40 km from Melbourne CBD in the City of Frankston. 2,117 children under five.
More about Frankston →
Frankston is a major coastal suburb on the southern edge of metropolitan Melbourne, located approximately 40 kilometres south-east of the CBD in the City of Frankston local government area. Known for its beaches, retail centre, hospital precinct, and Monash University campus, Frankston is a well-serviced suburb with strong community infrastructure. Our three Frankston picks are Frankston Beach Sanctuary of Early Learning, Grow Early Education Frankston and Frankston House Early Learning, ranked on rating and its date, then program, fees and practical fit, with no centre buying its spot. All three are CCS approved.
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 →
Meeting NQS in Frankston
Meeting NQS means the centre meets all required national standards; it is the expected baseline, not a low bar. The highest NQS rating achievable through standard assessment is Exceeding NQS; Excellent is a separate designation awarded only by ACECQA on application and is held by fewer than 1% of services nationally.
New government centre: ELV Ngawak
Early Learning Victoria Ngawak, a State Government-operated long day care and integrated kindergarten centre at McClelland Secondary College in Frankston, opened in early 2026. It offers 102 places at $156/day. As a newly opened service, it has not yet been assessed and holds no NQS rating, which is why it cannot be ranked in this top 3.
Frankston House provider change
Frankston House Early Learning at 1-3 Vera Street changed approved provider to Little Patch Group in June 2024. The NQS rating issued September 2025 is the first under the current operator. The previous Meeting NQS rating (January 2020) reflects the service's history but was issued under prior management. Both ratings appear on Starting Blocks against the same service approval number (SE-40014388). Families should treat the September 2025 result as the current rating.
No.1 PICK
Frankston Beach Sanctuary of Early Learning
366-368 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199
Meeting NQS · August 2025★ Google 4.5/5 · 21 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued August 2025, its first rating (service approved May 2024), with all seven quality areas at Meeting.
Regulatory visit September 2026: One condition on the service approval: objects must not be placed where a child could climb over barriers or fences, and outdoor play equipment must meet the Australian Playground Standard (AS 4685). No enforcement actions in the past two years. Source: Starting Blocks, 22 October 2026; approved places from the ACECQA national register, 23 October 2026.
Daily fee
$171.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 5 years
CCS approved
Yes
Capacity
120 children
Frankston Beach Sanctuary of Early Learning is on the Nepean Highway, approved for 120 places and open 6:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays. Its own site says it cares for children from six weeks to five years and runs a government-registered kindergarten program alongside long day care.
Its August 2025 assessment, the first since approval in May 2024, rated all seven quality areas Meeting. One condition is attached to the approval, covering barriers, fences and playground equipment, and there are no enforcement actions on record. The fee is $171.00 a day at every age with seven inclusions listed on Starting Blocks.
Our take
Frankston Beach Sanctuary leads a field where the three ranked centres all hold Meeting from within four months of each other, so the rating does not separate them. Against Grow it wins on fees, $171.00 against $175.00 with seven inclusions each, with capacity level. Against Frankston House the criteria split, its 120 places against 78 and Frankston House's lower fee, and reviews decide it, 21 against 13. This is a first rating, and there is a playground condition on the approval.
Best for: Parents near the Nepean Highway wanting a 120-place centre with a kindergarten program and a 6:30am to 6:30pm day.
Meeting NQS · December 2025★ Google 4.8/5 · 26 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
First NQS assessment. No prior rating. Service approved August 2023.
Regulatory visit May 2026: No conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the past two years (Starting Blocks, 22 October 2026).
Daily fee
$175.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to school age
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Yes, integrated
Capacity
116 children
Grow Early Education Frankston at 78-80 Beach Street holds a Meeting NQS rating issued December 2025, its first, after approval in August 2023. All seven quality areas are at Meeting. The regulator last visited in May 2026, and there are no conditions or enforcement actions on record.
Grow is part of the Imagine Education group of early learning services. It has 116 approved places for children from six weeks to school age.
The centre is purpose-built, with multiple age-specific rooms and custom-designed outdoor play areas including a fort, cubby houses, sandpits, and vegetable and herb gardens. Meals are prepared on-site by an in-house chef. The educational program is inquiry-based and aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework, with approved 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten programs integrated into the daily curriculum.
The fee is $175.00 a day at every age, with seven inclusions listed on Starting Blocks: all meals, nappies and education programs.
What parents say
“My toddler has been attended Grow since the start of the year and I have no complaints! She has been to a few other daycare centres, yet the staff, facilities and little added caring touches offered to the Grow community truly place it ahead of the rest.”Alycia Bird
“This Centre is absolutely fantastic & i am so happy 4 of my granchildren have been at this centre. The centre is EXACTLY what Frankston has needed for a very longtime.”Fi Miles
“My son has been attending grow since they opened back in 2023. The centre is always so clean, tidy and the staff are so friendly.”Jasmin Maeer
Our take
Grow is second. Its December 2025 rating ties the other two at Meeting, and against Frankston Beach Sanctuary it loses on fees, $175.00 against $171.00 with the same seven inclusions, with capacity level (116 against 120). Against Frankston House the criteria split: Frankston House is cheaper at $156.00 with eight inclusions, Grow has 116 places against 78, and parent reviews decide it, 4.8 from 26 against 4.7 from 13.
Best for: Parents after a purpose-built centre with an on-site chef, an inquiry-based program and 116 places.
Meeting NQS · September 2025★ Google 4.7/5 · 13 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
All 7 quality areas: Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued September 2025, the first rating under the current operator (since 17 June 2024). The previous Meeting rating (January 2020) was issued under the previous operator.
Regulatory visit August 2026: No conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the past two years (Starting Blocks, 22 October 2026).
