Government-subsidised kindergartens are charging families up to $100 to put them on waiting lists as parents strive to get into the most sought-after early learning spaces.
The non-refundable cost-to-wait fees, which provide no guarantee of a place, range from $10 to $100 for the most in-demand early learning centres, some of which provide free government-funded programs.
This mirrors the fees required by exclusive private schools, which can charge upwards of $200, to put children on waiting lists. The Geelong College has the most expensive waiting list fee, at $500 for its early learning centre in 2025. The fee is non-refundable, regardless of whether a child attends the centre.
St Kilda mother Madeline Silins with her daughter Myka, who started childcare this year. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Some sessional kindergartens, which provide free early education for three- and four-year-olds (and range in hours from eight to 15 a week), charge about $50 for a waiting list fee, on top of enrolment fees (which are refunded once the child starts).
West Hawthorn Early Childhood Centre and Kindergarten and for-profit centre Northwest Montessori Preschool charge about $100 as a non-refundable waiting list fee, while Middle Park’s Civic Kindergarten charges $50. The Children’s Garden Kindergarten in Albert Park charges $60.
St Kilda mother Madeline Silins, whose daughter Myka is one year old, said she would consider paying a waiting list fee if it were refundable, even partially, and had a clear timeframe.
“If we didn’t get a spot by a certain date, I’d want that money back,” she said.
“I understand it shows families are serious, but at the same time, paying multiple non-refundable fees can add up quickly. If you have the financial means, you can afford to go on lots of waiting lists. But if you don’t, you might only be able to apply to one or two centres, which puts some families at a real disadvantage, especially when spots are already hard to come by.”
Myka attends Eildon Road Children’s Centre in St Kilda, which doesn’t charge a waiting list fee.
Silins said charging fees as high as $100 was not fair on families without a guarantee of a spot.
“It creates a barrier, particularly for those who can’t afford to pay multiple wait list fees. It’s not considerate of people in different financial situations,” she said. “When centres charge high, non-refundable fees just to join a wait list, it feels like it’s becoming less about early education access and more like the exclusivity and barriers we see in private school systems.”
Early Childhood Australia chief executive Samantha Page said the fees covered administration costs and could also dissuade people from applying to multiple kinders. But she said she didn’t support the practice, which was “unfair on families”.
“We understand the rationale from services but feel it is an impost on families that many cannot afford,” she said. “Families should be choosing services based on the best fit for their child and their circumstances, not based on freebies or bonds that might imply exclusivity.”
Benjamin Balk, chief executive of childcare app KindiCare, said most parents applied to four to six centres. Balk said parents did not appreciate paying waiting list fees for what was often a lucky dip and “non-transparent process as to whether your child gets a spot or not”.
There had actually been a sharp reduction over the past five years in long-day-care services requesting non-refundable waiting list fees, and some offered free days of kinder to entice enrolments, he said.
“This is because parents at large don’t like [waiting list fees], and with the competition for enrolments growing, it can put a centre at a disadvantage and potentially discourage a family from putting their child’s name down for a spot.”
Gardiner Preschool in Glen Iris charges a $30 waiting list fee, which a spokeswoman said helped the kindergarten with planning. She said that when families didn’t accept a place, it affected staffing and resourcing.
“When there was no wait list fee, families would apply and then not accept offers at a rate that impacted our planning significantly,” she said.
“In a normal year our wait list is 10-15 kids over our capacity. Some will get second-round offers, but some will have to seek other kinders.”
The Geelong College principal Dr Peter Miller said previously that its fee was a way to ensure people were committed “and not making their application among many other schools”.
“The application fee is not the only way to regulate the length of a list, and we have tried to keep it manageable for most people considering private education for their children,” he said.
An Education Department spokesperson said free kinder saved families up to $2600 per child each year and about 145,000 children and families benefited.
The Victorian government increased funding to councils in 2023 to enable them to provide central enrolment services at no cost to families, which allows families to apply to multiple services within a local government area. About 69,000 children were enrolled through it in 2023.
“While there are sufficient kindergarten places to meet demand in all parts of the state, there may be some services that are preferred by the local community and use wait lists to manage demand,” he said.
City of Boroondara has about 80 kindergartens and long day care centres. Director of Community Services Kate McCaughey said they managed the registration of 27 kindergartens through their centralised registration system, which is free for residents. Registrations open for 2026 on May 1.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.