Childcare costs are one of the most searched — and most misunderstood — topics for families with young children in Redland Bay. The headline fee feels scary. The subsidy system feels complicated. And most of the information out there is either national averages that don't apply locally, or government fact sheets that need a spreadsheet to decode. This post does the maths for you — using real Redland Bay fees, real 2025–26 CCS rates, and real out-of-pocket costs across a range of income levels. No jargon. No guesswork.
Little Scholars Redland Bay — campus or outdoor play
Natural tones, warm light. Children in uniform. Lived-in but tidy.
Portrait · 4:3Based on data from CareforKids and Toddle, the average daily fee for long day care in Redland Bay sits at $148 per day for a standard 10-hour session in 2026 — $149/day for babies, $148 for toddlers, and $147 for kindergarten-age children.
That's higher than the Queensland state average of $131/day, and above the Gold Coast and Ipswich averages too. Fewer centres serving a growing population is the main driver. It's part of why Little Scholars runs two campuses in Redland Bay — giving local families more than one option close to home.
How Redland Bay compares — average daily fee, SEQ 2026
The Child Care Subsidy doesn't apply to your full daily fee. It applies to whichever is lower: your actual fee, or the government's CCS hourly rate cap of $14.63/hr for 2025–26. On a standard 10-hour day that cap works out to $146.30.
Redland Bay's average of $148/day is $14.80/hr — $0.17 above the cap. That means every Redland Bay family pays a fixed above-cap gap of $1.70 per day that no level of subsidy can cover. On three days a week that's $5.10 per week, or $255 per year. It won't break your budget, but it's worth building into your numbers.
In plain English: Your CCS is calculated on $14.63/hr, not $14.80/hr. The $0.17 difference — $1.70/day — comes out of your pocket at every income level. Want to see your exact weekly cost? Use our free CCS Calculator →
Your subsidy rate is determined by your combined household adjusted taxable income. It starts at 90% for families earning up to $85,279, decreasing by 1% for every additional $5,000 earned above that threshold.
| Family income | CCS rate | CCS per hour | Gap per hour | Daily out-of-pocket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $85,279 | 90% | $13.17 | $1.63 | $18.00 |
| $120,000 | 83% | $12.14 | $2.66 | $28.30 |
| $140,000 | 79% | $11.56 | $3.24 | $34.10 |
| $160,000 | 75% | $10.97 | $3.83 | $40.00 |
| $180,000 | 71% | $10.39 | $4.41 | $45.80 |
| $220,000 | 63% | $9.22 | $5.58 | $57.50 |
Gap per hour = ($14.63 – CCS per hour) + $0.17 above-cap. Multiply by 10 for daily gap. 2025–26 CCS rates, effective 7 July 2025. Your exact rate depends on your confirmed income estimate with Services Australia. Calculate yours here.
Little Scholars Redland Bay — learning moment outdoors or in classroom
Children engaged in purposeful play. Educator present. Natural light. No names visible.
Landscape · 16:5 — 1200×375pxHere's what different household incomes actually translate to in weekly childcare costs — based on three days a week at Little Scholars Redland Bay, using the $148/day average and 2025–26 CCS rates.
One income, or returning to work part-time
Dual income, first child starting care
Two professionals, planning for kindy next year
Higher-earning household, two incomes
Based on $148/day at Little Scholars Redland Bay. CCS applied to the $14.63/hr hourly rate cap; above-cap gap of $1.70/day is included in all daily gap figures. Before 5% annual withholding reconciliation. Indicative only. Get your exact figure here.
At 90% CCS, the government covers $130 of your $148 daily fee. Three days a week at Little Scholars costs a family on $80,000 around $54 — not $444.
Whether you're looking at two days around the school run or five full days while you return to work, here's the complete picture across income levels for Little Scholars Redland Bay.
| Family income | CCS % | 2 days/wk | 3 days/wk | 4 days/wk | 5 days/wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | 90% | ~$36 | ~$54 | ~$72 | ~$90 |
| $100,000 | 87% | ~$41 | ~$62 | ~$82 | ~$103 |
| $120,000 | 83% | ~$57 | ~$85 | ~$113 | ~$142 |
| $140,000 | 79% | ~$68 | ~$102 | ~$137 | ~$171 |
| $160,000 | 75% | ~$80 | ~$120 | ~$160 | ~$200 |
| $180,000 | 71% | ~$92 | ~$137 | ~$183 | ~$229 |
| $220,000 | 63% | ~$115 | ~$173 | ~$230 | ~$288 |
All figures are weekly out-of-pocket after CCS, based on $148/day and the 2025–26 $14.63/hr rate cap. 5 days/week requires 48+ hours/fortnight of recognised participation (work, study, volunteering). Indicative only.