Daily fee
$156.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to school age
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Yes, integrated
Capacity
78 children
Frankston House Early Learning at 1-3 Vera Street holds a Meeting NQS rating issued September 2025, the first since its current operator took over in June 2024; the earlier Meeting rating, from January 2020, was issued under the previous operator. All seven quality areas are at Meeting, and the regulator last visited in August 2026 with no conditions or enforcement actions on record.
The centre opened in 2018 near Frankston Hospital and the Monash University campus and has 78 approved places for children from six weeks to school age, with government-funded three and four-year-old kindergarten in the daily program.
At $156.00 a day at every age it is the least expensive of the three, and the register lists eight inclusions: all meals, nappies, education programs, and excursions and incursions.
What parents say
“Both my boys have attended frankston house therefore in total we've been here for 5.5 years. Boys boys have had a great experience and love the educators. They have a relatively low staff turn over comparative to the industry and have a fantastic kinder teacher.”Renee Hampton
“Both of my children have attended Frankston House over the past 4 years and we couldn't be happier with our experience! The caring environment, excellent communication from staff and engaging program make me feel at ease knowing my children are well cared for, supported and have fun!”Emma Gardiner
“We simply love Frankston House and its Team! Each Educator is welcoming and caring and provides an awesome program that caters to the children's interests, includes nature and the outdoor environment in their play and learning. The meals provided are a favourite of our daughters also!”Claire Stonehouse
Our take
Frankston House is third. It ties the other two on the rating and has the lowest fee, $156.00 with eight inclusions, but its 78 places count against it on capacity, and against both Grow (26 reviews) and Frankston Beach Sanctuary (21) the split goes to the larger review base; it has 13. It finishes ahead of Hope Karingal and Chipmunks by the Bay on fees. Its rating is the first under an operator that took over in 2024.
Best for: Budget-minded households wanting the lowest fee of the three, with excursions and incursions among eight listed inclusions.
Rates from Starting Blocks, 22 October 2026; each centre charges one rate at every age. Average across these three centres: $167.33 a day before CCS. All three 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.
This guide covers Frankston itself: the town centre and surrounding streets of postcode 3199. Frankston South shares the postcode and is covered on a separate page. Frankston is a major coastal suburb on the southern edge of metropolitan Melbourne, located approximately 40 kilometres south-east of the CBD within the City of Frankston local government area. Postcode 3199 is anchored by a significant retail centre, hospital precinct and Monash University campus, serving as a regional hub for the broader Mornington Peninsula corridor. The suburb attracts a broad cross-section of families, from young first-home buyers to established households, many drawn by the beachside lifestyle, community infrastructure and relative affordability compared to inner Melbourne.
Parents in Frankston typically prioritise centres offering comprehensive meal inclusions, flexible hours to suit shift work and commuting patterns, and strong educator continuity. Fee-to-inclusions value and practical features such as vacancies and operating hours play a significant role in family decision-making.
Every long day care service in Frankston proper, 13 in all, was read from Starting Blocks and the ACECQA register on 22 October 2026. The three ranked here are all Meeting and were assessed within four months of each other, so fees, capacity and parent reviews set the order.
Looking wider? Our South-East guide lists every suburb we rank across the area, with each one's top centres.
Frankston sits within the City of Frankston, approximately 40 km south-east of Melbourne's CBD. The three ranked centres charge $156.00, $171.00 and $175.00 a day before CCS, each at one rate for every age.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
All three top-ranked centres are CCS approved. Eligible families can receive up to 90% subsidy. CCS is means-tested based on combined family income and activity levels.
Free Kinder
Victoria's Free Kinder program provides up to 15 funded hours per week for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. Grow and Frankston House run kindergarten within long day care, and Frankston Beach Sanctuary lists a government-registered kindergarten program; confirm funded hours with each centre.
Exceeding NQS in the 3199 postcode
Families seeking an Exceeding-rated centre in the 3199 postcode should consider Beachwood Frankston South at 105 Humphries Road. Meeting NQS is the expected baseline: it means the centre meets all required national standards.
New centres
Early Learning Victoria Ngawak opened in 2026 at McClelland Secondary College and is not yet rated. Frankston Beach Sanctuary (August 2025) and Grow (December 2025) both hold first ratings. The two Hope-branded centres operate under different providers.
What is the best childcare centre in Frankston VIC?
On our published criteria, Frankston Beach Sanctuary of Early Learning on the Nepean Highway ranks first, followed by Grow Early Education Frankston and Frankston House Early Learning. All three hold Meeting NQS from within four months of each other, so fees, capacity and parent reviews decided the order.
How much does childcare cost in Frankston?
From Starting Blocks on 22 October 2026: Frankston House charges $156.00 a day, Frankston Beach Sanctuary $171.00 and Grow $175.00, each at one rate for every age. Average across these three centres: $167.33 a day before the Child Care Subsidy.
What is the postcode for Frankston childcare?
Frankston proper is in postcode 3199, within the City of Frankston, approximately 40 km south-east of Melbourne's CBD. Postcode 3199 also covers Frankston South, which has its own page.
Are all three top centres CCS approved?
Yes. Frankston Beach Sanctuary, Grow Early Education Frankston and Frankston House Early Learning are all approved for the Child Care Subsidy, which covers up to 90% of the fee depending on household income and activity.
Does any ranked Frankston centre have conditions on its approval?
Frankston Beach Sanctuary has one, requiring that objects are not placed where children could climb barriers or fences and that play equipment meets the Australian Playground Standard. Grow and Frankston House have none.
Data sources: ACECQA (NQS ratings and provider history), Starting Blocks (Fees, inclusions, vacancies and contact details), Early Learning Victoria (ELV Ngawak details). top3elc.com.au does not receive referral fees.