Childcare Costs Bendigo: Fees, Subsidies and Options

Childcare in Bendigo

Bendigo has a solid childcare sector for a regional city, with good availability and fees well below metropolitan rates. The combination of lower Bendigo fees and the federal Child Care Subsidy makes childcare highly affordable for many families.

Types of Childcare

Long Day Care (LDC) is the main form. Bendigo has a mix of Kmart-style national chains, community-run centres, and church-affiliated providers. La Trobe University's Bendigo campus has on-campus childcare for student and staff families. Kindergarten: Victorian funded kinder applies (15 hours/week for 4-year-olds; 3-year-old kinder rolling out).

Costs in Bendigo

Bendigo LDC fees range from approximately $95-$130/day — among Victoria's most affordable. After the CCS, many Bendigo families have near-zero out-of-pocket childcare costs.

Child Care Subsidy

Federal CCS — 90% for families under $80,000. Apply via myGov. Victorian kindergarten funding applies on top of this for the kinder year. Bendigo families generally benefit significantly from both programs due to regional income levels relative to the subsidy thresholds.

Finding Childcare in Bendigo

Starting Blocks (startingblocks.gov.au) covers all approved Bendigo services. Waitlists are short to non-existent at many Bendigo centres. New families moving to Bendigo find this a strong contrast to metropolitan childcare markets.

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