A KINDERGATEN subsidy is set to begin rolling out across state schools next year and fees are set to become more affordable for some families.

Parents with a health care card can now claim a rebate on their fees, which is set to slash about 40% from the weekly kindy bill.

Warwick Community Kindergarten president Kerri Walters said she hoped the subsidy would help parents consider the community kindy as an affordable option for parents.

She said the kindergarten had recently increased the minimum hours to 15 and said sometimes it was financially unattainable for parents on a lower income.

"I think the subsidy will make a difference because there have been people who have told me they can't afford kindy," she said.

"It makes it that little bit more affordable for people who have to fork out for kindy."

Glennie Heights will introduce a kindy program next year and Mrs Walters said the rebate would help the community kindy compete with the state schools.

She said parents were often taken aback when they discovered state school-based kindergarten programs would cost the same as the community kindy and the rebate will allow parents more choice when deciding which kindergarten to opt for.

Mrs Walters said it was important for parents to understand that the rebate could be backdated to July of this year.

"I just hope it helps the parents, to make it all the more affordable," she said.

The rebate may already be having a positive impact, with Mrs Walters reporting a positive outlook for 2012.

"We have had enrolments coming through and I think we are standing in a better place than we were last year," she said.

Education minister Cameron Dick said the move would save families accessing a kindergarten service $1179 a year and parents accessing kindergarten through long day care $402 a year.

"Now, by extending the subsidy available to health care card holders, kindergarten becomes even more accessible, particularly for low-income families," he said.

To claim the subsidy, parents or carers just need to show their Health Care Card to approved kindergarten providers.