Best Childcare in Brisbane

The best childcare choice for your family will always be the centre that makes you feel at home, and where your child feels safe, secure and loved. When looking at the best childcare in Brisbane for your family, there are some key things to look out for.

There are the practicalities, like location and proximity to work or home – and the more emotional factors like how you feel when you walk into the centre. So we’ve looked at both the practical and the emotional factors so you can strike the right balance for you and your child when looking at childcare centres in Brisbane.

The best childcare in Brisbane: Practical things to consider

Location

While the care factor is number one, practical elements also need to come into play when you’re choosing a childcare centre. If your centre is conveniently located to your home or workplace your days will likely go a lot more smoothly. Drop-offs and pick-ups will be so much less stressful when you don’t have to factor in things like traffic that might make you late for a morning meeting. And knowing your child is nearby is reassuring and makes life easier if you need to factor in appointments during the day, or if your child falls ill and you need to get to him or her quickly.

Is there parking on-site to make drop off and pick up easier? Is there space to leave your pram during the day if you travel on foot? Is the centre close to public transport like buses, trains or trams? What are the hours of operation – this will also factor a lot into the convenience of the centre location. If you choose a child care centre near home versus the office, how will this impact your ability to drop off and pick up your child on time?

Nutrition and Wellbeing

Educating children about the importance of healthy eating and wellbeing is an important part of early childhood. This is where adults can role-model a healthy love of food during shared mealtimes. The best childcare centres in Brisbane will prepare food freshly on site each day. Some even offer cooking classes for the children to extend their knowledge of health and wellbeing. Meals will be made with the child’s level of development and balance in mind – including a diverse range of fruit and vegetables, low GI, light on sugar and unsaturated fats.

To keep your children satisfied, the best childcare centres will frequently rotate their meals – encouraging children to try new flavours and textures – while revisiting their favourites time and time again.

A Preschool Program

For older children, a Preschool Program is an incredible benefit. A Preschool program in a childcare setting means your child will be prepared for their move to primary school, while you get all the benefits of long day care hours and flexibility. The best childcare in Brisbane will have programs that incorporate academic, self-help and social preparation to help children get ready for their next exciting learning journey at school. They should focus on play-based experiences that:

• Teach the basic numeracy and literacy skills needed for academic success.
• Embed valuable social and emotional skills required to be confident and resilient.
• Have clear learning outcomes to prepare your child for formal schooling, and beyond.

The best childcare in Brisbane: Emotional things to consider

Communication and Partnership with families

Collaborating with families ensures children’s routines remain consistent from home to centre. This helps children feel safe and secure, which in turns creates an environment where they can feel free to explore and learn. The best childcare centres in Brisbane will work closely with families to ensure a seamless experience. The best childcare centres will support families via additional measures above and beyond simply caring for you child. This might look like:

• Designated drop off and pick up zones to assist with those busy mornings and afternoons.
• Casual care days where possible to help you manage the unpredictable nature of work life and home life.
• Assisting you with government subsidies and entitlements to help you make the most of the financial support which may be available.
• Family communication apps or platforms to keep you informed throughout the day with photos, videos and updates about your child.
• Providing your child with unexpected benefits such as exposure to a range of cultures and languages via a diverse and multi-cultural educator mix.

Community Connections

Being part of a local community is so important for children as they grow and develop. It helps them understand their place in the world. But how do the best childcare centres in Brisbane achieve this? This might mean excursions into the local community to visit local businesses, the local primary school or a park. It might mean ‘incursions’, where members of the local community come into the centre to share insights about who they are and what they do. It might be fundraising events or local fetes where the children can get involved in something bigger than themselves.

When you book a tour the centre should be able to tell you about how they work within the local community to extend opportunities for children outside the centre walls.

How you and your child feel.

Sometimes it’s as simple as the feeling you get when you walk into a centre. It may not be the newest, brightest or shiniest setting, but there’s just something out the people that make you feel at home. Perhaps the educators and leaders have been there for years. Maybe when you look around the children seem happy and curious. Perhaps the pictures on the walls and the stories you hear as you take a tour feel your heart with warmth. These are the things you cannot necessarily articulate, but that ‘at home’ feeling is worth more than any fancy playground equipment.

When considering the best childcare in Brisbane, make sure you consider all the factors – from the practical and convenience considerations, through to how you feel about the centre and the people who will be caring for your child.

Guardian has six Centres in and around the Brisbane CBD, and 15 in total across wider Brisbane. So there is likely a suitable centre near you.