25 km from Melbourne CBD in the City of Maroondah. 1,175 children under five.
More about Ringwood →
Discovery Childcare and Education (Exceeding NQS), Goodstart Early Learning Ringwood (Exceeding NQS) and Kids on Mullum (Meeting NQS), ranked on rating and its date, then program, fees and practical fit. Nobody paid for a place.
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.What an Exceeding NQS rating actually means →
Two Exceeding NQS centres
Discovery and Goodstart are rated Exceeding National Quality Standard; Kids on Mullum was reassessed to Meeting in August 2026.
No.1 PICK
Discovery Childcare and Education Ringwood
30-32 Bond Street, Ringwood VIC 3134
Exceeding NQS · October 2023★ Google 4.9/5 · 49 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Exceeding NQS issued October 2023. The previous Exceeding rating (July 2018) was issued before the current operator took over the service on 1 November 2019.
Regulatory visit July 2026: One condition on the service approval: "That no child that is either toilet trained or toilet training be able to utilise children's room 2 and 3." No enforcement actions in the past two years. Source: Starting Blocks service record, retrieved 22 October 2026; approved places from the ACECQA national register.
Daily fee
$166.43
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 6 years
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Yes, integrated
Capacity
92 children
Discovery Childcare and Education on Bond Street holds an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating issued in October 2023, the first under the operator that took over in November 2019; the service was also rated Exceeding in July 2018, under its previous operator. It is approved for 92 places.
The centre describes a curriculum that draws on Danish Forest School, Reggio Emilia, Montessori and Steiner approaches, with a Bush Kinder program that takes children into natural settings. It takes children from six weeks to six years and runs government-funded three and four-year-old kindergarten within long day care hours.
The fee is $166.43 a day in every age band, with eight inclusions listed on the register; the centre says breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are prepared on site. One condition is attached to the approval: no toilet-trained or toilet-training child may use rooms 2 and 3.
Our take
Discovery and Goodstart both hold Exceeding, issued five months apart, so the rating ties them and the next criteria decide. Fees settle it: Discovery charges $166.43 in every band with eight inclusions listed, against Goodstart's $181.88 up to 35 months and $176.27 from 36 months with five or six. Capacity (92 against 95) and hours are level. Note the room condition on its approval, and that the earlier Exceeding result predates the current operator.
Best for: Parents who want an Exceeding-rated centre with a 6:30am to 6:30pm day, a Bush Kinder program and the lowest fee of the three in every age band.
Exceeding NQS · May 2023★ Google 4.6/5 · 31 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Exceeding NQS issued May 2023; previously Exceeding (April 2018), with no change of operator recorded on the register.
Regulatory visit September 2026: No conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the past two years. Starting Blocks and ACECQA list the address as Ringwood North; its name and Google listing give Ringwood, which places it on this page under our locality rule.
Daily fee
$181.88
Hours
Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 5 years
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Yes, integrated
Capacity
95 children
Goodstart Early Learning Ringwood on Warrandyte Road holds an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating issued in May 2023, as it did in April 2018. It is run by Goodstart, a national not-for-profit, is approved for 95 places and was last visited by the regulator in September 2026, with no conditions and no enforcement actions on record.
The centre takes children from six weeks to five years and offers government-funded three and four-year-old kindergarten. The register lists five inclusions to 24 months and six from 25 months, including meals and nappies.
Our take
Goodstart is second. Its Exceeding rating puts it above every Meeting centre in Ringwood under criterion 1, but against Discovery, also Exceeding and rated five months later, it loses on fees: $181.88 a day up to 35 months against $166.43, with fewer inclusions listed. Capacity and hours do not separate them.
Best for: Households near Warrandyte Road after an Exceeding-rated centre run by a not-for-profit, with meals and nappies covered and care until 6:30pm.
Meeting NQS · August 2026★ Google 4.5/5 · 15 reviews
Google reviews, captured 22 October 2026
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued August 2026, down from the Exceeding rating it held from September 2023. All seven quality areas now rated Meeting.
Regulatory visit July 2026: No conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the past two years. Approved places (118) from the ACECQA national register, fetched 23 October 2026.
Daily fee
$175.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 6 years
CCS approved
Yes
Capacity
118 children
Kids on Mullum Child Care Centre on Mullum Mullum Road was reassessed in August 2026 and rated Meeting across all seven quality areas, down from the Exceeding rating it held from September 2023. It opened in October 2017, is approved for 118 places and was last visited by the regulator in July 2026.
