BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

AUGUST 25, 2025

Whether you’re a careful forward-planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-jeans type parent, now is a good time to start thinking about the childcare you’ll need next year.  

Vacancies at quality early learning services can fill quickly, and there’s a bit of admin involved with childcare enrolment, so here are four ways to get organised well before your little one’s first day.

1. Think about the childcare you need – and want – ahead of time.  

You may find that long day care hours fit perfectly with your nine-to-five, or might love the idea of a community preschool/kindy in the years before big school.  

And wherever your head’s at, it’s important to think about the type of childcare, hours, days and vibe that will best suit your family.  

The free KindiCare App and Childcare Comparison Website make it easy to search for different early learning services near you, and compare their quality, cost, convenience and reviews. 

You can then enquire with your favourites, book some tours, and apply for a place at the services you feel good about.  

The earlier you do all this, the better; and if you’re finding that spots are limited, it can help to widen your search area, ask about vacancies on different days, join lots of waitlists, and keep in regular contact with the services you’re interested in. 

2. Check out the financial assistance you might be eligible for. 

The Child Care Subsidy makes childcare much more affordable for lots of families, so it definitely pays to check your eligibility for this payment now, and lodge a claim for the Subsidy in the weeks before your little one starts childcare.  

The Child Care Subsidy will be paid direct to your early learning service to reduce the out-of-pocket fees (aka ‘gap fees’) you pay. 

And from January 2026, families are entitled to at least three days per week of early childhood education and care, no matter how much (or how little) parents work, study or volunteer.  

Depending on your circumstances, payments like the Additional Child Care Subsidy, Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payment can also help with the cost of care; and this Centrelink Payment Finder is an easy way to check what assistance you might be eligible for.  

Also, be aware that there are funded preschool/kindergarten programs around Australia, like Start Strong in NSW, Free Kindy in Queensland and Free Kinder in Victoria, so if your child turns three or four next year, ask your prospective service what’s on offer for them.  

3. Get your paperwork in order.  

You’ll need to provide some documentation when lodging your claim for the Child Care Subsidy and enrolling your child at a service.    

So, make sure you’ve got things like your child's birth certificate, and both your Customer Reference Numbers (CRNs) handy, plus financial details, like your tax file number. 

Your under-five will also need to be up-to-date with their immunisations to get the Child Care Subsidy (and may need to be vaccinated to enrol at a service), so check your little one’s immunisation history statement, and book them in for any jabs they need at their age.    

4. Ease your little one into the idea of childcare.

Going to childcare is lot different from staying at home with you, so now’s the time to put a positive spin on childcare and talk about what will happen, with input from some upbeat friends and family! 

Reading books about childcare and visiting a few prospective centres will acquaint your child with early learning. 

And once you’ve locked in a place, it’s a really good idea to attend a few ‘stay and plays’ with your child, so they can experience the service with you by their side. 

Now’s also a great time to establish a solid morning routine, so your child is used to getting up, getting ready and getting out the door, long before that first childcare drop-off happens.  

And as their first day draws closer, you can stock up on the items they need to bring each day (your centre will provide a handy list), then put your child’s name on everything!  

All in all, a bit of forward-planning and information-gathering will make everything easier, and you’re not alone as you embark on your early learning journey. 

KindiCare is here to simplify your childcare search and application process; and staff at quality early learning services will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through their enrolment process.    

So, have a think about your childcare needs, wants and to-do list; and here’s to a great start!