Types of childcare in Australia, compared
Australia has 4 types of childcare approved for the Child Care Subsidy: centre based day care (long day care, kindergarten programs in centres, occasional care), family day care, outside school hours care (before and after school and vacation care) and In Home Care. The grid compares all 8 options on age, hours, ratios, fees and subsidy caps, with counts from the 18,231 services on the ACECQA national register.
| Type | Ages | Setting | Typical hours | Ratio or group size | Average fee an hour | CCS and hourly cap | Approved services | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long day care | Birth to school age, grouped by age | A centre | Weekdays, at least 48 weeks a year. 74% open 7am or earlier to 6pm or later | 1:4 under 2; 1:5 from 2 to 3 (1:4 in VIC); 1:10 or 1:11 from 3 to preschool age | $14.60 | Yes, cap $15.19 ($13.30 school age) | 9,729 | Long day care guide |
| Kindergarten / preschool | The year or 2 before full-time school | A standalone kindergarten or preschool, a school, or a long day care centre | Standalone programs run in school terms; 15 hours a week funded in the year before school | 1:10 or 1:11 by state (TAS 2:25 in a preschool program); led by a degree-qualified teacher | No national figure | Inside long day care, yes (cap $15.19). Standalone: state funding instead | 3,990 | Kindergarten guide |
| Family day care | Typically birth to 12, in mixed ages | An educator's home or an agreed venue | Set by each educator; 100 services list Saturday hours | 1:7, with no more than 4 children preschool age or under | $13.95 | Yes, cap $14.08 | 359 services (each registers its own educators) | Family day care guide |
| Before and after school care | School age, mostly primary | At or near a school | School days. Before school from 7am or earlier at 78% of services; after school to 6pm or later at 96% | 1:15 over preschool age (ACT 1:11; WA has its own scale) | $10.05 (OSHC average) | Yes, cap $13.30 | 6,120 | Before and after school care guide |
| Vacation care | School age, mostly primary | Run by OSHC services or community organisations, with excursions | School holidays and pupil free days. 78% list 7am or earlier to 6pm or later | Same as before and after school care | $10.05 (OSHC average) | Yes, cap $13.30 | 5,150 | Vacation care guide |
| In Home Care | Children not yet in secondary school, in eligible families only | Your home | Agreed with the family, including non-standard hours; a place is 35 hours a week | One educator caring for the family's children | No national figure | Yes, cap $41.31 per family, not per child | Not on the register; 3,200 places nationally | In Home Care below |
| Occasional care | Mostly under school age | Community venues such as neighbourhood houses, or a centre | Short or casual sessions, booked as needed | Set by state law in NSW, VIC and QLD | No national figure | Only at a CCS-approved centre (cap $15.19) | No register flag | Occasional care below |
| Nanny or au pair | Any age | Your home | Agreed with the family | None set; not regulated as childcare | No national figure | No. Not approved childcare | Not approved | Nannies below |
Services offering more than one type are counted once per type, so the counts overlap. The family day care count is services, not individual educators. The OSHC fee is the national average across before school, after school and vacation care sessions. A fee is left blank where no national average is published in our sources. Ratios are the minimums in the ACECQA ratio table; see childcare ratios by state for the full detail.
What the grid shows
Long day care has the most consistent long hours: 74% of the 9,594 centres that list Monday hours open at 7am or earlier and close at 6pm or later. Family day care is the most flexible on days, with 100 of 359 family day care services listing Saturday hours against 75 of 9,729 long day care centres. Family day care has the smallest groups, at 7 children per educator. In Home Care has the highest hourly cap, $41.31, because one cap covers the whole family.
Quality ratings differ by type. Kindergarten / preschool services are the most likely to be rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent (41%), and before and after school care services the least likely (6%):
| Type | Rated services | Exceeding or Excellent | Working Towards or below |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten / preschool | 3,865 | 41% | 3% |
| Long day care | 9,111 | 16% | 8% |
| Family day care | 302 | 6% | 18% |
| Before and after school care | 5,836 | 6% | 9% |
National Quality Standard ratings from the ACECQA national register, export of 29 October 2026. How the ratings work.
