BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

It’s November (just in case that crept up on you!), and if you’re needing childcare for next year, now’s the time to lock in a place your family will love.

This might feel daunting, because there are lots of different things to consider, but don’t worry!

KindiCare is here to help.

We’ve simplified the childcare search, so you can see exactly how different services compare and choose the best result for your family.

With our tech in hand, here’s what you need to do to find, and secure, quality childcare:

Start by populating your KindiCare profile.

Click ‘More’ in the app or ‘Log In’ on the website and add a few basic details.

This profile enables you to see estimated fees at different services with your Child Care Subsidy rate applied, and it also makes it super easy to contact services you like the look of.

Next, think about the kind of care you’re searching for.

This childcare cheat sheet explains the ins and outs of long day care, family day care, kindergarten/preschool and outside school hours care; and your child’s age and family’s circumstances will influence your childcare choice.

If you’re not set on one care type (or have different aged children), you can always keep your search options open.

Also, decide which location you’d like to look in.  

You might want care that’s close to home, work or study, and to explore an area, just type your postcode or suburb of choice into the KindiCare search bar.

Alternatively, you can search by childcare brand or enter the name of a specific service.

Then it’s time to compare your options.

KindiCare will quickly provide a list of services that meet your search criteria and it’s easy to scroll down and see which ones stand out.

Those with pretty pictures are obviously appealing, but really, quality and affordability are two of your biggest considerations, and you can tell a lot about a service by looking at the following details in its search result:

1. The big number in the top left of the image.

This is the service’s KindiCare Rating, which tells you how it compares to other services, based on quality, performance and customer satisfaction.

The closer to 10, the better, but anything 8.5 or above is considered ‘Very Good.’

‘NR’ stands for ‘Not Rated,’ which isn’t necessarily a negative – it just means the service has been around for less than two years and hasn’t been assessed under the National Quality Framework yet.

2. The logo in the bottom right of the image.

This is the service’s National Quality Standard Rating which is given by its state or territory regulatory authority, based on the service’s results in seven quality areas.

‘Excellent’ is the highest NQS rating possible, but don’t worry if you can’t see this rating in your search results, because a very select number of services have this rating. 

3. The dollar figure below the NQS rating.

This is the service’s day or session fee, and although your Child Care Subsidy eligibility and exact care needs will dictate what you pay, this figure is a great price guide.

4. The dollar icon and rating (e.g. ‘Very Good’) in the bottom left.

This is KindiCare’s unique Value for Money Rating, which shows how the service compares with others in the area, based on the quality it provides for the price it charges.

You can adjust your search filter to see services with particular attributes (such as a high KindiCare Rating or low session fee); and KindiCare’s Childcare Comparison Tool makes it easy to compare different services, side-by-side.

Just click the ‘Add to Compare’ box for each one and you’ll see how they measure up, based on price, quality, reputation, location and hours of operation.

It’s important to explore services individually as well.

You should open up each search result that appeals and look at the service’s:

• Overview and features, to see if its philosophy, facilities, focus and other offerings sound good to you.
• Capacity, to get a sense of the service’s size and possible places.
• Vacancy status, keeping in mind that you’ll need to contact the service direct to ensure there’s a place available for your preferred days and start date.
• Estimated fees for your child’s age and care, with your Child Care Subsidy applied (e.g. press the forward arrow to price a full day for your 14-month-old or an afternoon session for your primary schooler).
• Ratings, to see how the service compares with others in the area.
  
• Reviews and star-ratings, to gauge its reputation amongst parents, educators and others.
• Location, to check what your childcare commute might look like.

 

In amongst all this data, it’s important to think about what matters most to you.

For example, you might be happy to pay more for a shorter childcare commute, be looking for an alternative educational approach, like Montessori, or love the idea of long-standing staff.

When you do find a service you like, click the heart icon at the top right to save it to your favourites, then move on to the next search result.  

Searching in different areas will expand your options, and once you’ve shortlisted your favourites, KindiCare makes it easy to contact them.

Just click the ‘Make Enquiry’ button in each service’s listing to send through a question or set up a time to visit or tour in person.  

KindiCare keeps note of these communications, so you don’t have to worry about a paper trail, and you can also phone services direct from the app.

Once you’ve toured a few services with your child and found somewhere that ticks lots of boxes and feels right, KindiCare also makes it easy to apply by clicking the ‘Apply’ button.

We’ll track the status of your applications, and whether you join a waitlist or snag a spot instantly, the whole childcare search process is much easier with our search power in the palm of your hand.

Promise!