Danielle Tattam's four-year-old daughter Charli-Rose has been going to preschool for the past two years and the little girl has enjoyed every minute of it.
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"She goes to Wiradjuri, at the University of Canberra, and she's been going there since she's been two," Ms Tattam said.
"She's been to a few different childcare centres, and she loves it at Wiradjuri."
While Ms Tattam attends classes and lectures at the university, Charli-Rose is taking part in classes of her own at the preschool on campus, and the single mother said it's given her daughter a head start before she starts school in 2020.
"It's always good to know that your child is learning things at preschool that will prepare them for school," she said.
"They're prepared for learning the alphabet and things like that, but also music and creative things as well."
A new program proposed by federal Labor if it wins government at the next election would see thousands of three and four year olds like Charli-Rose access preschool for free.
Internal figures show an estimated 12,500 three and four year olds in the ACT would be able to access free preschool under the proposal.
Under the plan, children would receive 15 hours a week of preschool at state or territory government-run facilities.
Extra subsidies would also be made available for three year olds who attend privately-run childcare centres, with parents of four-year-olds already able to receive the subsidy.
Labor data has predicted more than 7000 children north of Lake Burley Griffin would be eligible, with around 5500 southsiders also set to benefit.
The figures also showed 4500 three and four year olds in the electorate of Hume - which covers Goulburn - would be able to access it, and 3700 eligible children in the seat of Eden-Monaro.
The program aims to have 90 per cent of three and four year olds enrolled by 2023.
Fenner MP Andrew Leigh said the program would work alongside the territory government.
"The ACT government have expressed enthusiasm and to have continuity for four year olds in preschool," Dr Leigh said.
"The difference between preschool and daycare is that early childhood is about education, not babysitting, and we want them to have access to play-based education."
It's expected the program will cost $1.75 billion over three years from 2019 if Labor wins the next election.
Dr Leigh said funding for the scheme would come from closing tax loopholes.
"We've made a set of tough decisions of closing these loopholes, because it's not appropriate that there's currently tax breaks for people who are income splitting from trusts and people buying their 10th home," he said.
Ms Tattam said while she would miss out on the proposed scheme as her daughter would be in school, it's a step in the right direction.
"It would definitely help that preschool would be free. Anything that helps them prepare for primary school is always good," she said.
