Childcare Costs in Bendigo 2026, What Daycare Fees Really Cost in Central Victoria
Wondering what childcare costs in Bendigo in 2026? This guide covers average Bendigo daycare fees, centre-based and family daycare costs, how the CCS works, and practical tips for finding childcare in Bendigo and the Loddon Mallee region.
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Bendigo's childcare market serves a growing city with strong healthcare (Bendigo Health), education (La Trobe Bendigo), and construction sector employment. The city has community childcare centres, national operators, and council-supported services. Bendigo's lower cost of living than Melbourne is reflected in more moderate childcare fees than metropolitan areas. This guide covers what childcare costs in Bendigo in 2026.
Average Childcare Fees in Bendigo 2026
Long Day Care (inner Bendigo: Flora Hill, Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square): $95-$140/day before CCS
Long Day Care (outer areas: Strathfieldsaye, Eaglehawk, Long Gully): $85-$125/day before CCS
Before and After School Care (per session): $15-$30/session
Family Day Care (per hour): $7-$12/hour
Childcare Subsidy (CCS) in Bendigo
Federal CCS applies; maximum 90% subsidy for eligible families
Victorian Funded Kindergarten: Three-year-old kinder (5 hours/week) and four-year-old kinder (15 hours/week) funded by the Victorian Government; many Bendigo long day care centres are approved to deliver the funded kinder program within their operating hours
La Trobe University Bendigo: Families connected to La Trobe should ask about any childcare partnerships or priority access arrangements the university has with local providers; university students may access concessional childcare rates through specific programs
This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.
Covering community in Bendigo. This article was generated by AI, under human editorial accountability and risk-based review and our reasonable editorial care. Sensitive material is held for human review before publication. See our reasonable editorial care.
Beta: AI-assisted and human-overseen. Details may be imperfect, so please verify anything important.
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