Find each type of childcare near you
Choose a type and use your location to see the nearest approved services, with their rating, places and distance.
The 5 main types of childcare
Long day care
Long day care is centre-based childcare for children from birth to school age, open on weekdays across the working day. The Department of Education calls it centre based day care: to take the Child Care Subsidy a centre must be approved under the National Law and open at least 48 weeks a year. Children are usually grouped by age, in rooms with several educators.
9,729 services on the national register offer long day care. Of those listing Monday hours, 74% open by 7am and close at 6pm or later, which is why long day care is the default for parents working full days. The average fee was $14.60 an hour in the June quarter 2026, or $146 for a 10-hour day; a family earning $120,000 pays about $23.36 of that after the subsidy. Read the full long day care guide.
Kindergarten and preschool
Kindergarten and preschool are 2 names for one thing: a structured, play-based learning program for the year or 2 before full-time school, delivered by a degree-qualified early childhood teacher (Department of Education). Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania call it kindergarten, kinder or kindy. NSW, the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory call it preschool, and in NSW and the ACT "Kindergarten" is the first year of school.
Under the Preschool Reform Agreement, governments fund 15 hours a week (600 hours a year) of preschool in the year before full-time school. The program runs in a standalone kindergarten or preschool, at a school, or inside a long day care centre: 3,990 services on the register offer it, and 883 of them offer long day care as well.
Inside long day care the program is part of the daily fee and the Child Care Subsidy applies. Standalone programs follow school terms, short of the 48 weeks a year centre based day care requires, so they are generally not CCS approved; state programs such as Free Kinder in Victoria and Free Kindy in Queensland reduce or remove the fee instead. Read the kindergarten and preschool guide.
Family day care
Family day care is childcare in a registered educator's home, or an agreed venue, for a small group of children typically aged from birth to 12 (Department of Education). Each educator works under an approved family day care service, which holds the approval and employs coordinators to support and monitor its educators.
The register lists 359 family day care services; each service registers its own educators. One educator cares for at most 7 children, with no more than 4 of them preschool age or under, and the educator's own children under 13 count when no other adult is there to care for them. Hours are set by each educator: 100 services list Saturday hours and 50 list Monday hours around the clock.
Family day care averaged $13.95 an hour in the June quarter 2026, below long day care, though its subsidy cap is lower too at $14.08. A 10-hour day costs a family earning $120,000 about $22.32 after the subsidy. Read the family day care guide.
Before and after school care
Before and after school care is outside school hours care (OSHC) for school children on school days, usually run at or near the school. Here OSHC means outside school hours care, not Overseas Student Health Cover. 6,120 services on the register offer it. Of those listing school term hours, 78% start before school care by 7am and 96% run after school care to 6pm or later.
OSHC averaged $10.05 an hour in the June quarter 2026, lower than long day care and family day care, and the subsidy cap for school-age children is $13.30. A 3-hour after school session costs a family earning $120,000 about $4.82 after the subsidy. The minimum ratio is 1 educator to 15 children over preschool age in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, and 1 to 11 in the ACT. Read the before and after school care guide.
Vacation care
Vacation care is the school holiday part of OSHC: full days of care during school holidays and on pupil free days, when the school is closed but parents are working (Department of Education). Programs run from part days to full days and include excursions (Queensland Government).
5,150 services on the register offer vacation care, and 78% of those listing holiday hours open by 7am and close at 6pm or later. It carries the same subsidy and cap as before and after school care. Read the vacation care guide.
