Childcare and Kindergarten in Adelaide 2026, Costs, Child Care Subsidy, SA Preschool, and How to Find a Centre Near You
Adelaide childcare guide 2026: how much long day care costs in Adelaide before and after the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), South Australia preschool for children before Reception, NQS ratings, and how to find a childcare centre near you in Adelaide.
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Adelaide has a competitive childcare market with lower average fees than Sydney and Melbourne. South Australia's preschool program provides 15 hours per week for children in the year before starting Reception (SA's equivalent of Foundation/Prep). education.sa.gov.au
How Much Does Childcare Cost in Adelaide 2026?
Long day care (daily rate, before CCS), inner Adelaide, typically $138-$185/day
Long day care (daily rate, before CCS), outer suburbs, typically $105-$155/day
Family day care (daily rate, before CCS), typically $80-$128/day
After CCS for median Adelaide family income, typically $16-$55/day (income-tested)
SA Preschool Before Reception
South Australia funds 15 hours per week of preschool for children in the year before starting Reception (SA's first year of school, equivalent to Foundation/Prep/Kindy in other states). This is available at government preschools and approved community early childhood services. Search and check NQS ratings at childcarefinder.gov.au. childcarefinder.gov.au
This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.
Covering community in Adelaide. 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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