Childcare in Cairns
There are 108 approved childcare services in the Cairns urban area: 65 offer long day care, 38 run a kindergarten or preschool program and 31 offer before and after school care. 8% of rated services are Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, against 18% nationally.
Highest-rated suburbs
Suburbs with at least 5 rated services, ranked by the share rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent.
| Suburb | Rated services | Exceeding or Excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity Beach | 5 | 1 (20%) |
| White Rock | 6 | 1 (17%) |
| Edmonton | 7 | 1 (14%) |
| Cairns | 8 | 1 (13%) |
| Bentley Park | 11 | 0 (0%) |
| Redlynch | 7 | 0 (0%) |
| Manunda | 6 | 0 (0%) |
| Woree | 5 | 0 (0%) |
How the ratings work: National Quality Standard ratings explained.
Types of care in Cairns
| Type of care | Services in Cairns |
|---|---|
| Long day care | 65 |
| Kindergarten or preschool program | 38 |
| Family day care schemes | 3 |
| Before and after school care | 31 |
| Vacation care | 30 |
Services that offer more than one type of care are counted once for each. Family day care is counted by scheme, not by educator.
What childcare costs in Cairns
The Department of Education publishes fees by state, not by city. Long day care in Queensland averaged $14.15 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $142 for a 10-hour day before the Child Care Subsidy. What a family pays after the subsidy depends on income:
| Family income | Subsidy rate | Daily gap fee |
|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | 90% | $14 |
| $120,000 | 84% | $23 |
| $180,000 | 72% | $40 |
For a 10-hour day at the Queensland average fee, one child under school age, before the 5% of the subsidy that is withheld until the year is balanced. Work out your own with the CCS calculator, or see childcare fees by state.
All suburbs in Cairns
- Aeroglen 1
- Bayview Heights 1
- Bentley Park 11
- Brinsmead 4
- Bungalow 1
- Cairns 8
- Cairns City 1
- Caravonica 1
- Clifton Beach 1
- Earlville 4
- Edge Hill 4
- Edmonton 7
- Freshwater 2
- Holloways Beach 1
- Kamerunga 2
- Kanimbla 2
- Kewarra Beach 3
- Machans Beach 1
- Manoora 1
- Manunda 6
- Mooroobool 3
- Mount Peter 3
- Mount Sheridan 3
- North Cairns 1
- Parramatta Park 3
- Redlynch 7
- Smithfield 4
- Trinity Beach 5
- Trinity Park 2
- Westcourt 1
- White Rock 6
- Whitfield 1
- Woree 5
- Yorkeys Knob 2
Frequently asked questions
How many childcare centres are there in Cairns?
There are 108 approved childcare services in the Cairns urban area, including 65 that offer long day care and 31 that offer before and after school care. Many services offer more than one type of care.
How much does childcare cost in Cairns?
Long day care in Queensland averaged $14.15 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $142 for a 10-hour day before the Child Care Subsidy. A family earning $120,000 pays about $23 a day after the subsidy. Fees vary by centre, so check each service directly.
How many Cairns childcare services are rated Exceeding?
9 of the 106 rated services in Cairns (8%) are rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, compared with 18% across Australia.
Which Cairns suburbs have the most childcare?
Bentley Park (11), Cairns (8) and Edmonton (7) have the most approved services in Cairns.
Services and ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. City boundary: ABS Significant Urban Area (Cairns), ASGS Edition 3 (2021), matched to services by postcode. Fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026.