IMO I think Day care centres are the way to go, I went back to uni when I had my 1st DD in Toowoomba (SE QLD). My DH stayed in Mt Isa (NW QLD) while Bree and I went alone. I put applications in at about five different centres when I was about 12 weeks pregnant with her and she was 4 months old when I went back to Uni and She didn't have a place with any of them. But one centre ran a Family day care unit and she was placed with a very lovely woman, I did stelth inspections and turned up early every now and again and Bree was happy being there and I developed trust in her and became quite friendly with her. She was there for four months when the lady got two little boys that were just totally out of control and wrecked her house and drove her crazy the boys had been expelled from 2 day care centres and she was their 4th day care mum that year. needless to say these boys had issues. She tried to off load them but the centre wouldn't let her so she quit 3 days before my 1st semester exams. I was devastated. And distraught. But the centre that ran the unit had a place open up and took Bree for me due to my circumstances. Bree stayed there for the rest of the year and it was fabulous. I faced the same dilemma when I finished uni and Bree was about 15 months old. I had put her name down when I was pregnant and she didn't get into the centre I wanted till she was 18 months old. She had missed out because of the sibling policy.