Never miss a childcare vacancy again
We monitor thousands of Australian childcare centres and alert you the instant a spot opens. Stop refreshing websites — let us do it for you.
Find Vacancies in Your Area →Free plan available · Premium from $9/month · No credit card required
Childcare in Australia costs $90–$200 on average in 2026.
Based on 200 verified prices across 50 cities.
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Finding childcare in Australia is hard
Every parent knows the struggle. Long waitlists, no visibility, and spots that fill within hours of being posted.
12–18 mo
Average waitlist time
Daily
How often parents check websites
Hours
How fast most vacancies fill
How it works
Tell us your location
Enter your suburb and your child’s age group.
We scan nearby centres
Every few hours we check thousands of centre websites for vacancy mentions.
Get an instant alert
Receive an email or SMS the moment a spot opens near you.
National coverage
Monitoring ACECQA-registered centres in every state and territory.
VIC
4,800+ centres
NSW
5,200+ centres
QLD
3,400+ centres
SA
800+ centres
WA
1,800+ centres
TAS
300+ centres
ACT
400+ centres
NT
200+ centres
Simple, transparent pricing
Start free, upgrade anytime. Paid plans include a 7-day free trial.
Free
Free
- 5 km search radius
- 1 age group
- Email alerts only
- Weekly digest
- 1 child profile
- 1 centre on watchlist
Basic
$9/month
- 5 km search radius
- Up to 2 age groups
- Email alerts only
- Alerts within 4 hours
- 1 child profile
- 3 centres on watchlist
Premium
$19/month
- 10 km search radius
- Unlimited age groups
- Email + SMS alerts
- Alerts within 1 hour
- 3 child profiles
- 10 centres on watchlist
Family
$29/month
- 20 km search radius
- Unlimited age groups
- Email + SMS alerts
- Alerts within 1 hour
- 5 child profiles
- 20 centres on watchlist
Live scanning stats
18,199
Centres in database
1,319
Websites monitored
331
Verified vacancies found
8
States & territories
Data sourced from ACECQA — Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority. Updated March 2026.
Why parents trust us
Official data
Centre data comes from the ACECQA national register — the same source used by the government.
AI-powered
Our AI analyses centre websites to find genuine vacancy mentions, filtering out noise and outdated posts.
Instant alerts
Get notified within an hour of detection via email or SMS. Vacancies fill fast — speed matters.
Childcare Price Trends (2024–2026)
Year-over-year average cost comparison
| Service | 2024 Avg | 2025 Avg | 2026 Avg | 2-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Day Care (daily) | $115 | $125 | $135 | +17.4% |
| Family Day Care (daily) | $95 | $102 | $110 | +15.8% |
| Before/After School Care (daily) | $25 | $28 | $30 | +20.0% |
Seasonal Patterns
Childcare demand is highest at the start of the school year (January–February) when parents scramble for places. Waitlists at popular centres can be 6–12 months. Holiday care (school holidays) costs 10–20% more than term-time rates. Mid-year (July) sees some turnover as families move.
Regional Differences
Sydney and Melbourne have the highest childcare costs — inner-city centres charge 20–30% above national average. Regional centres are 15–25% cheaper but availability varies. The federal Child Care Subsidy (CCS) offsets 50–90% of costs depending on income, reducing the effective gap between cities.
Common Childcare Pricing Scenarios
| Scenario | Typical scope | Typical price | Booking type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long day care, toddler room, 1 day per week | Single 10-12 hour session before subsidy | $115-$185/day | Ongoing weekly booking |
| Long day care, 3 days per week | Metro provider with meals and nappies included | $340-$540/week | Permanent booking |
| Long day care, 5 days per week | Full-time enrolment before CCS | $560-$950/week | Permanent booking |
| Family day care, 3 days per week | Home-based educator with standard weekday hours | $270-$420/week | Permanent booking |
| Before and after school care | School-term wraparound care 5 days per week | $130-$220/week | Permanent or casual mix |
| Vacation care block | 5 days of school holiday care with excursions extra | $350-$650/week | School holidays |
| Waitlist or enrolment package | Bond, enrolment fee and booking confirmation costs | $50-$350 upfront | One-off |
| Casual emergency care booking | Single day booked at short notice | $120-$210/day | One-off |
| Premium inner-city long day care | CBD or high-demand suburb with premium inclusions | $170-$220/day | Permanent booking |
| Regional centre long day care | Standard full-day session outside premium catchments | $95-$145/day | Permanent booking |
What Affects Childcare Price?
Centre type and educator ratio
Long day care, family day care and OSHC all use different staffing models and room structures, so pricing varies widely.
Suburb demand and waitlist pressure
High-demand inner-city and school-catchment suburbs often charge more because occupancy stays full and waitlists remain long.
Included meals, nappies and programs
Some centres bundle meals, nappies and extras into the daily rate, while others charge separately.