Two siblings at Little Scholars
Toddler and preschooler — indoor or outdoor, warm natural light
Portrait · 4:3If you have a second child aged 5 or under enrolled at Little Scholars, they attract a higher CCS rate of up to 95% for families earning under $143,273. This applies whether both children are at the same campus or different ones.
At $148/day and 95% CCS, your second child's daily gap drops to roughly $9.10 — about $27 a week for three days. If you're weighing up the cost of dual enrolment, that number is usually the one that changes people's minds.
Queensland's Free Kindy program provides eligible children with 15 hours per week of fee-free kindergarten for up to 40 weeks a year. For 2026, that's children born between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022. Both Little Scholars campuses in Redland Bay are approved providers — meaning your child can access Free Kindy at Little Scholars as part of their normal day.
In practice, CCS is applied first to reduce your gap fee. Free Kindy then covers a significant portion of what's left during the 15 kindy program hours each week. For families on lower-to-mid incomes, combining both programs can bring the weekly cost of a two-day kindy enrolment very close to zero during term.
Free Kindy is not income-tested. Even families who earn too much to qualify for CCS still receive the Queensland Government's Free Kindy benefit — if your child is the right age, you're eligible regardless of household income. See how Free Kindy works at Little Scholars →
Curriculum moment — children in educator-led learning activity
Play-based, purposeful. Indoors or outdoors. Warm natural light. No names visible.
Landscape · 16:5 — 1200×375pxWhen you're comparing childcare fees, it's worth knowing what's actually included. At Little Scholars, your daily fee covers access to our curriculum — a play-based, educator-led program delivered across every room from Nursery and Infant Care through Toddler, Junior and Senior Kindy, and Kindergarten. It's built on the Early Years Learning Framework and delivered by qualified early childhood teachers and educators.
Redland Bay children also have access to our Outdoor Explorers (Bush Kinder) program — nature-based learning that takes the classroom outside and builds confidence, curiosity, and resilience in young children. It's one of the things families tell us they didn't expect and end up valuing most.
Little Scholars is family-owned, with 17 campuses across South East Queensland. The people making decisions about how your child's day runs are the same people who started this. That matters when things come up — and they always do when you've got a toddler.
Little Scholars has two campuses serving Redland Bay families — one on Main Street and one on Collins Street. Both run the same programs. Book a tour at whichever works better for your commute or school run.
Campus exterior or entrance photo
171 Main Street — warm, welcoming frontage
Replace with photo📍 171 Main Street, Redland Bay QLD 4165
Nursery · Toddler · Junior & Senior Kindy · Kindergarten
Book a TourCampus exterior or entrance photo
89 Collins Street — warm, welcoming frontage
Replace with photo📍 89 Collins Street, Redland Bay QLD 4165
Nursery · Toddler · Junior & Senior Kindy · Kindergarten
Book a TourRedland Bay has grown by over 2,000 residents since the 2021 Census, adding approximately 53 more children under five to the local demand pool. Current data shows around 1.8 children under five per licensed childcare place in the area — supply is tight and it's not getting looser.
Knowing what you'll pay matters. But honestly, knowing there's a place available matters more. Families who join Little Scholars' Redland Bay waitlists often do so six months to a year in advance — some before their baby is born. The subsidy paperwork takes an afternoon. Finding the right centre with an actual vacancy takes a lot longer.
If this post has made the cost feel more manageable than you expected, the best next step is to book a tour at one of our Redland Bay campuses, see the space, meet the team, and get your name down. The numbers will follow.
Use our CCS Calculator to see your real weekly cost — then come and see Little Scholars Redland Bay for yourself. Both campuses have a Book a Tour form right on the page.
