Where are the cheapest childcare centres in Wide Bay Burnett?

With cost of living soaring and impacting on childcare prices around the state and nation, these are the childcare centres with the lowest prices to be found in the Wide Bay and Burnett.

While childcare fees have increased across the nation, some centres in the Wide Bay and Burnett are keeping their costs low in the face of ongoing post-Covid challenges, staff shortages and a skyrocketing cost of living.

While childcare fees have increased across the nation, some centres in the Wide Bay and Burnett are keeping their costs low in the face of ongoing post-Covid challenges, staff shortages and a skyrocketing cost of living.

The average cost of childcare in Australia rose to $124 a day before subsidies for children attending five days per week, the latest data from childcare comparison website and app KindiCare reveals. 

KindiCare shows childcare costs on average $124/day in Australia. Picture: Istock

In Queensland the average cost of childcare sits slightly lower at $116, the figures show.

Care for Kids, another childcare price comparison website, shows families within the Wide Bay Burnett region can expect to pay an average cost of between $86 – 107 per day, across all types of childcare services.

The South Burnett’s Murgon region scored as the eighth lowest in Queensland (KindiCare) and Wim Van Rensburg, the provider at Murgon Childcare and Learning Centre, said this was the to result of keeping costs in line with affordability.

Unfortunately this put restraints on how much the childcare centre could grow, too.

“It’s a catch 22, we need the children to afford a new educator, we don’t know if we can get that so it becomes a risky business decision,” Mr Van Rensburg said.

Wim Van Rensburg said keeping childcare costs low was a double edged sword, as it limited how much a centre could grow.

Mr Van Rensburg moved to Murgon and had managed the centre for the last nine years, adding to his 16 years of working in the childcare business in South Africa and Lesotho.

Cost of childcare remains an ongoing issue for residents of the Wide Bay Burnett, with 2021 ABS statistics showing the median income at Murgon was $700 lower than the state’s average.

Incoming increases to child care subsidy rates from July 2023 for up to 90 per cent of eligible families are expected to help cover the cost.

The Hervey Bay and Gympie regions have on average the most expensive services at $107 per day, while Gayndah and surrounds recorded the lowest price on average at $86 per day.

Here is a list of the cheapest childcare centres in the Wide Bay Burnett according to the Care for Kids website.

Bundaberg and surrounds

Bundaberg and surrounding suburbs averaged at $101 per day.

Mother Hubbard Daycare

$62 per day on average.

Cares for children from six weeks to 12 years offering long day, before and after school, weekend and overnight care.

Rated “meeting” for National Quality Standards

St John's Lutheran Community Kindergarten

$80 per day on average.

Cares for children 3 - 5 years old offering long day care.

Rated “meeting” for National Quality Standards

Nae Naes Family Daycare

$86 per day on average.

Cares for children 2 - 12 years in family day care, before school care, and vacation care.

Rated “working towards” for National Quality Standards

The most expensive childcare in Bundaberg and surrounds was Piper Central World of Learning averaging at $132 per day.

Mother Hubbard Family Daycare in Bundaberg is the cheapest childcare service in Wide Bay Burnett, according to the Care for Kids website.

Gayndah and surrounds

Gayndah and surrounds averaged $86 per day and is the cheapest region for childcare in the Wide Bay Burnett.

Bubz @ Bec’s Place

$75 per day average.

Cares for babies and children six weeks to five years.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Gayndah Family Day Care Scheme

$83 per day average.

Cares for children 0 - 12 years in family day care, before school care, and vacation care.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Gayndah Early Learning Centre

$86 per day average.

Cares for children 0 - 5 years in family day care, before and after school care, and vacation care.

Rated “working towards” for NQS.

Gympie and surrounds

Gympie and surrounds averaged $107 per day and is one of the most expensive regions within the Wide Bay Burnett for childcare.

Mary Valley Childcare

$78 per day average.

Cares for children in long day care 15 months to three years, with other care options for children three to 12 years.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Kids on Calton Early Learning Centre

$90 per day average.

Cares for 3- 5 year-old children in long day care.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Fairway Friends Family Day Care

$94 per day average.

Family day care for children 0 - 5 years.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

The most expensive childcare in Gympie and surrounds was Good Start Early Learning Gympie averaging at $117 per day.

The Gayndah region recorded the lowest median childcare costs across the Wide Bay Burnett at an $86 per day average.

Hervey Bay and surrounds

Hervey Bay and surrounding suburbs averaged $107 per day.

Fraser Coast Anglican College Early Learning Centre

$71 per day average.

Long day care for children aged 3-5 years.

Rated “exceeding” for NQS.

St James Lutheran Community Kindergarten

$75 per day average.

Long day care and pre-school for children 3-5 years of age.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Kim’s Family Daycare

$80 per day average.

Cares for children aged two-to-four-years-old with vacation care for children aged five to 10 years.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

The most expensive childcare in Hervey Bay and surrounds was Aussie Kindies Early Learning Torquay averaging at $127 per day.

Kingaroy and surrounds

Kingaroy and surrounding suburbs averaged $91 per day.

Hillview Kidz Family Daycare

$85 per day average.

Cares for babies and children 6 months to 5 years.

Rated “exceeding” for NQS.

Kingaroy Early Learning Centre

$89 per day average.

Long day care for children 6 weeks to 12 years.

Rated “working towards” for NQS.

Little Peanuts Early Learning Centre

$91 per day average.

Long day care for children 6 weeks to 5 years.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

The most expensive childcare centre listed by the Care for Kids website was Enhance Family Day Care averaging $95 per day.

Murgon and surrounds

Murgon and surrounding suburbs averaged $97 per day.

Murgon Childcare and Learning Centre

$85 per day average.

This centre provides long day care for children aged up to five years old, as well as offering a kindergarten program for 4-5-year-olds.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

With only eight childcare centres listed in Murgon by the Care for Kids Website, Bec’s Family Daycare was the most expensive at $135 per day.

Murgon residents pay some of the lowest costs in child care throughout the state, although ABS data shows the region’s median household income was $700 lower than the Queensland average.

Maryborough and surrounds

Maryborough and surrounding suburbs averaged $102 per day.

Candice’s Family Daycare

$90 per day average.

Cares for children aged 12 months to five years.

Rated “working towards” for NQS.

Maryborough Central Early Learning Centre

$91 per day average.

Cares for children in long day care aged 5 months to 6 years, pre-schoolers from 3 - 6 years, and children 5 - 12 years for vacation care, before and after school care.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Little Gems Child Care & Early Learning Centre - Maryborough

$92 per day average.

Cares for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years in long day care, occasional, casual or flexible care, pre-school, before and after school care, vacation care.

Rated “meeting” for NQS.

Jerringa Family Care had the highest average day rate of $120 per day as listed on the Care for Kids website.

Originally published as Where are the cheapest childcare centres in Wide Bay Burnett?