What is KindiCare?
KindiCare is a unique two-sided marketplace platform specifically developed for the early childhood education and care market.
Our aim is to make the journey into early childhood education and care simpler, easier and more engaging for millions of parents and guardians; whilst at the same time making the process more efficient and effortless for the thousands of childcare providers who want to ensure most of their time is focused on improving the lives and educational outcomes of the children in their care.
How does KindiCare work?
KindiCare lets parents and guardians search, compare, enquire and apply for early childhood education and care services nationally. Simple and easy to use, we provide everything you’ll need to manage the process from the moment you start searching for childcare centres and services, all the way through to your child’s successful enrolment.
What is the KindiCare Rating?
The KindiCare Rating is a unique rating developed by KindiCare to enable parents and guardians, childcare providers, childcare educators & directors and government to simply and easily compare the quality, performance and satisfaction delivered by childcare services provided in Australia.
What early childhood education and care types are available on KindiCare?
KindiCare has 100% of government registered centres and services covering all care types including Long Day Care, Pre-school & Kindergarten, Family Day Care, Before School Care, After School Care, Vacation Care, Occasional Care and In Home Care. This means when you’re searching on KindiCare you are getting a comprehensive view of your early childhood education and care options.
What does the KindiCare App cost?
The KindiCare App is there to support you and your family on your early childhood education and care journey and is completely free to use.
What is the Value for Money Rating?
The Value for Money Rating is a unique rating developed by KindiCare to enable parents and guardians, childcare providers, childcare educators and directors and government to compare the relative cost and value of childcare services provided in Australia.
The Value for Money Rating isn’t based on whether a service is more or less expensive than another; it assesses whether that service is good value for money for the price that centre is charging for that service when compared to the other options for the same type of service available in the same area.
What steps do I take to find childcare?
- Search, find and compare childcare centres and services near you.
- Save your favourites and build your shortlist of centres and services.
- Enquire or Apply directly to the childcare providers, centres and services of your choice.
- Communicate with multiple childcare centres and providers securely and conveniently through the Mailbox all the way through the process until you have a confirmed place(s).
What happens when I make an Enquiry?
KindiCare enables you to engage directly with the childcare centre or provider. KindiCare does not contact you directly by phone or email for your Enquiry, instead, we send your Enquiry directly to the childcare centre or provider you made the Enquiry with so you can start a conversation and communicate with them securely using the Mailbox feature on the KindiCare App.
I have sent an Enquiry but I haven’t received a response from the childcare provider?
KindiCare encourages all childcare providers to respond to any enquiries, applications, messages or visit and tour requests within 24 hours. KindiCare does not respond to any requests on a childcare provider’s behalf, so it is the responsibility of each provider or centre to respond to your request directly.
If you haven’t received a response, you can go the “Mailbox” and send a message directly to the childcare centre.
If you don’t get any response from the childcare centre, or you feel that the response was not helpful, you can let other KindiCare users know about your experience by leaving a review.
To leave a review, simply go to the “Reviews” area of the centre listing on KindiCare and use the “Write a Review” button.
What is the Mailbox?
KindiCare takes the pain out of communication with childcare providers. The Mailbox lets you communicate securely and conveniently 24/7 with multiple centres and providers all in one place.
Covering Enquiries, Visits and Tours and Applications, the Mailbox also delivers Smart Notifications instantly on your mobile device to ensure you’re always up to date – eliminating the need for follow up phone calls and emails saving you time!
Does KindiCare charge childcare providers for leads?
No. Unlike many other marketplace businesses, KindiCare is not a ‘lead generation’ business that charges its customers for leads. Childcare providers subscribe to the KindiCare CRM solution, which helps them to manage their business processes from advertising to enrolment and improve their efficiency.
Does KindiCare receive a fee from childcare centres or providers for an Application or Enrolment?
No. KindiCare does not receive any financial incentive, commission or benefit should you Apply for a service or successfully enrol your child with a centre. This helps to ensure that KindiCare acts in the best interests of both childcare providers and parents and guardians by providing a trusted and transparent marketplace for all participants.
Does KindiCare change childcare centre ratings and reviews for paying customers?
No. KindiCare’s objective is to provide a comprehensive, transparent and trustworthy environment for parents and guardians to search for and compare their early childhood education and care options.
Regardless of whether a childcare provider is a paid subscriber of KindiCare, the ratings and reviews are not altered or changed in any way regardless of the relationship KindiCare has with that provider.
Why is my childcare centre or service not listed on KindiCare?
