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My baby is due in September 2009 and I am planning to take 1 year off work. However, I need to start planning if I should send my baby to a childcare after 1 year. Do childcare centres take care of babies as young as 1 year old. I work on Collins Street (Spring Street) end. Are there any good/recommended childcare centres around that area or even around Carllton/St Vincent's Hospital areas?
Hi there, there is a recent thread - Child care in Melbourne CBD ;) ... might want to check that out :rolleyes:
Yep, start getting yourselves on lists NOW.
yes i would get on lists now, places at good centres fill up REALLY fast.
mist creches take babies from about 4 months so you will be fine at 12 months if thats the way you wish to go. you could ask others at your work if they use any centres nearby? it is good to get a recommendation. also have you looked near your home, that way you and your partner cn share the drop offs and pick ups? i would recommend going on as many lists as possible and then seeing what is available and what you like at the time. also maybe you want to look into family day care or another option - in my opinion the more options available the better! good luck and enjoy your preg!
Some places take babies as young as 6 weeks .. they certainly take 1 year old, however you need to book in quick as most of the time they cant take that many under-2-year-olds.
We put our name down in September 2006 and still dont have a spot in any centre.... so we decided to use family day care instead.
There is childcare at QV and there used to be one called kids on collins - but its at the spencer st end if its still going.
Im sure there would be daycare in carlton/fitzroy its just how long their waiting lists are, and if its not private, it might require you to live in the council area where the daycare is.
First up, GOOD ON YOU for being so organised and thinking about it now! I field at least four or five calls a day in our centre from parents wanting to get their 20 month old in NOW...
Lady Gowrie is an incredibly lovely centre, but you might not get the baby in by the time it's one, even if you have your name down now.
ECMS run a centre next to St Vincents, I think, I haven't been since before it opened, but it ticks all the boxes I need to for a good centre.
City of Melbourne also owns four good centres, two of them in Carlton. John So ran them into the ground a bit, but they're still of good standard.
Kids on Collins and Sunkids, both at the Spencer St end of Collins St are available, but both are for-profit, and therefore, in my book, not an option.
Moonee Valley City Council also has a centre in North Melbourne that is great. I was offered a job there and one of my biggest regrets is not taking it.
Ummmm.... I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of them from up here right now. There are also loads and loads of great centres in the suburbs, most easier to get a place at than the city centres. Another thing to consider is, do you really want to face the trip home with an exhausted and grotty child? So depending on where you live, I can recommend more places.
Congrats on your pregnancy!
I agree with the others that it is imperative that you get yourself touring the centres and onto wait lists now. There are limited places but lots of demand for them in town and the wait lists are reflective of this. At this stage its all about giving yourself some options and building relationships with the centres. You can always knock back a place if you are not happy with it/ready closer to the time of your returning to work.
I work up your end of town on the same street and have my little guy in a centre in the CBD after having done a lot of legwork and research. I don't like to publically identify where he attends due to the nature of my work and my not wanting psycho clients etc possibly finding out this personal information. I am very happy with the level of care etc. It is more expensive than the burbs though.
My hubby and I live about a 35 min car ride from town. We both work in the middle of the city. After doing some research and test runs we decided that we would rather our little guy spend the time with us in the car and shorter time in care rather than longer days in care closer to home with the added stress of having to race home by 6.00-6.30 which can so easily be affected by traffic, public transport problems etc. We do not have the benefit of willing family close to home to help us with pickups etc in a jam which was a big factor for us in our decision making.
Don't disregard the not for profits out of hand - go and have a look at all of them like all of the others.
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you would like more information.
Belinda.
Kids on collins is suppose to be great but a huge waiting list so put your name down now...
where do you work? From your post I'm thinking you could be an employee of St Vincent's? St V's (public and private) have a child care centre in the new car park. It has a HUGE waiting list so put your name down now. A friend of mine had to wait 2 years before she could get her DD a spot. It is also open to the public but employees get priority for places. I forget what time they open and close. And I don't know the fees. Just give them a call. They take from about 6 weeks old I think.
There is also a centre in Melbourne Central.
Hi all Belly Belly-ians,
Ijust got back from a holiday (yes, so happened to be my babymoon) and saw all these useful replies on my forum thread. Greatly appreciated and all suggestions are very valuable for me. We will definitely start looking around and will try to do some inspections at the childcare centre! Hopefuly, it is not too late now to put my name down now for a place in 1.5 years time...
Thanks again all and Happy Easter
I have emailed nearly 20 childcare centres last weekened and I received responses from the following childcare centres. (1) and (2) are out for me. Considering (3)-(5) - if anyone have any feedbacks/experiences with these centres, your comments would be greatly appreciated:
(1) ABC Developmental Learning Centre - East Melbourne - Unfortunately I received an email that they might shut down
(3) Ananda Marga Sunrise Preschool - this is out as they only accept registration for Children 3 years old and above
(3) St Vincents Early Learning Centre - unfortunately the accreditation status that I saw in the NCAC website said that it is not accredited (something to do with their nappy changing procedure). This centre would be the most convenient for myself and my husband as it is close to our workplace. Even though the accreditation status = Not Accredited, Does anyone have any feedbacks/experiences with this centre and if it is recommended?
(4) Lemon Tree Children's Centre - this centre only accept once baby is born and currently, they have a waiting list of around 115. The fees for this centre is quite expensive - $90 a day. Does anyone have any feedbacks/experiences with this centre and if it is recommended?
(5) North Carlton Children's Centre - this 54 place centre sounds very promising and I have requested to make appointment for an inspection. Opening Hours - Mon-Fri 7.45am- 6.15pm for 50 weeks per year Ages starting from 3 months- 5 years, Fees $70/day
Good luck on your search!!! A few bits of advice I had were to check out the feel of the place - is it organised chaos, so lots of variety of activities present for the kids to do (easier to assess in toddler rooms) rather than just 1 set thing out at a time. Is the environment interesting vs sterile - with artwork etc on walls/ceiling. Are staff interacting with kids rather than chatting together? How do kids progress between rooms?
Also what are you getting for your money - sounds silly but the centres I visited had different stuff you had to bring. Some nappies/food/wash bedclothing at the end of the week and others just the child - may be worth factoring in all required rather than just the $$. Also you will get 50% rebate quarterly if you meet the roght requirements, maybe more CCB rebate also - worth checking out to factor in!
This is all so personal and about what works best for you - ask all the questions you can to help you decide. We are really happy with our cc experience and the staff are pretty much extended family!
Good luck!
Hi there!!! You all seem to know the Melbourne scene very well and would be grateful for your help :-))
I am moving to Melbourne CBD in January 2010 and I'm looking for a child care centre for my daughter, who will be 21 months then. I will be studying at that time and my husband, who will also be moving with me, and I have very limited resources (and no job secured in Australia for the moment)...
All the centres we've contacted are REALLY REALLY expensive (specially for foreigners who can only work 20hrs/week!) and I was wondering which good creche was the cheapest!! No need for fancy but need safe, hygienic environment, good quality care and loving staff :-))
I was also wondering whether you would know of any other good plan to get my child taken care of in Melbourne CBD with a close to nothing budget and whether there were places I could go to get good quality stuff for her when I get there (like winter clothes, shoes, toys etc..) for close to nothing (like my budget). I am reluctant on having her wear second-hand clothes from charity organizations and play with old, worn toys.. cause that would make me feel really bad about our move (she's got all her own little things here)... but nearly-new addresses/plans or $1 dollar shop addresses for kids that age would work great!! :-)))
Hope you can help me and looking forward to your responses,
Sunshinemum