Childcare in Newcastle
There are 429 approved childcare services in the Newcastle urban area, including Maitland: 235 offer long day care, 68 run a kindergarten or preschool program and 143 offer before and after school care. 22% of rated services are Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, against 18% nationally.
Suburbs with the most childcare in Newcastle
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wallsend | 8 | 5 (63%) |
| New Lambton | 7 | 3 (43%) |
| Ashtonfield | 5 | 2 (40%) |
| Broadmeadow | 6 | 2 (33%) |
| Cameron Park | 6 | 2 (33%) |
| Edgeworth | 6 | 2 (33%) |
| Maryland | 6 | 2 (33%) |
| Cardiff | 10 | 3 (30%) |
| Maitland | 8 | 2 (25%) |
| Mayfield | 8 | 2 (25%) |
Services rated Excellent
Excellent is the highest rating, awarded by ACECQA to services that apply after being rated Exceeding. One service in Newcastle holds it:
How the ratings work: National Quality Standard ratings explained.
Types of care in Newcastle
| Type of care | Services in Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Long day care | 235 |
| Kindergarten or preschool program | 68 |
| Family day care schemes | 5 |
| Before and after school care | 143 |
| Vacation care | 113 |
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 Newcastle
The Department of Education publishes fees by state, not by city. Long day care in New South Wales averaged $14.85 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $149 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% | $24 |
| $180,000 | 72% | $42 |
For a 10-hour day at the New South Wales 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 Newcastle
- Aberdare 1
- Aberglasslyn 2
- Abermain 4
- Adamstown 6
- Adamstown Heights 3
- Arcadia Vale 2
- Argenton 1
- Ashtonfield 5
- Barnsley 4
- Bellbird 3
- Bellbird Heights 1
- Belmont 7
- Belmont North 3
- Bennetts Green 1
- Beresfield 5
- Blackalls Park 2
- Bolton Point 1
- Bolwarra 3
- Boolaroo 2
- Booragul 1
- Broadmeadow 6
- Cameron Park 7
- Cardiff 10
- Cardiff South 4
- Carey Bay 2
- Carrington 1
- Caves Beach 3
- Cessnock 8
- Charles Town 1
- Charlestown 12
- Chisholm 5
- Clarence Town 2
- Cliftleigh 1
- Coal Point 1
- Cooks Hill 3
- Croudace Bay 1
- Dudley 1
- East Maitland 9
- Edgeworth 7
- Eleebana 3
- Elermore Vale 6
- Fassifern 1
- Fern Bay 3
- Fletcher 5
- Floraville 3
- Garden Suburb 3
- Gateshead 5
- Gillieston Heights 3
- Glen William 1
- Glendale 7
- Hamilton 4
- Hamilton South 1
- Hawks Nest 1
- Heatherbrae 1
- Highfields 1
- Hinton 1
- Holmesville 1
- Horseshoe Bend 1
- Islington 1
- Jesmond 2
- Jewells 2
- Kahibah 2
- Karuah 2
- Kilaben Bay 1
- Kotara 3
- Kotara South 3
- Kurri Kurri 7
- Lambton 4
- Largs 2
- Lochinvar 4
- Lorn 1
- Maitland 8
- Maitland East 3
- Marks Point 2
- Maryland 6
- Maryville 1
- Mayfield 8
- Mayfield East 1
- Mayfield West 3
- Merewether 7
- Merewether Heights 2
- Metford 6
- Minmi 1
- Morpeth 2
- Mount Hutton 8
- Nelsons Plains 1
- New Lambton 7
- New Lambton Heights 2
- Newcastle 5
- Newcastle West 3
- Nords Wharf 2
- Nulkaba 5
- Pelican 1
- Rankin Park 1
- Rathmines 2
- Raymond Terrace 11
- Redhead 3
- Rutherford 10
- Sandgate 1
- Seaham 2
- Shortland 2
- South Maitland 1
- Speers Point 2
- Stockton 3
- Swansea 2
- Tarro 1
- Tea Gardens 2
- Telarah 1
- Tenambit 2
- The Hill 1
- The Junction 3
- Thornton 9
- Tighes Hill 2
- Toronto 6
- Valentine 2
- Wallalong 1
- Wallsend 10
- Wangi Wangi 2
- Warabrook 2
- Waratah 9
- Waratah West 1
- Warners Bay 9
- West Wallsend 4
- Weston 1
- Whitebridge 2
- Wickham 2
- Windale 2
- Woodberry 3
- Woodrising 1
- Woodville 1
Frequently asked questions
How many childcare centres are there in Newcastle?
There are 429 approved childcare services in the Newcastle urban area, including Maitland, including 235 that offer long day care and 143 that offer before and after school care. Many services offer more than one type of care.
How much does childcare cost in Newcastle?
Long day care in New South Wales averaged $14.85 an hour in the June quarter 2026, about $149 for a 10-hour day before the Child Care Subsidy. A family earning $120,000 pays about $24 a day after the subsidy. Fees vary by centre, so check each service directly.
How many Newcastle childcare services are rated Exceeding?
88 of the 406 rated services in Newcastle (22%) are rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, compared with 18% across Australia.
Which Newcastle suburbs have the most childcare?
Charlestown (12), Raymond Terrace (11) and Cardiff (10) have the most approved services in Newcastle.
Services and ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. City boundary: ABS Significant Urban Area (Newcastle), ASGS Edition 3 (2021), matched to services by postcode. Fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026.