The KindiCare Rating

What is the KindiCare Rating?
The KindiCare Rating is a unique rating developed by KindiCare to enable parents and guardians, childcare providers, childcare educators and directors and government to compare the quality of childcare services provided in Australia.
What is the range of possible KindiCare Ratings that a centre or service can receive?
The KindiCare Rating is a number between NR (Not Rated) and 10 that provides an indication of the relative quality, performance and customer satisfaction of an individual childcare centre or service compared to all the childcare centres and services in the market.
What is a good KindiCare Rating?
The quality of childcare centres and services in Australia is generally high with the majority of services meeting or exceeding government standards. When you see a KindiCare Rating, the higher the number, the better the centre or service.
The following can be used as a guide to help you in interpreting what a good rating is based on the KindiCare Rating for a centre or service:
9.5 - 10
9.0 - 9.5
8.5 - 9.0
7.5 - 8.5
5.0 - 7.5
5.0 and below
NR:
Outstanding
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Not Rated
How is the KindiCare Rating calculated?
The KindiCare Rating is a summary of all the information and data about a childcare service collected and held by KindiCare. Unlike other assessments of quality, performance and satisfaction, the numerical rating given to each childcare service by KindiCare is derived from a number of factors that can contribute to the quality of care provided by a service. These include:
  • Government service quality audits, ratings, reviews and trends.
  • Community feedback aggregated by KindiCare from a number of sources including market reviews and opinions.
  • The type of childcare service and characteristics of the provider, centre and offering.
  • The currency and quality of the information available for the service.
  • The stability and length of operation of the provider managing the centre and delivering the service.
All of this information is ingested and used by KindiCare’s proprietary algorithm to generate a unique and independent rating of every childcare service in Australia.
How do I use the KindiCare Rating in my search for early childhood education and care services?
The KindiCare Rating has been designed to help parents and guardians in the search and selection process for early childhood education and care services as well as support childcare providers in understanding how their centre or service compares with their peers in their local market and nationally.
The KindiCare Rating should be used as a guide only in your search, along with other available information in the market, when making an assessment of the suitability of an early childhood education and care centre or service to meet your family’s unique needs.
Does the KindiCare Rating given to centres change?
Yes. KindiCare calculates the rating in real time based on the data we hold for an early childhood education and care centre. As we receive new data and information, the KindiCare Rating changes.
Why are some centres not rated and show “NR” for the KindiCare Rating?
The KindiCare Rating relies on a number of inputs to generate the numerical rating or score. In Australia, we have a National Quality Framework under which all early childhood education and care services are assessed. This is an important component for KindiCare in assessing the quality, performance and customer satisfaction of each centre or service.
Currently in Australia, almost 10% of childcare centres and services have not been assessed under the National Quality Framework. The majority of these centres and services are new to the market in the last two years, and due to COVID, there is a backlog of new centres waiting to be assessed under the National Quality Framework.
KindiCare has a policy of not providing a numerical rating or score for any childcare centre or service that has been established for less than two years and is yet to be assessed under the National Quality Framework. Centres that meet this criteria are provided with a KindiCare Rating of “NR”.
Should I be concerned if a childcare centre or service doesn’t have a KindiCare Rating?
Generally, the fact that KindiCare has not provided a KindiCare Rating for a centre (“NR”) is not a cause for concern. KindiCare just recommends that parents and guardians undertake greater due diligence of such centres and services, particularly if they are new, to ensure that the centre or service is both a match for your family, and you feel comfortable it will deliver on your expectations around quality, performance and satisfaction.
How frequently is the KindiCare Rating updated?
The KindiCare Rating is updated in real time based on the data we hold about an early childhood education and care centre at that point in time.
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.

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