Kids First Australia
Kids First Australia is a not-for-profit child and family services organisation operating 18+ government-funded kindergartens in Victoria and delivering trauma-informed educator training across Victoria and South Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1896
- HeadquartersThomastown, Australia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kids First Australia does
Kids First Australia is an independent, not-for-profit child and family services organisation founded in 1896 (originally as the Children's Protection Society) and headquartered in Thomastown, Victoria. It operates a directly-owned network of 18+ kindergarten centres across Victorian growth-corridor suburbs delivering Free Kinder, Pre-Prep, and trauma-informed early childhood education to an estimated 4,500-5,000 children annually, alongside child and family services, family violence support, and youth services programs. Its core intellectual property is the trademarked Early Years Education Program™ - Kindergarten Model, a relational, trauma-informed pedagogy developed with Dr Anne Kennedy and Associate Professor Brigid Jordan, and validated through a 2021-2024 randomised control trial with the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children's Research Institute funded by the Australian Research Council — the first RCT of its kind in Australia.
The organisation monetises primarily through government funding streams: Victorian Department of Education and Training (Free Kinder, Pre-Prep), Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Victorian School Readiness Funding, and South Australian Preschool Boost. A second revenue stream comes from fee-based educator training delivered to approximately 69 ECEC services across Victoria and South Australia (priced per group session plus per-person and travel surcharges), plus donations under its Public Benevolent Institution and DGR charity status. GTM is hybrid: direct-to-consumer for family enrolment (via council-managed systems and website enquiries) and direct-to-business for educator training (via Microsoft Teams and on-site delivery). Distribution channels include directly-operated centres, council enrolment intermediaries (e.g., City of Whittlesea), and government funding menus that accredit Kids First as an approved training provider.
Kids First Australia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kids First Australia
- Legal name
- Kids First Australia
- Website
- https://kidsfirstaustralia.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1896
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kids First Australia is a not-for-profit child and family services organisation operating 18+ government-funded kindergartens in Victoria and delivering trauma-informed educator training across Victoria and South Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kids First Australia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education and Care
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)
Keywords
Where Kids First Australia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Thomastown
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices18 records
Markets served
Kids First Australia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Funding: Kids First Australia receives significant government funding from Victorian and South Australian governments to deliver early childhood education, family violence support, youth services, and professional training. This includes Department of Education and Training funding, Department of Families Fairness and Housing funding, and School Readiness Funding/Preschool Boost allocations.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered charity with Public Benevolent Institution status and DGR status, Kids First Australia receives donations from the public. Eligible donations are tax-deductible.
- Educator Training Fees: Training sessions are priced for groups of up to 10 people at specified rates. Additional fees apply for groups larger than 10 ($55 per person). Travel costs apply for in-person sessions outside local areas, ranging from $220 to $770+ depending on distance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free 3-year-old kinder - 5 to 15 hours per week |
| Other | Annual | Free 4-year-old kinder - 15 hours per week (600 hours/year) |
| Other | Annual | Pre-Prep - 16 to 30 hours per week for eligible 4-year-olds |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group training (up to 10 people) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Travel costs for in-person training |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kids First Australia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kids First Australia operates a network of government-funded kindergartens across Victoria delivering 3- and 4-year-old programs, Pre-Prep, and family support built on its trademarked Early Years Education Program™ - a trauma-informed, relational pedagogy model. The organisation also runs child and family services, family violence support, and youth services, and sells accredited professional training to early childhood educators in Victoria and South Australia through School Readiness Funding, Preschool Boost, and Flexible Support Packages. Revenue is drawn from government grants, tax-deductible donations, and fee-for-service training.
Product overview
Kids First Australia is a not-for-profit child and family services organization founded in 1896, providing a diverse range of early childhood education and support services. At its core is the Early Years Education Program™ - Kindergarten Model, an evidence-based trauma-informed approach developed in partnership with Murdoch Children's Research Institute. The organization operates a network of government-funded kindergartens across Victoria offering 3 and 4 year old programs, Pre-Prep, and free kinder initiatives. Beyond direct service delivery, Kids First provides professional training programs including School Readiness Funding (VIC), Preschool Boost (SA), and Flexible Support Packages, all founded on trauma-informed practice and relational pedagogy. Child and Family Services, Family Violence Support, and Youth Services complement the early years focus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Early Years Education Program™ - Kindergarten Model: An evidence-based trauma-informed, relational pedagogy approach to early childhood education developed in partnership with Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Quantifiable outcome
- Large positive impacts on children's cognitive and non-cognitive development including IQ, protective factors related to resilience, and social-emotional development (from independent RCT)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kids First Australia
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kids First Australia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kids First Australia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of MelbournecoreConducted the independent randomised control trial (the first of its kind in Australia) alongside the Early Years Education Program's delivery, funded by the Australian Research Council. Found large positive impacts on children's cognitive and non-cognitive development.