Little Scholars School of Early Learning — 17 campuses across Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich & Redland Bay
Average daily fee of $148 sourced from CareforKids.com.au and Toddle (2026). CCS rates and hourly rate cap ($14.63/hr) sourced from the Department of Education and Services Australia (2025–26). Weekly out-of-pocket figures are indicative only, before the 5% annual CCS withholding reconciliation, and do not constitute financial or legal advice. Individual centre fees vary — contact Little Scholars directly for current pricing.
Everything you need to know about how Australia’s early childhood framework guides the way your child learns, grows, and thrives, explained in plain English.
The Early Years Learning Framework or EYLF is Australia’s national standard for early childhood education and care. Its full name is Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Developed by the Australian Government and released in 2009 (with a major update to V2.0 in 2022), the EYLF applies to all approved childcare and early education settings for children from birth to five years of age. It sits under Australia’s National Quality Framework (NQF) and is the foundation against which services are assessed by ACECQA.
The framework doesn’t dictate a specific program or curriculum. Instead, it gives educators a shared foundation of principles, practices, and learning outcomes to guide the experiences, environments, and relationships they create for children. The goal is a consistent, high-quality early education across every approved childcare centre in Australia.
The 2022 update expanded the EYLF's principles from 5 to 8, strengthened language around sustainability, critical reflection, and collaborative leadership, and updated practices to reflect contemporary research in early childhood pedagogy. If your child's centre was enrolled before 2023, their approach has been updated to reflect V2.0.
At the heart of the EYLF are three interconnected concepts that describe how children experience the world. These pillars aren’t stages, they exist simultaneously in every child’s life.
Children develop a sense of belonging through their relationships — with family, educators, peers, and the broader community. When children feel they belong, they feel secure, confident, and connected enough to learn and explore. Belonging is the foundation all other development is built on.
Being recognises that childhood is a valuable time in its own right — not just preparation for school. Children deserve time to simply be: to play, to wonder, to form friendships, and to experience the present moment fully. High-quality early childhood education honours this.
Becoming is about growth, change, and the development of identity over time. Every experience a child has — every relationship, challenge, and discovery — shapes who they are becoming. The EYLF asks educators to see and support each child’s unique developmental journey.
EYLF principles are the core beliefs that underpin everything educators do. They reflect contemporary research, ethical practice, and what we know about how children learn best. EYLF V2.0 expanded these from 5 to 8 principles.
Children learn best when they feel safe, valued, and emotionally connected. Warm, consistent relationships with educators are the single most important factor in quality early learning. This principle places relationship-building at the centre of every interaction.
Educators and families share responsibility for children’s learning and development. Genuine partnerships — built on communication, trust, and mutual respect — strengthen outcomes for children. Parents are considered the first and most important educators in a child’s life.
Every child has the capacity to succeed. This principle calls on educators to hold high expectations for all children regardless of background, ability, or circumstance, and to actively work to remove barriers to participation and achievement.
Australia’s children come from diverse families, cultures, and communities. Educators respect and value this diversity including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being, and reflect it in their programs and environments.
High-quality educators are always learning. This principle commits educators to continuous professional development, critical self-reflection, and staying current with early childhood research. It’s what separates good care from exceptional early education.
Added in EYLF V2.0, this principle encourages educators to examine their own assumptions, values, and practices with rigour. Critical reflection goes beyond routine self-assessment — it challenges educators to question why they do what they do and whether it truly serves every child.
Also new in V2.0, this principle recognises that children’s futures are shaped by the health of the planet and their communities. Educators integrate sustainability into everyday learning — helping children develop a sense of environmental responsibility from the earliest years.
Quality early education is a shared endeavour. This principle values leadership at every level — from the director to each educator — and recognises that when teams learn and grow together, children’s outcomes improve. A collaborative culture underpins a high-performing centre.
If principles describe what educators believe, practices describe what they do. These are the pedagogical strategies and teaching approaches that bring the EYLF to life in the learning environment every day.
Children’s development across physical, social, emotional, and cognitive domains can’t be separated. Educators take a whole-child approach — recognising that a child who feels loved and safe learns more than one who doesn’t, and that physical play builds cognitive skills as much as desk-based activities.
Skilled educators read children closely — their moods, interests, cues, and emerging ideas — and adapt in real time. Responsiveness builds trust, deepens engagement, and ensures each child’s experience is attuned to who they are right now, not a one-size-fits-all program.
