the funded kinder program works inside our long daycare day is to come and look. Tours take around 30 minutes and you''ll meet our team and the Early Childhood Teacher leading the program.
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