Long day care vs family day care
The main difference between long day care and family day care is the setting and the group size. Long day care is a centre with age-grouped rooms and a team of educators. Family day care is one educator's home with up to 7 children of mixed ages. Both are approved under the National Quality Framework, rated against the National Quality Standard, follow an approved learning framework and attract the Child Care Subsidy.
| Long day care | Family day care | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Purpose-built or adapted centre, indoor and outdoor play spaces | The educator's home or an agreed venue |
| Group | Rooms grouped by age; ratios of 1:4 under 2, 1:5 from 2 to 3 (1:4 in VIC), 1:10 or 1:11 from 3 | At most 7 children per educator, no more than 4 preschool age or under; siblings stay together |
| Who cares for your child | Several educators on shifts, under the service's nominated supervisor | The same educator each day, supported by the service's coordinators |
| Hours | 74% open 7am or earlier to 6pm or later; 75 list Saturday hours | Set by each educator; 100 of 359 services list Saturday hours |
| Average fee | $14.60 an hour; about $23.36 a 10-hour day after CCS on $120,000 | $13.95 an hour; about $22.32 a 10-hour day after CCS on $120,000 |
| CCS hourly cap | $15.19 below school age | $14.08 |
| Rated Exceeding or Excellent | 16% of 9,111 rated services | 6% of 302 rated services |
Family day care suits babies and toddlers who settle better with one adult and a small group, siblings of different ages, and parents who need early, late or weekend hours. Long day care suits families who want a full day of age-matched peers, a larger team and a centre that stays open when one educator is sick.
Continuity works differently. In a centre, a casual or permanent colleague covers an absent educator. In family day care there is one educator: when they take leave, your child goes to another educator's home. Good services give notice of leave dates and arrange a visit to the backup educator beforehand.
Questions to ask either type
- What is the service's quality rating, and when was it last assessed? Check it on the National Quality Standard page.
- How long is the waitlist, and is a deposit charged? See getting a childcare place.
- Which educators will care for my child, and how long have they been there?
- What does the daily fee include, and how many hours is the session?
Extra questions for family day care
- Who else lives in or visits the home during care hours?
- How often does a coordinator from the service visit?
- What happens when the educator is sick or on leave, and can we meet the backup educator?
- Does the group go to playgroups, the library or other outings, and how often?
Childcare vs kindergarten
Childcare covers the working day for children from birth to school age; kindergarten is a teacher-led learning program for the year or 2 before school, funded for 15 hours a week in the year before school. Long day care and kindergarten overlap in one important way: 883 services on the register run both, so a child in long day care can do the funded kindergarten program without changing services.
| Childcare (long day care) | Kindergarten (standalone) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Education and care across the working day | A learning program to prepare for school |
| Ages | Birth to school age | The year or 2 before full-time school |
| Hours | 74% open 7am or earlier to 6pm or later | Sessions totalling about 15 hours a week |
| Weeks a year | At least 48 | School terms |
| Who teaches | Educators, with an early childhood teacher for the kindergarten program | A degree-qualified early childhood teacher |
| Cost | $14.60 an hour average, less the Child Care Subsidy | Free or reduced by state programs; generally no CCS |
Families working full days often pair a standalone kindergarten with other care. OSHC services may provide wraparound care for preschool children outside preschool hours, on the days the child normally attends preschool (Department of Education). Family day care is the other common pairing.
Daycare vs preschool
Daycare is the everyday name for long day care, typically open 7am to 6pm on weekdays, all year, from birth. Preschool is the name NSW, the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory use for the program in the year or 2 before school. The question matters most in NSW, where Kindergarten means the first year of school and parents choose between a daycare centre and a community preschool.
In NSW, daycare and preschool differ in 4 ways. Hours: a standalone preschool follows school terms and runs shorter days. Age: preschool takes children in the year or 2 before school, daycare from birth. Funding: the NSW Start Strong program gives fee relief for 3 to 5 year olds at participating community preschools and long day care services, and generally only daycare attracts the Child Care Subsidy. Teacher: both must run their preschool program with a degree-qualified early childhood teacher. Many daycare centres run a preschool room for children in the year or 2 before school, which gives the same program inside daycare hours.