- Murdoch Children's Research InstitutecorePartnership with Murdoch Children's Research Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of the Early Years Education Program™ - Kindergarten Model. The evaluation runs from 2021-2024, combining formative and summative evaluation over 3.5 years to provide evidence of a cost-effective, impactful, scalable model.
- City of Whittlesea CouncilcoreEnrolments at Korin Korin Kindergarten are managed through City of Whittlesea Council. Council manages the central enrolment process for both 3-year-old and 4-year-old kinder across the municipality.
- Associate Professor Brigid JordanminorCo-designed and implemented the original Early Years Education Program (EYEP) with Dr Anne Kennedy and Kids First (then Children's Protection Society).
- Dr Anne KennedyminorCo-designed and implemented the original Early Years Education Program (EYEP) with Associate Professor Brigid Jordan and Kids First (then Children's Protection Society).
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute's Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH)corePartnership secured to evaluate the Early Years Education Program™ - Kindergarten Model. Purpose is twofold: to provide evidence of a cost-effective, impactful, scalable model and to inform ongoing implementation and adaptation of the model.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kids First Australia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Affinity Education Group: ASX-listed operator of early learning centres across Australia (including the Milestones, Papilio, and Kids Club brands). Comparable as a scaled ECEC operator pursuing government-funded kindergarten places and educator training partnerships.
- Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium early childhood education operator with centres across multiple Australian states. Comparable in service offering, government-funded program participation, and pursuit of high NQS ratings.
- Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early childhood education provider, operating more than 660 centres nationally. Directly comparable as a large-scale, mission-aligned, government-funded ECEC operator competing for the same kindergarten enrolments and educator talent as Kids First.
- C&K (Creche and Kindergarten Association): Queensland-based community not-for-profit ECEC provider operating kindergartens and long day care. Directly comparable as a values-aligned, government-funded ECEC organisation with a long operating history.
- Only About Children (Oac): Private operator of long-day-care and preschool campuses across Australia. Comparable to Kids First in the ECEC service delivery model and in competing for Victorian and interstate kindergarten enrolments.
- Gowrie Australia: Federated early childhood education and care organisation with Victorian roots and national reach, providing centre-based ECEC, training, and inclusion support. Comparable to Kids First in mission, training services, and ECEC delivery.
Broad incumbents
- MacKillop Family Services: Catholic not-for-profit providing out-of-home care, education, and family services across multiple Australian states. Comparable as a large community-services organisation with overlapping early years, family support, and youth programming.
- Berry Street: Large Victorian not-for-profit providing child, family, and community services including early childhood programs. Comparable in mission and the breadth of family and child protection services that sit alongside Kids First's kindergarten network.
- Melbourne City Mission: Long-established Victorian community services organisation delivering family violence, youth, and early years programs. Comparable in scope and funding mix to Kids First's broader child and family services beyond kindergarten.
Others
- YMCA Australia: National community organisation that operates early learning centres alongside recreation and youth services. Comparable in operating model of community-run kindergartens and educator training pathways, though with a broader recreation focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kids First Australia social profiles
Digital presenceKids First Australia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Kids First Australia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kids First Australia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kids First Australia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries17 records
Kids First Australia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kids First Australia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kids First Australia
What does Kids First Australia do?
Kids First Australia operates a network of government-funded kindergartens across Victoria delivering 3- and 4-year-old programs, Pre-Prep, and family support built on its trademarked Early Years Education Program™ - a trauma-informed, relational pedagogy model. The organisation also runs child and family services, family violence support, and youth services, and sells accredited professional training to early childhood educators in Victoria and South Australia through School Readiness Funding, Preschool Boost, and Flexible Support Packages. Revenue is drawn from government grants, tax-deductible donations, and fee-for-service training.
Is Kids First Australia a public or private company?
Kids First Australia is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kids First Australia founded?
Kids First Australia was founded in 1896. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kids First Australia based?
Kids First Australia is headquartered in Thomastown, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Kids First Australia make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions and educator Training Fees.
Who are Kids First Australia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Affinity Education Group, Guardian Childcare & Education, Goodstart Early Learning, C&K (Creche and Kindergarten Association), Only About Children (Oac) and Gowrie Australia. Broad incumbents are MacKillop Family Services, Berry Street and Melbourne City Mission. YMCA Australia is listed as an others.
Does Kids First Australia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kids First Australia.
What industry is Kids First Australia in?
Kids First Australia's product category is Early Childhood Education and Care. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACABAK, Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGADAA, Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8200.