Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS) | Victoria & Tasmania

Kindergarten Inclusion Support

Supporting children living with a disability

Support is available for funded kindergartens to plan and put in place a program that is responsive to the individual abilities, interests and needs of children with a disability, developmental delay, or complex medical needs. The Kindergarten Inclusion Support Program (KIS) contributes to the delivery of quality kindergarten programs in line with the National Quality Framework.

The program:

Provides assistance that complements the kindergarten teams’ knowledge and skills to deliver an inclusive program that support children with diverse abilities
Supports the kindergarten team to deliver positive outcomes for children, as defined in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
Responds to the child’s abilities, strengths and needs by supporting the kindergarten to increase their learning and development.

There are resources available to support kindergartens to implement an inclusive program.

Types of KIS programs and support:

KIS Disability
KIS Complex Medical Needs.

Learn more about these programs and check the eligibility criteria HERE.

We can provide:

Specialist consultancy for early childhood teachers to support modifications of the kindergarten program
Specialist training for the kindergarten team to meet the individual needs of the child with a disability and ongoing high support needs
Minor building modifications such as ramps and grip rails, which would support the child’s attendance in the kindergarten program and participation in the activities
An additional assistant funded through the KIS program works as a member of the team delivering the kindergarten program, developed by the early childhood teacher that is inclusive of all children in the group
KIS Specialist Equipment Trial (SET). Refer to the SET guidelines and FAQs to clarify eligibility within the program. Educators can also contact Yooralla, the program administrator for further information. Contact them on KISSpecialistEquipment@yooralla.com.au or call (03) 5990 9672.

Factsheet - Role of a KIS funded AA

Factsheet - Specialist consultancy

Team approach to inclusion

All members of the kindergarten team contribute to the education of children in the group.

The benefits of a team approach are:

The early childhood teacher has increased capacity to provide a flexible program that responds to the needs of each child in the group
The kindergarten promotes understanding of and respect for diversity to children and families/carers
All children are supported to develop trusting relationships with all staff members. These relationships support children to develop a sense of belonging to the group and the broader community.

Approach to inclusion

Factsheet - Resources to support inclusion

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the KIS program, services need to demonstrate the following in their application:

Their program is funded by the Victorian government.

All clients need to meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

The child has a disability as defined by the Disability Act 2006 with ongoing high support needs
The child is undergoing continuing assessment of a disability, as defined by the Disability Act 2006 with ongoing high support needs

All clients also need to meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

The child poses significant risk of serious injury to self or others
The child is extremely restricted in their capacity for movement
they have exceptional support needs that require immediate medical intervention for life-threatening situations

Refer to the Department of Education and Training (DET) website and read the Kindergarten Inclusion Support Guidelines before commencing an application.