In Home Care
In Home Care is subsidised childcare where an approved educator cares for your children in your own home. It is restricted to families who cannot access other approved care, and there are 3,200 places nationally, each equal to 35 hours of subsidised care a week for one child (Department of Education, In Home Care).
Who is eligible for In Home Care
A family must meet both of these (In Home Care eligibility, last modified 1 July 2025):
- be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy
- show that no other approved care type is available (no vacancies at the times needed) or suitable for the family.
And at least one of these:
- Non-standard or variable work hours. All adults in the household work outside standard childcare opening hours when care is needed, shown with rosters, employer letters or contracts.
- Geographic isolation. The family lives far from other approved care, generally 30 km or more from the nearest service. A preference not to travel does not count.
- Challenging or complex needs. For example, a child who cannot attend other care even with reasonable adjustments, or a parent having treatment for a serious illness who is significantly immunocompromised.
A family can be found eligible and still not be offered a place when the main need is respite, disability support, allied health or household help, which are out of scope.
What In Home Care costs
In Home Care sessions are provided per family rather than per child, so the 2026-27 hourly rate cap of $41.31 applies to each hour of care for the family as a whole. The Child Care Subsidy pays your percentage of the fee up to that cap; the rest is the gap fee, which from 1 January 2026 the provider must collect directly, not the educator. Eligible families can receive up to 100 hours of subsidised care per child per fortnight.
How to get an In Home Care place
- Contact the In Home Care Support Agency for your state or territory and check the criteria.
- Gather evidence for each criterion and submit the In Home Care eligibility application form to the agency.
- The agency assesses eligibility and scope, then sends a notice of decision.
- For an eligible, in-scope family, the agency agrees a Family Management Plan, offers a place in writing and connects you with approved In Home Care services.
- You choose a service, make sure your home meets the home safety requirements, and report later changes in circumstances to the agency.
| State or territory | In Home Care Support Agency phone | Website |
|---|---|---|
| NSW, ACT, SA and TAS | 1800 442 273 (1800 IHCARE) | ihcsupportagency.org.au |
| VIC and QLD | 1800 993 737 | ihcsa.au |
| WA and NT | 1300 164 202 | inhomesupportagencywa.org.au |
Contact details from the Department of Education's In Home Care Support Agencies page, last modified 16 September 2025. In Home Care services are not on the ACECQA national register, so kid.com.au does not list them.
Occasional care
Occasional care is short-term childcare booked on a casual or ad hoc basis, mostly for children under school age, by families who do not need regular full-time care. Parents use it for appointments or part-time work.
In NSW, Victoria and Queensland, standalone occasional care is regulated under state law rather than the National Quality Framework:
- NSW: occasional care and mobile services are approved under the Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary Provisions Act 2011 (NSW Department of Education).
- Victoria: the Children's Services Act 1996 licenses limited hours services (no more than 3 hours a day and 6 hours a week per child) and occasional care services (no hour limit), often in neighbourhood houses and recreation centres (VECRA).
- Queensland: occasional care is approved under the Education and Care Services Act 2013 and usually run by community groups or local councils. Creches at gyms and shopping centres, for up to 3 hours with the parent on site, need no approval (Queensland Government).
Services Australia lists occasional care under centre based day care, so occasional care at a CCS-approved centre attracts the subsidy at the $15.19 cap; ask any occasional care service whether it is CCS approved before you book. A casual day at a long day care centre is the other way to get short-notice care. State-regulated occasional care services are not on the national register, so the finder above does not show them; your council or neighbourhood house will know what runs locally.
Nannies and au pairs
A nanny or au pair employed by your family is not an approved child care service, so the Child Care Subsidy does not cover their wages (Services Australia). They are not rated under the National Quality Standard and no ratio applies. The one form of subsidised care in your own home is In Home Care, which requires eligibility and a place from the Support Agency.
