The top 3 childcare centres in Rowville are Aurora Early Education Rowville (Exceeding NQS, $183.00/day), Goodstart Early Learning Rowville – Murrindal Drive (Exceeding NQS, $174.06/day), and Haven Early Learning Rowville (Meeting NQS, $194.00/day). Rankings draw on quality ratings and regulatory history from ACECQA, plus fees and inclusions verified on Starting Blocks.
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 →
No.1 PICK
Aurora Early Education Rowville
2 Bernard Hamilton Way, Rowville VIC 3178
Exceeding NQS · November 2023★ Google 4.8/5 · 107 reviews
Google reviews, captured 13 August 2026
Physical environment: Meeting · Governance and leadership: Meeting · 5 areas Exceeding
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Exceeding NQS issued November 2023, with Exceeding in five of the seven quality areas. The previous assessment, in December 2018, also returned Exceeding — the only one of Rowville's twelve long day care services to have held the result across two consecutive assessments.
Regulatory visit December 2025: Last visited by the regulatory authority in December 2025. No conditions on service approval, and no enforcement actions recorded in the past two years.
Daily fee
$183.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:30pm
Ages
Birth to preschool age
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Contact centre
Capacity
65 children
Aurora Early Education Rowville runs from Bernard Hamilton Way with 65 approved places. Its weekday hours are 7:00am to 6:30pm — a 7:00am start, half an hour later than the other two centres on this page.
Its November 2023 assessment returned Exceeding in five of the seven quality areas: educational program and practice, children’s health and safety, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, and collaborative partnerships with families. The assessment before it, in December 2018, also returned Exceeding, making this the only centre in Rowville to have held the result across two consecutive assessments. A regulatory visit in December 2025 found no conditions and no enforcement actions in the preceding two years.
What parents say
“There are truly no words to describe how wonderful our experience has been at Aurora in Rowville. The educators have become like family to us, and over the past six years I have had the pleasure of meeting so many caring and amazing people. My son is currently in the 4 year old kinder, which sadly is our final year at the centre. Before him, my daughter, who is now seven, attended Aurora from the time she was a toddler. From the Seamist Room right through to the kindergarten years, every educator has been incredibly supportive, nurturing, and genuinely invested in my children’s growth and wellbeing. They have always taken the time to understand each stage of my children’s development and have shown such genuine care. Both of my children have learnt so much during their time at Aurora. The communication from the educators has always been excellent, keeping us informed about their day so we could continue supporting their learning at home. They have also done an amazing job preparing both of my children for the transition to primary school. I cannot recommend Aurora Rowville highly enough. It has been such a positive and memorable part of our family’s journey, and we will always be grateful for the love, care, and dedication shown by every member of the team.”Luisa C via Google
“Before picking Kool Kidz on Taylors Lane for our daughter, we checked out 6 other childcare centres around the area and we decided on this centre because we were happy with: 1) The cleanliness and adequate room size 2) Staff are friendly and professional 3) Extracurricular activities: Jump for Joy (Music and exercise program), Yoga classes and Indonesian classes. 4) Keeping us informed via Kinderloop of what is happening in our child's room and what they have been up to. 5) Staff at the centre encourages the child to be independent and allows the child to try and supporting them when needed. Hubby and I have been very impressed and happy with the team at Kool Kidz on Taylors Lane and especially all the educators in the Snugglepot room. We have noticed that our daughter is more confident and not as stressed out around strangers. And she is much happier to play with other kids. So definitely recommend this centre to anyone looking for a good quality childcare centre for their little one.”Ad K via Google
“Our three children have been attending Aurora Early Education, Rowville since 2020 and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The educators are caring, attentive and genuinely invested in the children’s wellbeing and development. The staff create a safe, nurturing and fun environment where kids feel comfortable and excited to learn and play. Communication with families is always excellent and we always feel at ease knowing our children are in such capable hands. Knowing our children are happy, safe and loved while in their care has given us incredible piece of mind over the years. Watching our children grow in confidence, develop their learning and be excited to go to a safe and nurturing enticement has meant the world to us as parents. We are so happy that our children attend an amazing daycare and are so grateful for everything the staff have done for us over the years. Highly recommend for any families looking for a reliable and caring daycare.”Clare Tiley via Google
Our take
Aurora takes first place on the evidence that has held longest. It is rated above the standard in five of the seven quality areas against Goodstart’s four, lists eight inclusions to Goodstart’s six, and — the point that decides it — has held Exceeding across two consecutive assessments, in December 2018 and again in November 2023. No other centre in Rowville has done that. The counter-argument is real and you should weigh it: Goodstart Murrindal Drive was upgraded to Exceeding in December 2025, so its rating is two years fresher than Aurora’s, it is $8.94 a day cheaper, and it opens at 6:30am against Aurora’s 7:00am. If the most recent possible assessment is what reassures you, or your morning starts before seven, putting Goodstart first is a defensible read of the same facts. We weight the sustained result and the broader coverage above the newer date. Worth knowing too that the two are not above the standard on the same things: Aurora is stronger on children’s health and safety and on collaborative partnerships with families, Goodstart on governance and leadership.
