Reef, 4 years old, takes part in the Healthy Kindy Kid program with Allied Health Assistant Ella Spark.
Queensland children are now being offered free vision, hearing, speech and language screening during kindergarten to identify any developmental concerns early and support their transition to school.
The Healthy Kindy Kids program is expanding across Townsville and the Gold Coast, bringing important health checks directly into government-approved kindergartens and making it easier for families to access early support.
The program follows a successful pilot across five Townsville kindergartens between October and November 2025, which identified around 70 participating children who required follow-up support in at least one area.
There are already kindergartens participating in Townsville and on the Gold Coast, including Little Scholars, with more expected to join as the program expands.
For Gold Coast parent Tjana Burrett the checks are a welcome addition.
Tjana’s child attends Little Scholars in Burleigh West and the Healthy Kindy Kids program provided certainty in identifying any issues in her child’s development.
“As a parent, I think early screening is so important because it gives us the opportunity to identify any potential concerns with our children’s development before they become bigger challenges,” mother Tjana Burrett said.
“Knowing we can identify areas that our children may need a little bit of extra support in early on is really reassuring. It’s allowing us to give them the best possible start, especially as they prepare for school.
“I think having these screenings available at kindy is absolutely fantastic. As a busy working mum, trying to juggle work, appointments and everyday family life can be challenging.
“Having the screenings done in an environment where our children already feel comfortable, safe and familiar makes such a difference. It takes away the stress of travelling to appointments and makes these important services so much more accessible for families.”
The program aims to help young children thrive and be as ready as they can be for their first years of school.
Research shows that vision, hearing, speech and language difficulties are common among kindergarten-aged children, and identifying these concerns early can make a significant difference.
By bringing the free screening directly into kindergartens, families can have easier access to important health checks and get their children the support they need.
The screening is designed to fit into a child's normal kindergarten day, with trained allied health assistants working under the supervision of senior health professionals.
Allied Health Assistant Ella Spark.
Ella Spark from the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service is one of the allied health assistants providing the checks and says screening kids early is an opportunity to identify any concerns before they start school.
“With parental consent, children take part in a series of simple, play-based activities, including a hearing game using headphones and a tablet, a language game and a vision check using a camera-like screening device,” she said.
“The face-to-face screening takes approximately 20-30 minutes, while speech development is assessed through a questionnaire completed by parents or carers.
“If we identify any concerns, we provide families with information and guidance on the next steps, including referrals or recommendations for further assessment and support where appropriate.”
Little Scholars Quality Practice Manager Jennifer Haydock said the program offered families an opportunity to address developmental concerns before they affected children's confidence and learning.
“Every family wants their child to start school feeling confident and ready, and screening is a simple way to make sure small issues with seeing, hearing or speaking aren't missed in a busy day,” Ms Haydock said.
“When they're not picked up early, we often see children becoming frustrated, finding it hard to follow instructions or losing confidence, and that can affect how they learn for years.
“Little Scholars signed up to be one of the first on the Gold Coast to participate in the program, and we're proud to be part of it.”
The Queensland Government is investing $37.5 million over five years to expand the program statewide.
Once fully rolled out, the program will offer free screening to up to 60,000 children each year, helping more Queensland children start school with confidence.
Healthy Kindy Kids is expected to expand into Brisbane North in the coming months, with statewide availability planned by the end of 2028.
Equipment used for the Healthy Kindy Kid program.