The Top 3 Childcare Centres in Camberwell, VIC (3124)

Guardian Childcare & Education Camberwell

All 7 quality areas: Meeting

Guardian Childcare & Education Camberwell occupies a recently refurbished centre split between two character-filled 1930s houses on Toorak Road, featuring high ceilings, native trees and a spacious outdoor area. The centre has been operating on this site since 1998, originally as Tiggers Childcare Centre and Kindergarten before coming under Guardian Early Learning Group management, and is part of one of Australia's largest childcare networks. Its Meeting NQS rating was reconfirmed in August 2024, with the most recent regulatory visit conducted in January 2026.

The centre's curriculum is play-based and guided by the Early Years Learning Framework, with a strong emphasis on nurturing each child's sense of identity, wellbeing and connectedness. The physical environment, two heritage houses with generous outdoor spaces, creates a genuinely distinctive setting that feels less institutional and more like an extension of home.

Starting Blocks confirms six inclusions in the $199.00 daily fee: afternoon tea, breakfast, education programs, lunch, morning tea and nappies. Guardian's own website additionally describes the fee as covering all incursions and excursions and access to the Storypark app for daily updates. Confirm the complete inclusions list directly with the centre before enrolling. The centre offers extended hours to 6:30pm, among the latest in Camberwell, making it well suited to families with longer working days.

Guardian Camberwell takes the top spot on the strength of its all-inclusive fee model, extended hours, strong parent satisfaction and a genuinely characterful physical environment. The heritage building setting is a real point of difference in a suburb where most centres are purpose-built. The CareForKids rating of 4.0/5 across 51 reviews reflects consistent parent satisfaction over many years. For families who want maximum convenience, transparency on costs and extended hours, Guardian is the standout choice.

Snugglepotts Children's Centre

All 7 quality areas: Meeting

Snugglepotts Children's Centre is one of Camberwell's most established and best-loved early learning services, operating continuously since 1998 from its home on Glen Iris Road. With just 36 licensed places, it is intentionally small, built on the philosophy that quality care requires genuine relationships, not scale. The centre's provider, AC2W Pty Ltd, has operated the service in its current form since March 2022, maintaining the centre's long-standing community character.

The curriculum is aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework and delivered through a holistic, play-based approach. Children are cared for across three rooms: a baby room with beautiful natural light, a toddler room focused on social and emotional development, and a kindergarten room led by a bachelor-qualified teacher. The integrated 3 and 4-year-old kinder program is delivered by an experienced qualified Kindergarten Teacher. Enrichment activities include weekly music classes and language lessons, adding breadth to the core program.

At $184.00 per day, Snugglepotts is the most affordable of the three centres on this list. Starting Blocks confirms eight inclusions: afternoon tea, breakfast, education programs, excursions and incursions, lunch, morning tea, nappies and other meals, making the fee genuinely comprehensive.

Snugglepotts is the boutique choice in Camberwell: small by design, deeply community-oriented and consistently rated as one of the highest-parent-satisfaction services in the suburb. Its 5.0 on CareForKids (25 reviews) and strong parent ratings across review platforms reflect a centre that has been getting the fundamentals right for over 25 years. At $184.00 per day with eight confirmed inclusions, it also offers strong value. For families who want their child to be genuinely known and nurtured in a small, stable environment, Snugglepotts is a compelling choice.

Mayfield Early Education Camberwell

All 7 quality areas: Meeting

Mayfield Early Education Camberwell is housed in a charming Victorian-era building on Burke Road, operating since November 2016 as part of the Mayfield Childcare Limited group, which manages 45 centres nationally. With 70 licensed places, it is a mid-sized centre that balances a degree of scale with a warm, home-like environment. Its Meeting NQS rating was reconfirmed in November 2023, with the most recent regulatory visit conducted in January 2025.

The centre's educational philosophy is grounded in the Reggio Emilia approach, treating children as capable and valued members of their community. Programs are play-based and emergent, guided by each child's individual interests and developmental stage. The formal kindergarten program is led by bachelor-qualified teachers for both the 3 and 4-year-old rooms, providing a clear and consistent daily rhythm for older children preparing for school.

Meals are described on the centre's own website as prepared fresh daily and seasonal, healthy and nutritious. Starting Blocks does not list confirmed inclusions. Families should contact the centre directly to confirm what is covered in the daily fee before enrolling.

Mayfield Camberwell offers a genuine point of difference in its Victorian-era building and Reggio Emilia curriculum, a combination that is rare at this price point. The structured kinder programming and bachelor-qualified teachers across both kinder rooms make it a strong option for families approaching school readiness. The main caveat is fee transparency: inclusions are not confirmed on Starting Blocks and families should contact the centre directly to clarify what is covered before making a decision.