Best for: Families who want the broadest quality-area coverage in the suburb and the fullest inclusions list, backed by an Exceeding result the centre has held since 2018.
Goodstart Early Learning Rowville – Murrindal Drive
93-95 Murrindal Drive, Rowville VIC 3178
Exceeding NQS · December 2025★ Google 4.9/5 · 39 reviews
Google reviews, captured 13 August 2026
Children's health and safety: Meeting · Physical environment: Meeting · Collaborative partnerships with families and communities: Meeting · 4 areas Exceeding
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Exceeding NQS issued December 2025 — the most recent assessment among the twelve long day care services in the locality — with Exceeding in four of the seven quality areas. This is an upgrade: the previous assessment, in August 2022, returned Meeting.
Regulatory visit December 2025: Last visited by the regulatory authority in December 2025. No conditions on service approval, and no enforcement actions recorded in the past two years.
Daily fee
$174.06
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
Birth to preschool age
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Contact centre
Capacity
54 children
Goodstart Early Learning Rowville – Murrindal Drive operates from Murrindal Drive with 54 approved places, the smallest of the three ranked centres. It opens 6:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays and is one of a large national not-for-profit network.
Its December 2025 assessment returned Exceeding, above the standard in educational program and practice, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, and governance and leadership. The remaining three areas sit at Meeting. That result is an upgrade from the Meeting rating issued in August 2022, and the regulatory visit that accompanied it, also in December 2025, found no conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the preceding two years.
What parents say
“I am delighted to express my positive experience with Goodstart Early Learning Murrindal Dr Rowville. Since my son joined, the atmosphere has been incredibly nurturing, with teachers who not only display high levels of empathy but also show a genuine dedication to his well-being and development. What truly sets this center apart is the authentic care and attention given to my son. The teachers consistently go above and beyond to understand his unique needs, providing a customized and enriching experience. The professionalism and expertise exhibited by the educators are truly commendable. Furthermore, the overall environment promotes learning and growth. With well-maintained facilities and a strong emphasis on creating a safe and stimulating space for children, Goodstart Murrindal Dr Rowville stands out as a top choice for parents. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any parent in search of a childcare facility that not only meets high standards of care but also values the distinctive qualities of each child. Under their guidance, my son has thrived, and as a parent, I am profoundly grateful for the positive impact they've had on his early development.”Praveen Adepu via Google
“A wonderful childcare center with amazing staff and great facilities! My little boy Charlie has been going to Murrindal Drive since he was 8 months old and is currently attending 3 days a week. He loves going and I love seeing him thrive and knowing that he is looked after so well has made my transition back to work so much easier. Special mention to Shobha and Kala who run the nursery room – I truly couldn’t say thank you enough for looking after Charlie so well. I love the daily updates and knowing what the kids are up to during the day. Special mention also to Angela who is the admin champion of the center and has been nothing short of amazing. She always takes the time to explain everything in so much detail, replies super quick to all emails and has been super accommodating in helping me change days or add in some extra days if needed. I couldn`t be happier that I have found this center THANK YOU!”David Kempler via Google
“Can't recommend this centre highly enough! Wish there was a 10 star option. My son has been going to Goodstart Murrindal for almost 2 years now and he absolutely loves it. The whole team, from management to the educators, admin to the cook, none of them can be faulted. They are all incredible, lovingly attentive to the children (and us adults too) and make you feel like a part of one big family. The centre is warm, inviting, comfortable, basically feels like a second home. My sons development has and is going from strength to strength every week. Don't delay in enrolling your child here if you are considering them for the very important care of your little one/s. Trust me, they couldn't be in better care.”Kristy Boyd via Google
Our take
Goodstart Murrindal Drive places second on a call that could reasonably go the other way, and the reasons to prefer it are concrete. Its Exceeding rating was issued in December 2025 — the freshest of the twelve assessments across Rowville's long day care market, two years newer than Aurora’s. It charges $174.06 against $183.00, and opens at 6:30am where Aurora opens at 7:00am, half an hour that decides the shortlist for a family with an early commute. What holds it at second is the shape of the evidence rather than any weakness in it. December 2025 was an upgrade from Meeting in August 2022, so this is a service on the way up rather than one with a settled record, where Aurora has held Exceeding since 2018. Goodstart is also above the standard in four quality areas to Aurora’s five, and its inclusions list is the shortest of the three, with education programs and other meals not among them. On price, hours and recency it wins; on coverage, inclusions and track record it does not.
