A council report indicates kindergarten for three-year-olds could disappear within years if nothing is done to improve infrastructure or increase teacher numbers in the area.

Deborah Norfolk, the operations support manager at Rose Garden Child Care and Kindergarten, said the council's central register for kindergartens did not include commercial centres. This meant that while some community kindergartens on the register had waiting lists, her centre - which opened in May and was not listed - had 60 free places. "Kids are going to schools without attending kindergarten and aren't ready for school," Ms Norfolk said. "[The fact all kindergartens aren't listed on the register] is just crazy. It's bureaucracy gone mad."

Maribyrnong resident Marianne Hannah said she took her child out of kindergarten in Maidstone because she found the municipality's system of letting community committees run kindergartens was ineffective.

Moonee Valley Council operated kindergartens in its municipality, and she had been much happier sending her son to an Avondale Heights kindergarten.

"It's a more feasible way to run a kindy as the council handles fees, hiring, firing, bookwork and all other things the [committees in Maribyrnong] are expected to do."