First, find your nearest centre. Use our Find a Centre tool to search by post code or suburb. 

Once you have selected your centre, you will need to book a tour, where our Centre Manager will show you the facilities, you can meet the teachers and educators, and ask any questions. Booking a tour is quick and easy, and can be done online. On your chosen centre page, simply select the Book A Tour button and fill out the form. 

Once you have completed the tour, the Centre Manager will provide you with an application form and guide you through the enrolment process.

In the instance the centre does not have an available spot for your child, you will be added to the waitlist. If this is the case, we will explain the process and communicate with you regularly about your individual situation. 

Class sizes at Milestones vary per centre and per age group. When you book a tour, you can ask the Centre Manager about the class size of the room your child will be attending.

The educator to child ratio is as follows:

Birth to 24 months: 1:4 all states and territories

Over 24 months and less than 36 months:

• 1:5 - all states and territories excluding VIC
• 1:4 - VIC

36 months up to and including preschool age:

• 1:11 - ACT, NT, QLD, SA, VIC
• 1:10 - NSW

Fees differ depending on the age of the child, where you are located, days per week and hours per day you would like your child to attend.

You may also be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) which will reduce your out of pocket costs significantly in some cases. 

To calculate child care costs per day, use our CCS estimator tool or speak to your Centre Manager when you book a tour of the centre. For personalised fee information, speak to our Family Support Team or contact 1800 CHILD CARE.

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is financial assistance to help families with the cost of child care. It enables families to more easily access high quality child care and early education for their children, and provide them with valuable learning and development opportunities.

How much CCS you receive is dependant on a range of factors, including your family's income, the type of child care you use, your child's age, the hours of activity you do, and the number of children in your care.

The CCS is paid directly to the child care provider, which in turn reduces the fees you pay.

Use our simple Child Care Subsidy estimator tool to help you find out what your family might pay for early education and child care at Milestones Early Learning Centres.

In order to attend our centre, all children must be up to date with their immunisations according to the National Immunisation Schedule Program.

When you enrol at Milestones, you will be required to upload a copy of their Immunisation History Statement into the Xap portal. For any subsequent vaccinations your child receives, please inform your Centre Manager.

As an important step in the control of infection, we ask that if your child is unwell, that you keep them at home and inform the centre of their condition.

In some instances your child may be required to provide a medical clearance certificate from their GP to return to care. 

Families can get CCS when their child is absent from a session of care they would normally attend for up to 42 days per child, per financial year. 

A casual day (also referred to as an occasional care day) is child care on days outside your normal set days. It is a flexible child care service that caters to families needing a temporary care arrangement for their child.

Speak to your Centre Manager to book an occasional care day at your centre. 

We recognise the needs of working parents, so our centres are open from early in the morning to late in the afternoon (opening times vary per centre). You are welcome to drop off and pick up anytime that suits your family within our opening times.

Children love routine, so we recommend keeping drop off and pick up time similar time each day.

Here is a general overview of what may be required each day at Milestones. Your Centre Manager will let you know of anything else you should bring.

All children:

• Water bottle
• Wide brimmed hat
• A change of clothes (a few sets if learning to use the toilet)
• A sheet
• A special comforter (e.g. blanket or teddy)

Nursery and toddlers:

• Formula or breast milk sufficient for your baby’s needs
• A dummy, if necessary, with a cap or container for storage

No, your child doesn't need to bring a packed lunch to Milestones (in most cases, see note below). However, if they are still drinking breast milk or formula, please bring a sufficient amount for the day.

Milestones centres feature an onsite cook who prepares healthy meals for the children daily, including breakfast, lunch and several snacks throughout the day. The weekly menu can be found in your centre, and is also often published on Facebook (so be sure to follow your centre!).

Note: A small number of our centres do not provide meals, however the Centre Manager will let you know when you meet the team prior to enrolment.

We ask that you please check with your Centre Manager and your child's educator before bringing any food from home into the centre. We have a number of children in our centres with health conditions and allergies, including anaphylaxis, and we have a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of all children while in our care. 

To make the drop off process easier, here are some tips. 

• Keep a consistent routine each morning before drop off. 
• Let your child know that you are leaving and will be back to pick them up later.
• Don't stay too long when you drop them off. Lingering can make it harder and confusing for the child.
• Leave your child with their educator, rather than with an activity. This shows your child who their trusted person is for the day.
• Allow your child's educator to distract them with a toy or something interesting, without injecting your own distraction.
• Be aware of your emotions. Your little one is highly attuned to what their caregivers are feeling, and may absorb and copy some of your emotions. A positive disposition and upbeat face will leave your child with a sense that everything is ok. 

It is developmentally normal for a child to be upset when you drop them off at child care. It is simply a reaction to them being separated from their primary caregiver. If your child is upset at drop off, we'll comfort them by spending one on one time with them, and distract them from you leaving by getting them engaged in a fun activity. 

Depending on their role, all educators at Milestones hold nationally recognised early childhood qualifications, or are actively studying towards the completion of them. All employees undergo state-based processes to be approved for working with children and most also hold first aid and CPR certificates and asthma and anaphylaxis management training certificates.

You'll want to start looking for a child care centre a few months before you are due to return to work. We recommend you contact several child care and early education centres. Use out Centre Finder tool to find your nearest Milestones, arrange to book a tour, and put your name on the waitlist. Having your name on several waitlists will ensure you are offered a place before you are due to resume work. 

Yes, Milestones' qualified educators and teachers are trained in the Lifelong Learning Curriculum for ages 0-5. This curriculum has been developed by Affinity Education, the leading provider of early childhood education in Australia.

The Lifelong Learning Curriculum is based on the belief that learning and development occurs most successfully when supported by nurturing and engaged educators, in partnership with families and communities.

The curriculum draws on the best models of early education, contemporary research and evidence informed practices such as Circle of Security, Abecedarian, and Project Based Learning. It aligns closely to Australia's Early Years Learning Framework, and is based on what children learn, where they learn and how they learn.

The Lifelong Learning Curriculum delivered at Milestones aims to nurture a lifelong love of learning through a combination of play-based and intentional teaching experiences, which helps your child develop:

• Social connectivity
• Emotional confidence
• Foundational learning
• Physical health and wellbeing

A kindergarten or preschool program is generally delivered in the year prior to starting primary school. Some states refer to this program as kindergarten while others refer to it as preschool.

Kindergarten/preschool is designed for children aged between 3 and 5 years, depending on the state or territory, and is aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework.

Attending kindergarten/preschool is hugely beneficial for children, and supports them in developing a lifelong love of learning and their transition into primary school.