Full List: Every childcare centre rated in NSW

The top rated and underperforming childcare centres across NSW can be revealed. Search and see the list and watch our exclusive video.

Exclusive: NSW has a larger percentage of childcare centres that are underperforming compared with the national average, according to new data.

KindiCare, a child care app, rated 17,300 centres across Australia, based on the results of official inspections, as well as parent reviews.

Out of more than 5900 childcare centres in NSW, 6.8 per cent – or 401 centres – were rated as ‘fair’, higher than the national average.

Tiny Town Child Care Armidale came bottom in the state, with a score of just 6.2 out of 10.

KindiCare founder Benjamin Balk said centres that have a rating of ‘fair’ typically provided early learning services that were well below the national average.

“These centres often have limited or poor reviews from families or have been assessed as ‘working towards’ the National Quality Framework in some or all areas,” Mr Balk said.

SEE NSW'S 2024 CHILDCARE CENTRE RATINGS HERE

A spokeswoman for Tiny Town Child Care Armidale, the lowest rated centre in NSW, said the staffing crisis was the worst it had been in the centre’s 22 years of operation.

She said they were down six staff and had to turn away kids because they didn’t have anyone to look after them.

The spokeswoman said people were leaving the industry because they were “overwhelmed” with all of the policies they had to learn.

“You’re better off going to work in Coles,” she said.

She added that the inspectors were more interested in compliance and paperwork rather than whether you were any good at looking after children.

“Children are happy and want to come and we always do interesting things,” the spokeswoman said.

Other centres in the five lowest rated centres were also approached for comment.

Search our table below for your childcare centre’s rating and watch the video tour above of the best performing childcare centre in Australia rated by KindiCare.

The best rated centre in the state was Goodstart Early Learning Woy Woy, on the NSWcentral coast with a near perfect score of 9.9.

Papa Bear Child Care Centre Long Day Care, Miranda, was Sydney’s highest rated centre, also with a score of 9.9.

Goodstart Early Learning Woy Woy centre director, Tracey Davies, said parents told them their centre had the “friendliest feel” and staff loved it so much they never left.

She started her early learning career at the centre 17 years ago, and several of her colleagues had been happily employed for a similar length of time.

Educator Flavia Sampaio Monteiro with Lucas Kamensky at NSW's top rated childcare centre Goodstart Early Learning Woy Woy, on the Central Coast. Picture: Supplied

Nationally, Victoria had the largest percentage of outstanding centres (4.8 per cent), compared with South Australia where none of its centres achieved the top classification.

While, Tasmania had the highest proportion of centres rated fair (12.7 per cent), compared with the ACT with just (2.4 per cent), and Victoria (4.2 per cent).

The majority of the centres unable to be rated by KindiCare were new centres that had opened in the last two years.

Benjamin Balk said families were likely to pay higher fees for new centres, many of which offered modern facilities and were new builds.

He said those with better ratings also tended to be more expensive.

He said a centre assessed as exceeding by the national regulator cost on average $12 per day more than one that working towards the National Quality Standards (NQS).

Families have been smashed by higher fee increases in 2023, despite the Albanese government upping subsidies for around 90 per cent of parents.

An interim report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that childcare fees had risen between 20 per cent and 32 per cent in the last four years, faster than inflation and wages.

KindiCare said its data showed that the average long daycare fee in Australia was now $131.64, with parents in the ACT paying the most per day on average ($142.25) with Victoria the second most expensive ($138.79).