More than half of eligible three-year-olds have enrolled for the ACT's free preschool scheme.
In the first four months of the scheme, about 2700 children have enrolled in the scheme which provides 300 hours of free preschool per year through 140 early education providers.
The scheme only covers some hours for one day per week, meaning families are still required to pay a contribution to the remaining hours and days.
"Families need to enrol their child into a participating service for a full day," an ACT government spokesman said.
"Depending on the early childhood education and care setting, not all hours within a full day will be dedicated to the delivery of preschool by a degree-qualified early childhood teacher.
"In the hours before and after the preschool day, other play-based learning will be provided and subsidised by the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy."
Upon announcing the start of the program, the ACT government said about 5000 children would be able to access the scheme.
Providers need to be operating under the National Quality Framework and must work towards having a program run by degree-qualified educators. Playschools and playgroups are not part of the scheme as they are not operating under the framework, which has strict quality criteria that providers need to meet.
"The requirement for the program to be delivered by a degree-qualified early childhood teacher is being phased in, in light of current workforce shortages," the spokesman said.
Playgroups Australia chair Felicity Dunn said the organisation applauded the ACT government for investing in preschool.
She said playgroups, which are more informal gatherings of parents and children, should also be supported after attendance declined after the COVID-affected years.
"We want parents to feel supported to come to playgroup as well and not neglect those first three years of life where most brain growth occurs. And that of course, is where playgroup attendance is really beneficial," Ms Dunn said.