Hours booked and booking pattern
Permanent multi-day bookings, casual care and minimum attendance rules all affect the real weekly spend.
Government subsidy eligibility
The Child Care Subsidy changes out-of-pocket cost dramatically, so two families can pay very different net amounts at the same centre.
Fees beyond the headline daily rate
Enrolment fees, bonds, holiday retainers, late pick-up penalties and excursion charges all matter when comparing centres.
Included vs Extra
Usually included
- Core education and care for the booked session hours
- Standard staffing ratios and compliance
- Basic parent communication via app or portal
- GST-free childcare pricing where applicable
- Routine updates on meals, sleep and activities at many centres
Often extra
- Enrolment fees, waitlist fees or refundable bonds
- Late pick-up penalties and public holiday retention charges
- Excursions, special events or optional premium classes
- Meals, nappies or sunscreen if not bundled
- Casual booking surcharges or minimum attendance conditions
DIY vs Using Vacancy Alerts
| Task | DIY | Service cost | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor centre websites manually | Possible, but time-intensive and easy to miss short-lived vacancy posts | Alert plans from free-$29/mo | DIY only if urgency is low |
| Estimate out-of-pocket cost | Reasonable with the CCS calculator and fee handbook | No direct provider fee | DIY first |
| Track availability across many centres | Hard to do consistently because sites update unpredictably | Alert service saves time | Use tooling if urgent |
| Negotiate booking conditions | Parents should always ask questions directly | No external service needed | DIY |
Ways to Save on Childcare
Estimate your subsidy before comparing centres
A centre that looks expensive on paper can be cheaper after CCS than a lower-fee provider with fewer included hours.
Ask for the full fee schedule
Daily rates are only part of the story. Get the handbook so you can compare enrolment fees, holiday policies and extras.
Be flexible on days and start dates
Families who can accept Tuesday-Thursday or a different start month often get placed sooner.
Join waitlists earlier than you think
Early planning reduces the risk of paying deposits at multiple centres in a rush.
Check what is genuinely included
Meals, nappies and excursions can materially change the real weekly spend.
Use vacancy alerts to reduce search time
Faster visibility helps parents act before a suitable place disappears.
Seasonal Guide
January-February
Peak pressure period when school-year transitions happen and many families need immediate places.
Autumn
A steadier period for enrolment decisions, with some mid-year vacancies appearing as families move.
Winter
Fewer enrolment changes overall, though illness season can affect attendance and casual availability.
Spring
Families planning next-year return-to-work dates often join waitlists now, so it is a good time to prepare documents.
City-Specific Context
Sydney
Inner-city and eastern suburbs usually have the highest daily rates and longest waitlists.
Melbourne
Pricing varies materially between independent, not-for-profit and premium private operators.
Brisbane
Family day care can offer meaningful savings in some suburbs, though availability changes quickly.
Adelaide
Fees are often lower than Sydney and Melbourne, but limited vacancy windows still reward early planning.
Before You Accept a Childcare Place
Ask for the full fee handbook, not just the daily rate. Holiday retainers, enrolment fees, included meals, late pick-up charges and subsidy assumptions all affect the real out-of-pocket cost.
If you are choosing between two centres, compare communication, opening hours and cancellation policy as carefully as the headline fee.
Frequently asked questions
How do you find vacancies?
We automatically scan childcare centre websites for mentions of available places, open enrolments, and vacancy notices. Our AI analyses the text to determine if a real vacancy exists.
Which centres do you monitor?
We monitor centres registered with ACECQA across every state and territory in Australia, including Goodstart, Guardian, C&K, Nido, Edge, and thousands of independent centres.
Can I choose specific centres?
Yes. Every plan includes a watchlist where you can add specific centres you’re interested in, in addition to radius-based monitoring.
How fast are alerts sent?
Premium and Family plans receive alerts within 1 hour of detection. Basic plans receive alerts within 4 hours.
What if a vacancy is already filled?
Childcare vacancies can fill fast. We send alerts as soon as we detect them so you have the best chance. We recommend contacting the centre immediately.
Can I cancel anytime?
Absolutely. No lock-in contracts. Cancel with one click from your dashboard and you won’t be charged again.
Compare Prices & Find Local Centres
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Get Free Quotes →How We Get These Prices
Prices aggregated from 250+ verified fee schedules and published rate cards from childcare centres, long day care, family day care, and outside school hours care providers across Australia, the UK, USA, Canada, and New Zealand. Based on 520 data points across 120 providers in 55 cities.
Methodology: We collect published fee schedules directly from childcare providers, cross-reference with government subsidy calculators and approved provider lists, and verify against parent-reported costs. We track daily, weekly, and hourly rates across age groups. Data last verified March 2026, refreshed quarterly to reflect fee changes and subsidy adjustments.
All prices are indicative guides before subsidies. Your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on your family income, subsidy eligibility, sessions booked, and provider type. Check your government's childcare subsidy calculator for personalised estimates.