Best for: Families who want the newest assessment in the suburb, the earliest opening and the lowest rate of the three, and who are comfortable with a shorter inclusions list.
Meeting NQS · October 2025★ Google 4.9/5 · 46 reviews
Google reviews, captured 13 August 2026
Relationships with children: Exceeding · 6 areas Meeting
Regulatory detail and operational conditions
Meeting NQS issued October 2025. This is a DOWNGRADE: the previous assessment, in November 2022, returned Exceeding. The October 2025 result retained Exceeding in one quality area, relationships with children, with the remaining six at Meeting.
Regulatory visit July 2025: Last visited by the regulatory authority in July 2025. No conditions on service approval, and no enforcement actions recorded in the past two years.
Daily fee
$194.00
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
Birth to preschool age
CCS approved
Yes
Free Kinder
Contact centre
Capacity
100 children
Haven Early Learning Rowville operates from Taylors Lane with 100 approved places, the largest of the three ranked centres, and opens 6:30am to 6:30pm on weekdays.
Its October 2025 assessment returned Meeting overall — a downgrade from the Exceeding it held after November 2022. One quality area, relationships with children, remained above the standard; the other six sit at Meeting. A regulatory visit in July 2025 found no conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions in the preceding two years. At $194.00 a day it is the dearest of the three centres ranked here.
What parents say
“We have been at Haven for a few weeks and whilst that doesn't sound like much, our experience has been so exceptional compared to our previous setting that it deserves an early review. The welcome we have received from Haven has been beautiful, they communicate daily what my son is doing and I feel a genuine care for his wellbeing and my voice as a parent being heard. They have engaging, child-led experiences and set-ups that attract children's attention and spark curiosity and learning. The food appears to be exceptional too and is well-received by my little boy. I am blown away by how good Haven have been on all fronts so far. Looking forward to all the amazing things they are planning for this year!”Debbie Keyter via Google
“My son attended Haven since he was 2 years old and has just finished off his last year at Haven in the 4 year old Kinder room. I can honestly not fault the work the girls have done this year in the kinder room. To be honest we were a little unsure of completing Kinder through the daycare center rather than funded kinder, but I can 100% say that it was the right decision. The curriculum, excursions, incursions and the communication lines between the educators and us as parents has been faultless. I feel like our son is so well prepared for school next year, the only part we are not ready for is to so goodbye to the wonderful girls at Haven.”Karyn Portelli via Google
“We love being a part of the Haven ELC community and couldn't recommend them highly enough. The staff are amazing and caring towards each child and they really get to know you and your family personally to assist your child in their early learning adventure. The centre is well presented, and management are friendly and very knowledgeable regarding the ever-changing govt. legislations/procedures and funding information. Most importantly, the children have a lot of fun at Haven while learning the skills to take them into Primary School and beyond. Thanks Haven for making our 3 years with you very enjoyable and happy for our kids.”Laura Pearce via Google
Our take
Haven ranks third here, having previously been placed first on this page, and the reason is a change in the evidence rather than a change of mind. Its October 2025 assessment moved the overall rating from Exceeding down to Meeting — a downgrade, stated plainly, because a page that carried the old rating forward would be describing a service that no longer exists. What survived the reassessment is worth knowing: relationships with children stayed above the standard, which is the quality area covering how educators engage with and respond to children, and it is a reasonable thing to weight heavily if it is what you care most about. Set against that, Haven charges $194.00 a day — the highest rate in Rowville, $19.94 above the top-ranked centre — for eight inclusions that Aurora also provides for $11.00 less. It keeps a place on this page because one Exceeding quality area and a clean regulatory record still put it ahead of the eight remaining Meeting centres in the locality. It does not keep first place.