Play is the primary vehicle for learning in the early years. Through play, children experiment, imagine, problem-solve, build social skills, and develop language. The EYLF recognises both structured and unstructured play as essential — leisure and downtime are as valuable as directed learning.
Great early childhood educators don’t just supervise — they teach with purpose. Intentional teaching means making deliberate decisions about experiences, language, questions, and provocations to extend children’s thinking and scaffold their development toward meaningful goals.
The physical and emotional environment of a centre is itself a teacher. Educators design spaces — indoors and outdoors — that invite curiosity, support risk-taking, reflect children’s identities, and promote independence. A well-designed learning environment makes quality learning happen more naturally
Educators actively incorporate children’s cultural backgrounds, languages, and family practices into their programs. Cultural responsiveness goes beyond celebrating events — it means genuinely embedding diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing into everyday learning experiences.
Transitions — between rooms, between services, and into school — can be unsettling for children. Educators work proactively to ensure these transitions are smooth, supported, and built on shared knowledge of each child’s learning journey, reducing disruption and building confidence.
Ongoing observation, documentation, and assessment help educators understand where each child is in their learning, what’s working, and where to go next. Assessment in the EYLF is not about testing, it’s a reflective practice that informs planning and celebrates children’s progress.
Learning outcomes are the broad goals that the EYLF guides educators toward for every child aged birth to 5. They’re not milestones or checklists — they’re holistic developmental destinations that shape how educators plan, observe, and document learning.
Children develop confidence in who they are their strengths, their feelings, their family, and their place in the world. This outcome includes developing resilience, a positive sense of self, and the ability to make choices and act with increasing independence.
Children develop a sense of connection to their communities, the natural environment, and the wider world. They learn about their rights and responsibilities, develop empathy, and begin to understand their role as active participants in society.
Physical health, emotional wellbeing, and a sense of safety and comfort all contribute to this outcome. Children who feel well are better equipped to learn, form relationships, and navigate challenge. Wellbeing is both an outcome and a precondition for all other learning.
Children develop dispositions for learning, curiosity, creativity, persistence, and enthusiasm. They become willing to take on challenges, try new things, and engage deeply with experiences. This outcome lays the cognitive and motivational foundations for lifelong learning.
Communication encompasses verbal language, non-verbal expression, literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy. Children learn to express themselves, listen and respond, engage with stories and symbols, and use a growing range of tools and technologies to communicate and create.
Common questions about the EYLF from parents, educators, and childcare students.
At Little Scholars, the EYLF isn’t just compliance — it’s the foundation of everything we do across our 17 South East Queensland campuses. Our educators are trained to bring all 8 principles and 8 practices to life every day, in environments designed for children to genuinely thrive.
Everything you need to know about how Australia's early childhood framework guides the way your child learns, grows, and thrives — explained in plain English.
Quick Reference
The Early Years Learning Framework — or EYLF — is Australia's national standard for early childhood education and care. Its full name is Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Developed by the Australian Government and released in 2009 (with a major update to V2.0 in 2022), the EYLF applies to all approved childcare and early education settings for children from birth to five years of age. It sits under Australia's National Quality Framework (NQF) and is the foundation against which services are assessed by ACECQA.
The framework doesn't dictate a specific program or curriculum. Instead, it gives educators a shared foundation of principles, practices, and learning outcomes to guide the experiences, environments, and relationships they create for children. The goal is a consistent, high-quality early education across every approved childcare centre in Australia.
At the heart of the EYLF are three interconnected concepts that describe how children experience the world. These pillars aren't stages — they exist simultaneously in every child's life.
Children develop a sense of belonging through their relationships — with family, educators, peers, and the broader community. When children feel they belong, they feel secure, confident, and connected enough to learn and explore. Belonging is the foundation all other development is built on.
Being recognises that childhood is a valuable time in its own right — not just preparation for school. Children deserve time to simply be: to play, to wonder, to form friendships, and to experience the present moment fully. High-quality early childhood education honours this.
Becoming is about growth, change, and the development of identity over time. Every experience a child has — every relationship, challenge, and discovery — shapes who they are becoming. The EYLF asks educators to see and support each child's unique developmental journey.
EYLF principles are the core beliefs that underpin everything educators do. They reflect contemporary research, ethical practice, and what we know about how children learn best. EYLF V2.0 expanded these from 5 to 8 principles.
