Childcare Melbourne 2026: Costs, Finding Places & Guide

Childcare and Kindergarten in Melbourne 2026

Melbourne has a large childcare and kindergarten market. Victoria has some specific early childhood education programs that differ from other states — including the funded kindergarten program for 3 and 4 year olds. vic.gov.au/kindergarten

Types of Childcare in Melbourne

• Long day care: Centre-based care for children 0-5, typically 6:30am-6:30pm
• Family day care: Registered home-based carer, smaller groups, often more flexible
• Kindergarten: In Victoria, kindergarten refers to the preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds (not the first year of primary school as in NSW)
• Three-year-old kindergarten: Victoria funds 15 hours/week of kindergarten for 3 year olds — a national leading policy
• Four-year-old kindergarten: 15 hours/week funded
• Before and after school care (BASC): At or near primary schools

What Does Childcare Cost in Melbourne 2026?

• Long day care daily fee: $110-$200/day in inner Melbourne suburbs
• Family day care: $75-$125/day
• Funded kindergarten: The Victorian 3 and 4 year old funded kindergarten program reduces costs significantly — eligible families pay considerably less per session than in centre care

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

The CCS is available to eligible Melbourne families for long day care and family day care. Apply through myGov/Centrelink. Victorian funded kindergarten does not attract CCS (it has its own government funding model). servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy

How to Find Childcare in Melbourne

Use startingblocks.gov.au to search for approved services. For kindergarten, use the Victorian Kindergarten Finder: vic.gov.au/kindergartenfinder. Popular inner Melbourne suburbs (Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Richmond, St Kilda, Prahran, South Yarra) have long waitlists — join as early as possible, ideally before or during pregnancy.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.