The centre runs five rooms, each with its own outdoor play space, and its website lists Kelly Sports, Happy Feet Fitness, a Bush Kinder program and bulk-billed doctor visits on site. The fee is $175.00 a day at every age with eight inclusions listed on the register, and the centre says wipes, sunscreen and bed linen are also supplied.
Our take
Kids on Mullum is third. Its August 2026 downgrade to Meeting puts it below both Exceeding centres, and among the Meeting field it comes out ahead: against Milestones it wins on fees, $175.00 with eight inclusions listed against $185.55 to $180.30 with one, and against Choklits it wins on capacity, 118 places against 90. Weigh the step down from Exceeding before enrolling.
Best for: Parents looking for a large centre with five rooms that each open onto their own outdoor space, sports programs and an inclusive daily fee.
Full-day rates up to 35 months, read from Starting Blocks on 22 and 23 October 2026. Goodstart drops to $176.27 from 36 months; Discovery and Kids on Mullum charge one rate at every age. Average across these three centres: $174.44 a day up to 35 months, $172.57 from 36 months. All three are CCS approved.
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.
Ringwood is one of Melbourne's most established eastern suburbs, situated within the City of Maroondah local government area approximately 25 kilometres east of the CBD. The suburb is well serviced by public transport, with Ringwood station on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, and access to EastLink for commuters. Ringwood is home to Eastland Shopping Centre, alongside a range of parks, schools and community facilities that make it a popular choice for families with young children.
Two of the three centres ranked here hold Exceeding National Quality Standard ratings, and the third, Kids on Mullum, was reassessed to Meeting in August 2026. All three are CCS approved.
Every long day care service in Ringwood was read from Starting Blocks and the ACECQA register on 22 October 2026, with fees in all four age bands, approved places and a controlled Google capture. Goodstart on Warrandyte Road is listed by the register as Ringwood North, but its name and its Google listing place it in Ringwood, so it is ranked here. Ringwood East is covered in our Ringwood East guide.
Looking wider? Our Eastern Suburbs guide lists every suburb we rank across the area, with each one's top centres.
Ringwood sits in the City of Maroondah, about 25 km east of the CBD. Two ranked centres here hold Exceeding National Quality Standard ratings.
Two Exceeding centres, one recent downgrade
Discovery (October 2023) and Goodstart Ringwood (May 2023) are rated Exceeding. Kids on Mullum was reassessed to Meeting in August 2026 after holding Exceeding from September 2023.
Fees
Discovery charges $166.43 and Kids on Mullum $175.00 at every age; Goodstart charges $181.88 up to 35 months and $176.27 from 36 months (Starting Blocks, 22 and 23 October 2026). All three are CCS approved.
Working Towards rating in the suburb
Swan Early Learning on Ringwood Street holds a Working Towards NQS rating (December 2024). It is listed under other services below.
What is the best childcare centre in Ringwood VIC 3134?
On our published criteria, Discovery Childcare and Education at 30-32 Bond Street ranks first. It and Goodstart Early Learning Ringwood both hold Exceeding NQS, issued five months apart, and Discovery is cheaper in every age band. Kids on Mullum Child Care Centre is third.
How much does childcare cost in Ringwood VIC?
From Starting Blocks on 22 and 23 October 2026: $166.43 a day at every age at Discovery, $181.88 up to 35 months and $176.27 from 36 months at Goodstart Ringwood, and $175.00 at every age at Kids on Mullum. All three are CCS approved, and the subsidy covers up to 90% of the fee depending on household income and activity.
Are there any Exceeding NQS childcare centres in Ringwood?
Yes, two among the ranked centres: Discovery Childcare and Education (Exceeding, October 2023) and Goodstart Early Learning Ringwood (Exceeding, May 2023). Kids on Mullum was reassessed to Meeting in August 2026.
Why is Goodstart Ringwood on this page when its address says Ringwood North?
Starting Blocks and the national register list 203 Warrandyte Road as Ringwood North, while the centre's name and its Google listing give Ringwood. We place a centre on the page where at least two of those three sources agree, which here is Ringwood.
Is there a government-funded kindergarten program in Ringwood?
Discovery Childcare and Education and Goodstart Early Learning Ringwood both offer government-funded three and four-year-old kindergarten within long day care. Contact Kids on Mullum directly to confirm its kindergarten arrangements.
Which Ringwood centres accept babies from 6 weeks?
All three ranked centres take children from six weeks: Discovery and Kids on Mullum up to six years, and Goodstart Ringwood up to five years.