Children learn best when they feel safe, valued, and emotionally connected. Warm, consistent relationships with educators are the single most important factor in quality early learning. This principle places relationship-building at the centre of every interaction.
Educators and families share responsibility for children's learning and development. Genuine partnerships — built on communication, trust, and mutual respect — strengthen outcomes for children. Parents are considered the first and most important educators in a child's life.
Every child has the capacity to succeed. This principle calls on educators to hold high expectations for all children — regardless of background, ability, or circumstance — and to actively work to remove barriers to participation and achievement.
Australia's children come from diverse families, cultures, and communities. Educators respect and value this diversity — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being — and reflect it in their programs and environments.
High-quality educators are always learning. This principle commits educators to continuous professional development, critical self-reflection, and staying current with early childhood research. It's what separates good care from exceptional early education.
Added in EYLF V2.0, this principle encourages educators to examine their own assumptions, values, and practices with rigour. Critical reflection challenges educators to question why they do what they do and whether it truly serves every child.
Also new in V2.0, this principle recognises that children's futures are shaped by the health of the planet and their communities. Educators integrate sustainability into everyday learning — helping children develop environmental responsibility from the earliest years.
Quality early education is a shared endeavour. This principle values leadership at every level — from the director to each educator — and recognises that when teams learn and grow together, children's outcomes improve.
Want to see these principles in action? Visit one of our 17 South East Queensland campuses.
Book a tourIf principles describe what educators believe, practices describe what they do. These are the pedagogical strategies and teaching approaches that bring the EYLF to life in the learning environment every day.
Children's development across physical, social, emotional, and cognitive domains can't be separated. Educators take a whole-child approach — recognising that a child who feels loved and safe learns more, and that physical play builds cognitive skills as much as anything else.
Skilled educators read children closely — their moods, interests, cues, and emerging ideas — and adapt in real time. Responsiveness builds trust, deepens engagement, and ensures each child's experience is attuned to who they are right now.
Play is the primary vehicle for learning in the early years. Through play, children experiment, imagine, problem-solve, and build social skills. Both structured and unstructured play are essential — leisure and downtime are as valuable as directed learning.
Great early childhood educators teach with purpose. Intentional teaching means making deliberate decisions about experiences, language, questions, and provocations to extend children's thinking and scaffold development toward meaningful goals.
The physical and emotional environment of a centre is itself a teacher. Educators design spaces — indoors and outdoors — that invite curiosity, support risk-taking, reflect children's identities, and promote independence.
Educators actively incorporate children's cultural backgrounds, languages, and family practices into programs. This means genuinely embedding diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing into everyday learning experiences.
Transitions — between rooms, services, and into school — can unsettle children. Educators work proactively to ensure transitions are smooth and built on shared knowledge of each child's learning journey.
Ongoing observation, documentation, and assessment help educators understand where each child is and where to go next. Assessment in the EYLF is not about testing — it's a reflective practice that informs planning and celebrates children's progress.
Learning outcomes are the broad goals that the EYLF guides educators toward for every child aged birth to 5. They're not milestones or checklists — they're holistic developmental destinations that shape how educators plan, observe, and document learning.
Children develop confidence in who they are — their strengths, their feelings, their family, and their place in the world. This includes developing resilience, a positive sense of self, and the ability to make choices and act with increasing independence.
Children develop a sense of connection to their communities, the natural environment, and the wider world. They learn about their rights and responsibilities, develop empathy, and begin to understand their role as active participants in society.
Physical health, emotional wellbeing, and a sense of safety and comfort all contribute to this outcome. Children who feel well are better equipped to learn, form relationships, and navigate challenges. Wellbeing is both an outcome and a precondition for all other learning.
Children develop dispositions for learning — curiosity, creativity, persistence, and enthusiasm. They become willing to take on challenges, try new things, and engage deeply with experiences. This outcome lays the cognitive and motivational foundations for lifelong learning.
Communication encompasses verbal language, non-verbal expression, literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy. Children learn to express themselves, listen and respond, engage with stories and symbols, and use a growing range of tools to communicate and create.
Common questions about the EYLF from parents, educators, and childcare students.
At Little Scholars, the EYLF isn't just compliance — it's the foundation of everything we do across our 17 South East Queensland campuses. Our educators bring all 8 principles and 8 practices to life every day, in environments designed for children to genuinely thrive.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
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