Just want to add - you can still get the childcare rebate if your child goes to a C&K kindy, but you have to pay the full fees first, then claim back your rebate after directly from centrelink. You just have to tell the director or the kindy treasurer that you want to claim it. Unlike day care, where you can get the rebate as reduced fees. Our kindy is quite cheap - $16 a day, and it operates two separate class groups - group 1, which is Mon-Wed and Group 2, which is Thurs-Fri. When you put your child on the waiting list, you choose which group you would prefer. The hours are 9-2:30.

I cannot speak highly enough of C&K - I am so glad my DS went to kindy, and now my DD is going to start there in a couple of weeks. They are great for preparing your child for school, and they operate on a play-based curriculum, that is child-led - meaning the teachers are often guided by the children and what their interests are and what suggestions they give for things they like to do at kindy. Also the teachers monitor the children throughout the year for "prep-readiness" - and by the end of the year if they do not think your child is prepared or ready for prep, they will suggest keeping him or her in kindy for another year. I have to say it was the best thing I could have done for DS - he went into Prep confident and fully prepared, and I can't wait for DD to go to kindy too - she has been looking forward to it for months, because she knows the teachers from when DS went there and she knows all the fun things they do there.