Childcare in Geelong
There are 218 approved childcare services in the Geelong urban area: 89 offer long day care, 64 run a kindergarten or preschool program and 87 offer before and after school care. 15% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Highton | 10 | 5 (50%) |
| Newtown | 14 | 5 (36%) |
| East Geelong | 5 | 1 (20%) |
| Torquay | 16 | 3 (19%) |
| Grovedale | 12 | 2 (17%) |
| Corio | 6 | 1 (17%) |
| Lara | 13 | 2 (15%) |
| Bell Post Hill | 7 | 1 (14%) |
| Belmont | 13 | 1 (8%) |
| Ocean Grove | 10 | 0 (0%) |
How the ratings work: National Quality Standard ratings explained.
Types of care in Geelong
| Type of care | Services in Geelong |
|---|---|
| Long day care | 89 |
| Kindergarten or preschool program | 64 |
| Family day care schemes | 1 |
| Before and after school care | 87 |
| Vacation care | 64 |
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 Geelong
The Department of Education publishes fees by state, not by city. Long day care in Victoria averaged $14.65 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $147 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% | $15 |
| $120,000 | 84% | $23 |
| $180,000 | 72% | $41 |
For a 10-hour day at the Victoria 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 Geelong
- Anakie 1
- Armstrong Creek 12
- Barwon Heads 2
- Bell Park 5
- Bell Post Hill 8
- Bellbrae 1
- Belmont 14
- Breakwater 1
- Ceres 1
- Charlemont 3
- Clifton Springs 3
- Corio 8
- Curlewis 1
- Drysdale 8
- East Geelong 5
- Freshwater Creek 1
- Geelong 4
- Geelong East 1
- Geelong North 3
- Geelong West 5
- Grovedale 15
- Hamlyn Heights 2
- Herne Hill 3
- Highton 10
- Jan Juc 2
- Lara 13
- Leopold 9
- Lovely Banks 1
- Manifold Heights 2
- Moolap 2
- Mount Duneed 5
- Newcomb 4
- Newtown 15
- Norlane 6
- North Geelong 2
- Ocean Grove 10
- Point Lonsdale 1
- Queenscliff 2
- South Geelong 1
- St Albans Park 1
- Thomson 1
- Torquay 17
- Wallington 1
- Waurn Ponds 3
- Whittington 3
Frequently asked questions
How many childcare centres are there in Geelong?
There are 218 approved childcare services in the Geelong urban area, including 89 that offer long day care and 87 that offer before and after school care. Many services offer more than one type of care.
How much does childcare cost in Geelong?
Long day care in Victoria averaged $14.65 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $147 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 Geelong childcare services are rated Exceeding?
29 of the 198 rated services in Geelong (15%) are rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, compared with 18% across Australia.
Which Geelong suburbs have the most childcare?
Torquay (17), Grovedale (15) and Newtown (15) have the most approved services in Geelong.
Services and ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. City boundary: ABS Significant Urban Area (Geelong), ASGS Edition 3 (2021), matched to services by postcode. Fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026.