KindiCare only allows listings on the marketplace for childcare centres and services that are registered with the relevant state and federal government authorities, and in particular, the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
There are some cases where people or centres offering childcare, child minding, day care or other services may not have registered with the relevant state and federal government authorities.
If your centre or service is not listed on KindiCare, KindiCare recommends that you investigate the current registration and approval status of the centre or service you are using and whether the centre is a suitable early childhood education and care provider for your family.
I’m about to open a new childcare centre, can KindiCare help me build my enrolment pipeline?
Yes. KindiCare has an option for new centres that will be opening to feature their future centre listing on KindiCare. Please Contact Us for more information.
A centre I’m looking at doesn’t have any childcare services or fees listed on KindiCare?
KindiCare sources service and fee information from a number of sources, including from the Australian government as well as childcare providers directly. KindiCare relies on childcare providers in keeping information about the services they offer and the fees for their services up to date. We provide all childcare providers who operate registered early childhood education and care services with the ability to update their services and fees as part of their subscription to KindiCare CRM.
If there are no services of fees listed for a centre you are interested in, simply use the “Make Enquiry” button at the end of the listing to request this information directly from the centre.
The fees for a service listed on KindiCare turned out not to be correct?
KindiCare undertakes best efforts to ensure that the service and fee information listed on KindiCare is correct at the time it is published. KindiCare does however rely on childcare providers keeping information about the services they offer and the fees for their services up to date.
KindiCare is not responsible if the fees for a service are found not to be correct.
I want to “Apply” for a service but the button is greyed out?
Not all childcare centres accept online applications through KindiCare. If the centre you’re interested in doesn’t accept online applications, simply use the “Make Enquiry” button instead to notify the centre that you wish to apply for a place for your child or children for one or more of their services.
What happens if I have submitted an Application for a childcare service and change my mind?
KindiCare makes it easy for you to manage your applications for childcare with multiple childcare centres and providers.
If at any time you want to cancel or withdraw your application for a service, there is no need to contact us, simply got to “Applications”, open the Application you wish to cancel, scroll to the bottom and select “Cancel”. It’s as simple as that, you don’t need to follow up with the childcare centre or provider.
I’m a childcare provider. How do I update the details for my centre?
It’s simple for childcare providers to update their centre’s details. Simply follow the process to Claim your centre automatically online, log in to the KindiCare CRM, sign up for a subscription or free trial and update you centres description, photos, services, fees, features and inclusions and other details; all without ever having to speak to anyone at KindiCare!
Do I have to turn on Location Services?
No. It’s up to every KindiCare App user to decide if they want to use Location Services with the KindiCare App.
KindiCare recommends allowing the use of Location Services on your device to make it easier to locate the early childhood education and care options closest to you.
Do I have to turn on Notification Services?
No. It’s up to every KindiCare App user to decide if they want to use Notification Services with the KindiCare App.
KindiCare recommends allowing the use of Notification Services on your device to make it easier to stay up to date with the progress of your Applications and Enquiries as well as any messages sent to you by childcare centres and providers.
Does KindiCare charge any fee for me to Apply for a childcare service?
No. KindiCare does not charge any fee for you to Apply for a service. Some childcare centres and providers do however charge an Application Fee or a Waitlist Fee which can be paid simply and easily using PayPal.
Why do some centres charge an Application Fee or a Waitlist Fee?
There are a number of reasons why some centres or providers charge an Application Fee or Waitlist Fee. These include:
- Covering the cost in time and resources of processing the application.
- Covering the ongoing cost of managing your application on the waitlist and communicating with you.
- To ensure that those who Apply for a service are genuine about wanting to secure a place and enrol their child.
KindiCare has made it easy to facilitate payments as part of the Application process by facilitating payments direct from you to the childcare centre or provider you are making an Application with.
I’m a provider and tried to claim my listing but didn’t receive an email?
We’ll always send the email from ”KindiCare,” so you can quickly search for it. If you’ve already claimed your centre with a valid email address and it isn’t in your inbox, check your Spam, Junk or Trash folders. If you still cannot locate the verification email, contact our friendly customer care team at customercare@kindicare.com
Is KindiCare or the KindiCare Rating affiliated or associated with, or endorsed by, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority?
No, KindiCare is an independent organisation which is not affiliated with any statutory or regulatory body. The KindiCare rating is an independent rating which is has been developed by KindiCare, based on publicly available information from a number of sources, that helps families and childcare providers to understand and compare the relative quality and performance of centres and services listed on the KindiCare platform, including the KindiCare App. Families evaluating early learning services should use the KindiCare Rating as a guide only and also consider any rating, or ratings, given by any federal or state government bodies or any regulatory body.