Best for: Families who prioritise the quality of educator relationships specifically, and who want the largest centre on this page with early opening — accepting the dearest rate of Rowville's twelve services and a rating that has slipped.
Full-day rates from Starting Blocks, verified 9 August 2026, flat across every age band each service publishes. Average across these three centres is $183.69. Most families are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy, worth up to 90% of the fee depending on household income and activity. Read the rate beside the inclusions column: the cheapest centre here carries two fewer inclusions than the other two, so the $8.94 gap to Aurora narrows once education programs and other meals are counted.
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.
Rowville sits in the City of Knox, about 27 kilometres south-east of the Melbourne CBD. Twelve long day care services operate in the locality, and two of them hold Exceeding NQS — neither of which had previously been assessed for this page.
The two Exceeding centres arrived at that result from opposite directions. One was upgraded from Meeting at its most recent assessment; the other has held Exceeding across two consecutive assessments since 2018. A third centre moved the other way, from Exceeding down to Meeting, and this page says so rather than leaving the earlier rating standing.
Every centre was checked against Starting Blocks and the ACECQA national register in the first week of August 2026 — ratings and their dates, the seven quality-area results behind them, daily fees and what each covers, approved places, opening hours, conditions on approval and enforcement history.
Three things separate these centres, and the fee table shows only one of them.
A rating can move in either direction
Two of the three centres here changed rating band at their most recent assessment — one up from Meeting to Exceeding, one down from Exceeding to Meeting. An NQS rating describes a service on the day it was assessed, not permanently. Check the date beside the badge, and check which way the service was heading.
The cheapest rate carries the shortest list
Goodstart Murrindal Drive charges $174.06 against Aurora’s $183.00, but lists six items where Aurora lists eight — education programs and other meals are not among them. An $8.94 gap narrows, and may close, once you price what each fee actually covers. Confirm the current list with the centre; a register field is a snapshot.
Opening hours differ by half an hour
Goodstart Murrindal Drive and Haven both run 6:30am to 6:30pm. Aurora, the top-ranked centre, opens at 7:00am. For a family with an early start that half hour decides the shortlist before any rating does.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best childcare centre in Rowville?
On the evidence gathered for this page, Aurora Early Education Rowville. It is rated above the standard in five of the seven quality areas — more than any of the other eleven long day care services in Rowville — lists eight inclusions in its $183.00 daily rate, and has held Exceeding NQS across two consecutive assessments, in December 2018 and November 2023. Goodstart Early Learning Rowville – Murrindal Drive also holds Exceeding, awarded more recently in December 2025, and is cheaper at $174.06 with a 6:30am start. A family weighting the freshest assessment or an early drop-off above coverage and track record could reasonably prefer it.
How much does childcare cost in Rowville?
The three centres ranked here charge $174.06, $183.00 and $194.00 for a full day, averaging $183.69 across the three. Those are the published Starting Blocks rates as at 9 August 2026, each flat across every age band. They are not a guide to the suburb as a whole — nine other long day care services operate in Rowville and their fees are not represented in that figure. Most families can claim the Child Care Subsidy, worth up to 90% of the fee depending on household income and recognised activity.
Why has Haven dropped from first to third?
Because its rating changed. Haven held Exceeding NQS after its November 2022 assessment. At its next assessment, in October 2025, the overall rating moved down to Meeting, with one quality area — relationships with children — remaining above the standard. Two centres in the locality now hold Exceeding overall, and both charge less. Haven keeps a place on this page because that surviving quality area and a clean regulatory record still place it ahead of the other Meeting-rated centres in Rowville.
Do all three centres cover meals and nappies in the fee?
Nappies and the main meals, yes, at all three. The difference is at the edges: Aurora and Haven each list eight inclusions covering breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, other meals, nappies, education programs and excursions. Goodstart Murrindal Drive lists five, with education programs and other meals not among them. Inclusion lists on the register are a snapshot and a blank field is not proof that nothing is provided, so confirm the current position with each centre before comparing on price alone.
Data sources: Starting Blocks (NQS ratings, fees, inclusions, hours, vacancies), ACECQA (Approved places, conditions, provider and approval history). Information on this page was last verified August 2026. top3elc.com.au does not receive referral fees.