Casual care, in-person tours among ways parents can skip childcare waitlists

Parents are paying hefty fees and registering for daycare before their children are even born, but experts say there are better ways to avoid the queue. See where childcare is in high demand.

Desperate parents are going to extreme lengths to secure a spot for their child at their local childcare centre amid high demand, but experts say there are easier ways to skip the queue.

Families are forking out hundreds of dollars in waitlist fees for some centres, while others are registering their child for daycare before they’re even born.

An analysis of data obtained exclusively by the Saturday Herald Sun found some Victorian parents are applying up to 18 months in advance before their child receives a spot at their preferred childcare.

Meanwhile, some centres are recording waitlists of up to 400 children.

Parents Jyotsna and Karthik waited less than a year for their children Loukya and Vedansh to receive a spot at Milestones Early Learning Tarneit. Picture: Jason Edwards

In the City of Kingston, council-run early learning centres in Edithvale, Carrum and Parkdale have more than 100 children waiting on a spot.

As for Whitehorse City Council, a spokeswoman said its three early childhood education and care centres — which offer long daycare and funded kindergarten — have “approximately 170 families on the waitlist for each centre”.

“On average families are waiting 12 to 18 months for a place. (This is) less for children aged over three and longer for children aged under three,” she said.

As for Australia’s largest childcare provider Goodstart Early Learning, most of its in-demand centres are in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, including Reservoir, Epping, Sunbury and Seymour.

Rural Goodstart Early learning centres in Wangaratta and Horsham also have lengthy waitlists.

Out west, parents are waiting more than a year to get their child into the nursery and toddler room at One Tree’s Aintree centre.

Affinity Education Group – which operates almost 50 early learning centres across Victoria, including Papilio Early Learning, Kids Academy, Milestones and Aussie Kindies – also saw high demand for its services, particularly in Cranbourne, Mickleham and Croydon.

The group is also opening new centres in Hoppers Crossing, Officer and Bundoora to keep up with heightened interest from families.

Affinity Education Group state manager Deb Smith credited Affinity’s success to its Lifelong Learning Curriculum programs for nursery, toddler and kinder aged children.

But Ms Smith said parents shouldn’t be deterred from choosing a childcare provider due to waitlists.

“Don’t assume all waitlists are full for every age group. Families should go directly to their local centres or call our family support line to inquire about availability,” she said.

“Victorian families are requesting start dates from immediately right through to early 2027, and we are accommodating their enrolments as quickly as possible.”

Parents Jyotsna and Karthik required childcare after Karthik injured his back, with the pair having no family in Victoria to help care for their daughter and son.

“The childcare system really helped us with our family situation. It was a blessing, given we have family overseas. Having childcare here was so helpful,” Jyotsna said.

Their three-year-old daughter, Loukya, was on the waitlist for eight months, while their 18-month-old son Vedansh waited six months.

Karthik said the kids started off at Milestones Early Learning Tarneit on a casual basis before they moved to a more permanent basis.

Ms Smith said this was just one strategy parents were using to get their children into childcare without the extensive waiting periods.

“We offer families the option to start as occasional care or casual enrolments if they are not sure of their needs,” she said.

“We also provide priority enrolments at the closest sister centre we can find for our families, if we are full at their first choice centre.”

Other tips to beating the waitlists include going on tours in person, requesting Stay and Play or orientation sessions and registering early to new centres that are yet to open.