28 km from Melbourne CBD in the City of Hume. 5,697 children under five.
More about Craigieburn →
We ranked Whiz Kidz Early Learning Centre Craigieburn, Elevation Early Learning and Hothlyn Drive Children's Centre as the top three for 2026, all rated Meeting NQS.
How we chose: we weigh five things together: NQS rating and how recently it was issued, parent reviews, program and environment, fees and inclusions, and practical fit including hours and Free Kinder access. We do not accept payment from any centre to appear on this list, and we do not rank by who owns a centre. Read how we rank.How NQS ratings work, and what Meeting and Exceeding mean →
NQS ratings of the ranked centres
All three centres on this page hold Meeting NQS ratings per Starting Blocks (ACECQA), the national benchmark for quality early childhood education and care. No long day care service in Craigieburn is currently rated Exceeding.
Meeting NQS · August 2025★ Google 4.9/5 · 82 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued August 2025, all seven quality areas Meeting. Previous rating also Meeting (May 2021).
Regulatory visit May 2026: 0 enforcement actions in the past two years. Two conditions on the approval, quoted from Starting Blocks: objects must not be placed so a child could climb over barriers or fences, and outdoor play equipment must be maintained and placed to meet the Australian Playground Standards (AS 4685:2014); and the provider must incorporate and maintain natural elements and features within outdoor spaces.
Daily fee
$174.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 6 years
CCS approved
Yes
Capacity
140 children
Whiz Kidz Craigieburn sits in the Craigieburn Road precinct, approved for 140 places and open 6:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays caring for children from six weeks to six years. The centre website outlines several play areas and classrooms, hot meals from a qualified on-site chef, and nappies, wipes and sunscreen supplied.
Its August 2025 assessment gave Meeting in all seven quality areas, as the May 2021 one did. A May 2026 regulatory visit brought no enforcement actions. Two conditions attach to the approval, both about outdoor spaces: play equipment and barriers must meet the Australian Playground Standards, and natural elements must be kept in the outdoor areas.
The fee is $174.00 a day at every age, with eight inclusions listed on Starting Blocks. The register asks families to contact the centre about vacancies.
Our take
Whiz Kidz is first because it wins almost every comparison on the page. Its rating sits within a year of Elevation's and Hothlyn's, so the rating ties them. Against both, the criteria split: they are cheaper, and Whiz Kidz is larger, at 140 places against 100 and 60. Parent reviews decide a split, and its 4.9 on Google from 82 reviews is far deeper than Elevation's 13 or Hothlyn's 20. Its one loss is to Happy Sprouts, which is larger again, but Happy Sprouts falls to both Elevation and Hothlyn on rating date. The two playground conditions are worth asking about on a tour.
Best for: Families looking for a large centre with a full 6:30am to 6:30pm day, an on-site chef and the deepest base of parent reviews among the three.
Meeting NQS · August 2026★ Google 5.0/5 · 13 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued August 2026, all seven quality areas Meeting. Its first assessment, so there is no earlier rating to compare.
Regulatory visit July 2026: 0 enforcement actions in the past two years. No current conditions on the approval. Source: Starting Blocks, read 22 October 2026; approved places from the ACECQA national register.
Daily fee
$165.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 6 years
CCS approved
Yes
Capacity
100 children
Elevation Early Learning is on Vantage Boulevard, approved for 100 places and open 6:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays. The centre website outlines purpose-built, light-filled rooms and open-ended experiences for children aged six weeks to six years, with nutritionally balanced meals provided.
Its first assessment, in August 2026, returned Meeting in all seven quality areas, the most recent rating of any long day care service in Craigieburn. A July 2026 regulatory visit brought no enforcement actions, and no conditions attach to the approval.
The fee is $165.00 a day at every age with eight inclusions listed on Starting Blocks, and the register showed casual and permanent places on every weekday in the week of 19 October 2026.
Our take
Elevation is second on the strength of its August 2026 rating, which is more than a year newer than those of Goodstart Craigieburn Central, Happy Sprouts and Kool Kidz, and that decides each of those comparisons. Whiz Kidz and Hothlyn are close enough on date to tie with it. Against Whiz Kidz, Elevation is cheaper by $9.00 a day but smaller, and Whiz Kidz's 82 reviews outweigh its 13. Against Hothlyn it is larger but dearer, and Hothlyn's 20 reviews take that pair. It still wins more comparisons across the field than Hothlyn does. Its 5.0 on Google rests on 13 reviews, a thin base for a new centre.
Best for: Families looking for a newly built centre with the most recent rating in Craigieburn and places open now.
Meeting NQS · November 2025★ Google 4.9/5 · 20 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued November 2025, all seven quality areas Meeting, up from Working Towards (June 2022).
Regulatory visit May 2026: 0 enforcement actions in the past two years. No current conditions on the approval. Starting Blocks lists a 6:00pm close; the centre's own website gives 6:30pm, so confirm pick-up times. Source: Starting Blocks, read 22 October 2026; approved places from the ACECQA national register.
Daily fee
$100.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:00pm
Ages
6 months to 5 years
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Yes, integrated
Capacity
60 children
Hothlyn Drive Children's Centre is a single-site centre on Hothlyn Drive, approved for 60 places. Its website describes care caring for children from six months to five years, funded three and four-year-old kindergarten within long day care, and monthly bush kinder sessions, with a long-serving team.
