Parents can now search for childcare centres on a new website that shows where vacancies exist, opening hours and fee information.
The government website www.ChildCareFinder.gov.au also allows mums and dads to see whether extras such as meals and nappies are included and how providers rate against the National Quality Framework.
The new service replaces My Child website. It features big improvements that enable parents to search for a provider using specific criteria such as the distance from their home or a price range – a similar experience to using a hotel booking site.
From 2019, mums and dads can also receive an alert when a vacancy that meets their criteria becomes available, further reducing time and effort.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said described the website as a “a one-stop-shop” where information was easy to use to help parents make informed choices about where to send their kids for childcare.
Child Care Finder is the first service to be hosted on Service Connect. In the future, Australians will use the platform to access all of the support services they need, covering the entire journey of life events from cradle to grave.
