Childcare in Sunshine Coast
There are 215 approved childcare services in the Sunshine Coast urban area: 126 offer long day care, 30 run a kindergarten or preschool program and 67 offer before and after school care. 30% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tewantin | 5 | 3 (60%) |
| Beerwah | 6 | 3 (50%) |
| Buderim | 14 | 6 (43%) |
| Mountain Creek | 8 | 3 (38%) |
| Sippy Downs | 8 | 3 (38%) |
| Caloundra | 11 | 4 (36%) |
| Maroochydore | 12 | 4 (33%) |
| Cooroy | 7 | 2 (29%) |
| Peregian Springs | 7 | 2 (29%) |
| Nambour | 9 | 2 (22%) |
Services rated Excellent
Excellent is the highest rating, awarded by ACECQA to services that apply after being rated Exceeding. 3 services in Sunshine Coast hold it:
- Immanuel Early Learning Centre Maroochydore
- Milford Lodge Child Care Centre Buderim
- Pelican Waters - Golden Beach Preschool Kindergarten and Child Care Golden Beach
How the ratings work: National Quality Standard ratings explained.
Types of care in Sunshine Coast
| Type of care | Services in Sunshine Coast |
|---|---|
| Long day care | 126 |
| Kindergarten or preschool program | 30 |
| Family day care schemes | 3 |
| Before and after school care | 67 |
| 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 Sunshine Coast
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 Sunshine Coast
- Alexandra Headland 1
- Aroona 2
- Banya 1
- Battery Hill 1
- Beerburrum 1
- Beerwah 6
- Bells Creek 1
- Birtinya 4
- Bli Bli 5
- Bokarina 3
- Buddina 2
- Buderim 14
- Burnside 1
- Caboolture 1
- Caloundra 11
- Caloundra West 4
- Chevallum 1
- Coes Creek 1
- Coolum 2
- Coolum Beach 3
- Cooroy 7
- Currimundi 4
- Doonan 1
- Eumundi 2
- Forest Glen 4
- Glasshouse Mountains 3
- Glenview 1
- Golden Beach 2
- Kuluin 5
- Landsborough 3
- Little Mountain 3
- Mapleton 2
- Maroochydore 13
- Meridan Plains 4
- Minyama 1
- Moffat Beach 1
- Mooloolaba 4
- Mooloolah 2
- Mooloolah Valley 2
- Mount Coolum 1
- Mountain Creek 8
- Mudjimba 1
- Nambour 9
- Nirimba 2
- Noosaville 6
- North Arm 1
- North Buderim 1
- Pacific Paradise 3
- Palmview 1
- Palmwoods 5
- Parrearra 1
- Peachester 1
- Pelican Waters 4
- Peregian Beach 3
- Peregian Breeze 1
- Peregian Springs 7
- Pomona 4
- Sippy Downs 8
- Sunshine Beach 3
- Tewantin 5
- Warana 1
- Woombye 5
- Yandina 4
- Yandina Creek 1
Frequently asked questions
How many childcare centres are there in Sunshine Coast?
There are 215 approved childcare services in the Sunshine Coast urban area, including 126 that offer long day care and 67 that offer before and after school care. Many services offer more than one type of care.
How much does childcare cost in Sunshine Coast?
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 Sunshine Coast childcare services are rated Exceeding?
63 of the 207 rated services in Sunshine Coast (30%) are rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard or Excellent, compared with 18% across Australia.
Which Sunshine Coast suburbs have the most childcare?
Buderim (14), Maroochydore (13) and Caloundra (11) have the most approved services in Sunshine Coast.
Services and ratings: ACECQA National Registers, export of 29 October 2026. City boundary: ABS Significant Urban Area (Sunshine Coast), ASGS Edition 3 (2021), matched to services by postcode. Fees: Department of Education, Child Care Subsidy data report, June quarter 2026.