Its November 2025 assessment gave Meeting in all seven quality areas, a step up from the Working Towards rating it received in June 2022. A May 2026 regulatory visit brought no enforcement actions, and the approval carries no conditions.
Starting Blocks lists $100.00 a day at every age with eight inclusions, much lower than any other ranked centre in the suburb, and gives a 6:00pm close where the centre's site says 6:30pm. Check both with the centre.
Our take
Hothlyn takes third through the published tie-break. It and Kool Kidz each win the same number of comparisons, and the three centres at the top of the chase go round in a circle: Elevation beats Kool Kidz on rating date, Kool Kidz beats Hothlyn on capacity (130 places against 60), and Hothlyn beats Elevation, cheaper but smaller, on parent reviews (20 against 13). Where results loop like that, the newest rating breaks it, and Hothlyn's November 2025 rating is newer than Kool Kidz's March 2025. Its previous rating was Working Towards, and its $100.00 fee is worth confirming.
Best for: Families wanting a small single-site centre with funded three and four-year-old kinder and monthly bush kinder, at a fraction of the usual Craigieburn rate.
Starting Blocks full-day rates, read 22 October 2026. Each centre charges one rate at every age. Average across these three centres: $146.33/day before CCS. All three centres are CCS approved. Confirm directly with each centre.
Childcare fees vary by age group. The rates shown may reflect different age bands at different centres, so confirm the rate for your child's age directly with each centre.
Craigieburn is a fast-growing residential suburb in the City of Hume, located approximately 28 kilometres north of Melbourne's CBD in postcode 3064. With a large and growing population, Craigieburn is one of the Northern Suburbs' most significant family-oriented communities. The suburb is home to a culturally diverse population, with many young families drawn by relatively affordable housing and access to Craigieburn station and the Hume Freeway.
We read all 26 long day care services listed in Craigieburn on Starting Blocks in October 2026. None is rated Exceeding, so the order turned first on how recent each Meeting rating is, then on fees, capacity and hours, with parent reviews deciding where those split. The three below came out ahead of a crowded field.
Ratings, fees, inclusions, hours, conditions and vacancies come from Starting Blocks; approved places from the ACECQA national register; parent reviews from a controlled Google Maps reading on 22 October 2026. Each centre's own website was read for ages and programs.
Looking wider? Our Northern Suburbs guide lists every suburb we rank across the area, with each one's top centres.
Craigieburn sits within the City of Hume, approximately 28 km north of Melbourne's CBD.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
All three centres are CCS approved. Use the Starting Blocks CCS calculator to estimate your subsidy.
Free Kinder
Victoria's government-funded kindergarten program provides up to 15 hours per week for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. Hothlyn Drive advertises funded three and four-year-old kindergarten within long day care. Ask Whiz Kidz and Elevation directly about their kindergarten program arrangements.
Fees vary widely
Full-day rates across the ranked three run from $100.00 at Hothlyn Drive to $174.00 at Whiz Kidz, all with eight inclusions listed. Kool Kidz Craigieburn publishes no full-day rate on Starting Blocks: its $157.00 is listed as an hourly rate.
Demand
Craigieburn has a large population of young children for the number of places available. Contact your preferred centre early, as waitlists are common, particularly for infant and toddler rooms.
What is the best childcare centre in Craigieburn VIC?
On the published criteria, Whiz Kidz Early Learning Centre Craigieburn on Craigieburn Road ranks first. No Craigieburn centre is rated Exceeding; Whiz Kidz's August 2025 Meeting rating ties the other leading centres, and it wins the comparisons that follow on capacity (140 places) and parent reviews (4.9 from 82). Elevation Early Learning on Vantage Boulevard is second, and Hothlyn Drive Children's Centre third.
How much does childcare cost in Craigieburn?
On Starting Blocks (22 October 2026): Whiz Kidz $174.00 a day, Elevation $165.00 and Hothlyn Drive $100.00, each at every age with eight inclusions listed. Goodstart Craigieburn Central charges $183.56 to 35 months and $179.07 from 36 months. All are before the Child Care Subsidy, which covers up to 90% of fees for eligible families.
Do the ranked Craigieburn centres hold Exceeding NQS ratings?
No. All three centres on this page hold Meeting NQS ratings per Starting Blocks (ACECQA), the national benchmark for quality early childhood education and care. No long day care service in Craigieburn is rated Exceeding at present. Confirm the current rating of any centre on Starting Blocks before enrolling.
Is there a government-funded kindergarten program in Craigieburn childcare centres?
Yes. Victoria's Free Kinder program provides government-funded kindergarten hours for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. Hothlyn Drive advertises funded three and four-year-old kinder within its long day care hours; ask Whiz Kidz and Elevation about their arrangements.
What childcare centres in Craigieburn have vacancies?
In the week of 19 October 2026, Elevation Early Learning showed casual and permanent places every weekday on Starting Blocks. Whiz Kidz and Hothlyn Drive ask families to contact them directly: Whiz Kidz on (03) 9333 7172 and Hothlyn Drive on (03) 9308 3816.
What is the postcode for Craigieburn childcare?
All three ranked childcare centres in Craigieburn are located in postcode 3064, within the City of Hume in Melbourne's north.
Are all three centres CCS approved?
Yes. Whiz Kidz Early Learning Centre Craigieburn, Elevation Early Learning and Hothlyn Drive Children's Centre are all approved to receive the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy.
Data sources: ACECQA (NQS ratings and approved places), Starting Blocks (Fees, inclusions and vacancies). top3elc.com.au does not receive referral fees.