Which type of childcare suits your family
| Your situation | Types to look at first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Baby or toddler, parents working full days | Long day care or family day care | Both take babies and run full days with the Child Care Subsidy. Long day care runs the longest regular hours; family day care keeps the group to 4 children preschool age or under per educator. |
| Shift work or weekends | Family day care, then In Home Care | 100 family day care services list Saturday hours, against 75 long day care centres. In Home Care is an option when every adult works non-standard hours and no other care fits. |
| The year before school | Kindergarten or preschool | 15 funded hours a week. Inside long day care for full days, or standalone with OSHC or family day care around it. |
| School age | Before and after school care and vacation care | At or near the school, with the lowest average hourly fee, $10.05. Family day care takes children up to 12. |
| Rural or remote, no service nearby | Family day care or In Home Care | In Home Care treats 30 km or more to the nearest service as geographic isolation. |
| A few hours now and then | Occasional care or a casual long day care day | No regular booking needed. |
Whatever the type, check the service's rating and visit before you enrol; the guide to choosing childcare lists what to look for. Work out your own out-of-pocket cost with the CCS calculator, compare childcare fees by state, or browse all childcare by state and suburb.
Frequently asked questions
What are the types of childcare in Australia?
Four types are approved for the Child Care Subsidy: centre based day care (long day care, kindergarten programs in centres and occasional care), family day care, outside school hours care (before and after school and vacation care) and In Home Care. Standalone kindergartens and preschools are funded through state programs, and nannies and au pairs are not approved childcare.
What is the difference between long day care and family day care?
Long day care runs in a centre with children grouped by age and several educators per room. Family day care runs in an educator's home with at most 7 children, no more than 4 of them preschool age or under. Family day care averaged $13.95 an hour in the June quarter 2026, against $14.60 for long day care.
Is kindergarten the same as childcare?
No. Kindergarten is a teacher-led program for the year or 2 before full-time school, funded for 15 hours a week in the year before school. Childcare such as long day care covers the working day from birth to school age. 883 services on the national register offer both in one place.
What is the difference between daycare and preschool?
Daycare is the everyday name for long day care: typically 7am to 6pm on weekdays, all year, from birth. Preschool is the NSW and ACT name for the program in the year or 2 before school, which in a standalone preschool runs in school terms. In NSW, Kindergarten means the first year of school.
Who is eligible for In Home Care?
Families eligible for the Child Care Subsidy who can show that no other approved care is available or suitable, and who work non-standard or variable hours, live geographically isolated from other care (generally 30 km or more), or have challenging or complex needs. The In Home Care Support Agency in your state assesses the application.
Can I get the Child Care Subsidy for a nanny?
Not for a nanny or au pair you employ privately: they are not an approved child care service. The only subsidised care in your own home is In Home Care, which has its own eligibility test and a cap of $41.31 an hour per family in 2026-27.
What is occasional care?
Occasional care is short-term childcare booked on a casual or ad hoc basis, mostly for children under school age, by parents who do not need regular care. NSW, Victoria and Queensland regulate standalone occasional care under state law, and it is usually run by community groups, neighbourhood houses or councils.
Which type of childcare is cheapest?
For children under school age, family day care had the lowest average fee in the June quarter 2026 at $13.95 an hour, against $14.60 for long day care. A family earning $120,000 pays about $22.32 for a 10-hour family day care day after the subsidy. Funded kindergarten hours are free or low cost in several states.
Sources. Service counts, listed hours and quality ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. Average hourly fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026. Hourly rate caps: Department of Education, 2026-27 caps from 6 July 2026. Ratios: ACECQA, Educator to child ratios, read 30 October 2026. Care types, In Home Care, OSHC and preschool: Department of Education service type pages, read 30 October 2026. Approved care types: Services Australia, Who can get Child Care Subsidy, read 30 October 2026. Occasional care: NSW Department of Education, VECRA and Queensland Government, read 30 October 2026.