Victorian parents will be able to send their children to kindergarten for free in 2021, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced.
Some $169.6 million in the state's 2020/21 budget will go towards making kinder free, saving families about $2,000 for every child enrolled in a participating program.
Mr Andrews said the scheme would help alleviate some of the pressure parents had faced amid the coronavirus pandemic, including juggling working from home and looking after young children.
"This is all about household budgets and supporting families with more money in their pocket. Instead of having to pay for things that are critically important, those things become free," Mr Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.
The government also announced $81.6 million in grants will be made available to allow more schools to provide before and after-school care.
"We think that this is just a logical next step to take to support mums and dads and our smallest Victorians, but most particularly to support women who have been very hard hit by the pandemic this year," Mr Andrews said.
Up to 400 government schools will be eligible for grants of up to $75,000.
Education Minister James Merlino said the funding would allow for out-of-hours care to become available at 95 per cent of government schools.
"This is both easing pressure on families and providing that opportunity ... to get back into the workforce either returning to work, particularly for women, or significantly increasing their hours," Mr Merlino said.
Mr Andrews said it was one of many budget announcements the government would make that would focus on women and working families.
The budget will be handed down on 24 November.
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