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Childcare Costs Cairns 2026: Fees & Services

Childcare costs Cairns 2026: find long day care, family day care, and kindergarten in Cairns. Learn fees, Child Care Subsidy, and Queensland kindy programs.

By Cairns Daily · Published 20 July 2026

How we reported this

This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Cairns is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Childcare Costs Cairns 2026: Fees & Services — Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Childcare and Kindergarten in Cairns 2026

Cairns has a solid childcare market for its size, with long day care and family day care options across the Cairns metro area and surrounding townships. Queensland's funded Kindy program covers 4 year olds in the year before Prep. earlychildhood.qld.gov.au

Types of Childcare in Cairns

Long day care: Centre-based care for children 0-5
Family day care: Registered home-based carer, particularly useful in outer Cairns areas with limited centre options
Queensland Kindy: 15 hours/week funded kindergarten for 4 year olds in the year before Prep

What Does Childcare Cost in Cairns 2026?

Long day care daily fee: $90-$165/day, slightly above the Queensland average reflecting higher operational costs in Far North Queensland
Family day care: $70-$115/day

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Apply through myGov/Centrelink. servicesaustralia.gov.au

Childcare in Regional Cairns

Families in communities north of Cairns (Mossman, Port Douglas, Mareeba, Atherton Tablelands) may have more limited childcare options than those in the Cairns metropolitan area. Family day care can be a practical option in areas with fewer long day care centres. The Queensland Government's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) program funds some additional services in regional and remote areas.

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