By the time a child walks through the school gate for the first time, much of their early brain development is already complete. Which raises an obvious question: what’s happening in the years before?
South Australia’s answer is Flying Start. From 2026, the Flying Start 3-year-old preschool program is being progressively introduced, with every South Australian child set to have access by 2032. Two years of quality preschool, rather than one, gives children more time to build the foundations that shape everything that follows: language, confidence, social connection, and a genuine love of learning. This is all part of a $1.9b investment over ten years into early childhood reforms, the most significant investment in early childhood in a generation.
Nearly a quarter of South Australian five-year-olds are currently starting school behind their developmental milestones, a finding that informed the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, and that Flying Start is directly designed to address. Identifying those needs at three rather than five means earlier support, more time to close any potential gaps, and access to Preschool Boost funding for services to help children who need it.
Play sits at the centre of it. At three, children learn best through exploration, building, pretending, problem-solving, and making friends. Qualified early childhood teachers lead the program, designing age-appropriate experiences that look like play but are doing serious developmental work underneath. Language develops through conversation and storytelling. Confidence grows through trying things, failing, and trying again. Social skills emerge through navigating the small but significant worlds of other three-year-olds. It’s not about fast-tracking children into academic learning; it’s about giving them more time to grow into it.
The research on early intervention is consistent: the earlier children receive quality education and support, the better their outcomes across school and beyond. South Australia is now making that a reality for every family.
The sooner children start, the further they can go.
For more information, visit flyingstart.sa.gov.au
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