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Independent childcare rankings for Melbourne, no paid placements

Find the best childcare in your suburb

We rank the top 3 in each suburb we cover on NQS ratings, verified fees and parent reviews. All in one place.

85 suburbs · 253 centres covered · no paid placements

OUR No.1 PICK

Melton

3337 · 3 ranked

1Billy-beet Montessori Melton-Kurunjang$138.00
2Little Stars Childcare & Kindergarten Melton$158.00
3Lil' Angels Early Learning Centre$160.00
See the full ranking

One form. Up to three tours. Zero ring-arounds.

Tick the centres you like and send a single tour request. It goes straight to each centre, and we never take referral fees.

No call-backs you didn't ask for. Untick any centre before you send.

Sorted before nap time

1

Find your suburb

Every page ranks the top 3 long day care centres near you.

2

Compare the top 3

NQS ratings, verified daily fees and real parent quotes, side by side.

3

Book your tours

Tick 1, 2 or all 3 centres. One form reaches every centre you choose.

Start with your suburb

Each guide names the top 3 and shows how each one was placed.

Carrum Downs

VIC 3201 · City of Frankston

Birches Early Learning Centre Carrum DownsOur centre
2Kids Paradise Childcare
3Clever Kids Early Learning Centre
See the list

Reservoir

VIC 3073 · City of Darebin

1Oakhill Family Centre
2Goodstart Early Learning Reservoir
3Starfish Early Learning Centre
See the ranking

Croydon

VIC 3136 · City of Maroondah

Birches Early Learning Centre CroydonOur centre
2Discovery Childcare and Education
3Hewish Road Child Care Centre
See the list
★No paid placements, ever★Fees verified against Starting Blocks★NQS ratings sourced from ACECQA★No referral fees on enquiries
85
Suburbs
253
Centres covered
16
Parent guides
$0
Paid placements
How it works

How we choose the top 3 childcare centres in each suburb

Every centre we rank is assessed against the same criteria. No centre can pay to appear or improve their ranking.

1
🏅
NQS rating from ACECQA
Australia's official quality benchmark. We weight this the most; it covers educational program, children's health and safety, physical environment, staffing, and governance.
2
💬
Parent reviews
We aggregate parent reviews from Google and direct centre feedback to build a complete picture of parent satisfaction.
3
💰
Fee transparency
Fees are verified against the Starting Blocks government database. We flag what is and isn't included so you can compare like-for-like.
4
📋
Program & inclusions
We assess curriculum approach, Free Kinder access, CCS approval, educator qualifications, and practical inclusions like meals and nappies.
What families are saying

Real parents. Real decisions.

We hear from families every week who used top3elc.com.au to find their childcare. Here's what they say about the centres we rank.

“

top3elc eased my anxiety in finding care. Went to all 3 recommended and chose one for our daughter. Thanks!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Parent, Melbourne
top3elc.com.au
“

Strong Reggio Emilia values. Safe environment for children. The management handles each and everything very carefully. Communication with the staff is consistently excellent.

Parent review
Explorers Early Learning

Centre reviews are sourced from Google and attributed to the centre reviewed.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

How are childcare centres ranked?
We rank centres using five criteria: NQS rating from ACECQA via Starting Blocks (the primary signal), verified daily fees, parent reviews from Google Reviews, program quality, and practical value including hours and Free Kinder access. We do not accept payment from any centre to influence rankings.
Are the fees and ratings up to date?
NQS ratings and fees are verified against the Starting Blocks government database at time of publication and reviewed regularly. Fees in particular can change. Always confirm directly with the centre before making a decision.
What if my suburb is not listed yet?
We are progressively publishing verified rankings for every suburb across Victoria. If your suburb is not yet listed, use the suburb browser to find the closest listed suburb, or contact us at top3elc@gmail.com to request it.
Is top3elc.com.au independent?
top3elc.com.au is operated by the team behind Birches Early Learning. Where a suburb page carries the owner disclosure, the Birches centre on it is placed first by the owners and not ranked against the others. Everywhere else, Birches is assessed on the same criteria as every other centre. We do not accept payment from any centre to influence rankings.
Browse by suburb

Browse childcare rankings by Melbourne suburb

85 suburbs ranked · verified from Starting Blocks. Select a suburb to see its top 3 childcare centres.

85 with full guides

Inner Melbourne

Eastern Suburbs

South-East

South-East Growth Corridor

Northern Suburbs

Western Suburbs

Bayside & Inner South

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About top3elc

No paid placements. Ownership disclosed. For families.

top3elc.com.au ranks childcare centres in the Victorian suburbs we cover, and no centre can pay to appear: we accept no payment or sponsorship. The site is run by the team behind Birches Early Learning, and every suburb page with a Birches centre says so.

All NQS ratings are sourced from ACECQA via the Starting Blocks government database. Fees are verified at time of publication. Parent reviews are aggregated from Google.

ACECQAStarting Blocks