CHILDCARE CENTRE MARKETING & BUSINESS GROWTH
Grow and scale your childcare business
HCPA helps long day care and early learning operators increase enrolments, improve occupancy and strengthen the business systems needed to support sustainable childcare growth.
For a childcare centre, growth comes from turning local family demand into occupied places. That means understanding exactly where capacity exists and building an enrolment pathway that helps suitable families move from enquiry to tour to confirmed care.
The opportunity is also highly local. A strategy that works for one early learning centre may not work for another suburb, age mix or family market. HCPA’s experience is that strong teams, a clear point of difference and an understanding of the local community are important foundations for growth.
Work with a senior consultant embedded in your leadership team
Your senior consultant brings deep experience across regulated industries, working alongside your leadership team to support strategic decisions, operational improvement and sustainable growth.
Draw on the experience of 200+ industry consultants
Benefit from the collective regulatory, operational and commercial experience of our team of 200+ consultants, helping you identify risks, avoid common growth mistakes and make better-informed decisions.
$2.1B+
Apply insights from 16,000 businesses we have supported
We bring practical insights from supporting 16,000 businesses across regulated industries, whose businesses have collectively generated more than $3.8 billion in revenue.
Completion
Action Required
16,000+ Businesses are growing faster
First Client Guarantee
Grow with regulatory confidence
Completion
Action Required
16,000+ Businesses are growing faster
First Client Guarantee
$2.1B+
Completion
Action Required
16,000+ Businesses are growing faster
First Client Guarantee
Where is the potential to grow a childcare centre?
A strong childcare growth strategy starts by understanding where vacancies exist, why families choose other services and whether the centre is making the best use of its current capacity.
Improve occupancy where capacity already exists
Look beyond the centre’s overall occupancy percentage.
A long day care service may be full in one age group while having persistent vacancies in another, or may be busy on Tuesday to Thursday but have significant capacity on Monday and Friday.
Understanding occupancy by room, age group and day helps determine whether the priority is more marketing, a change in enrolment patterns or better use of the existing service model.
This matters commercially because the ACCC’s childcare market inquiry identified occupancy as a key driver of childcare provider revenue, profitability and viability.
Strengthen local childcare marketing
Childcare centre marketing works best when families can quickly understand why the service is right for them.
The point of difference might be the educational approach, experienced educators, opening hours, nursery offering, meals, outdoor environment, location, communication with families or another feature that genuinely matters to the local market.
Digital search and social media can support visibility, while HCPA’s early learning experience also points to parent recommendations as an important source of trust. The goal is not to use every channel, but to understand which channels generate families who are actually likely to enrol.
Improve enquiry-to-enrolment conversion
Not every centre with vacancies needs more advertising. Some are already generating enough interest but losing families between first contact and enrolment.
Track what happens after a parent makes contact. How quickly does someone respond? Is a tour booked? Does the parent understand fees and CCS? Are vacancies explained clearly? Is there follow-up after the visit?
A stronger enrolment pathway can help the service convert more of the demand it is already generating without simply increasing marketing spend.
Turn childcare demand into sustainable growth
A stronger growth strategy can help your childcare business work towards:
higher centre occupancy
stronger enrolments across underfilled rooms
more relevant local enquiries
better enquiry-to-tour conversion
stronger tour-to-enrolment conversion
more parent and community referrals
better use of approved capacity
a childcare model capable of further expansion
Growth needs to work operationally as well as commercially. Additional children increase demand on educators, supervision, communication and administration, so the centre needs the workforce and systems to support higher occupancy.
HCPA can help identify whether the next opportunity sits in marketing, conversion, room utilisation, family experience or broader expansion.
Is your childcare centre ready to grow?
What is your occupancy by room, age group and day?
Which vacancies are proving hardest to fill?
Where do your strongest enquiries come from?
How quickly are new childcare enquiries followed up?
What percentage of enquiries progress to centre tours?
How many tours result in enrolments?
What do local parents value that competing centres do not offer?
Are existing families referring other families?
Can your current workforce support higher occupancy?
Is the owner or centre manager still involved in every growth decision?
How HCPA's childcare business consultants support sustainable growth
Growing a long day care centre means balancing enrolment opportunity with the capacity of the service.
A childcare business consultant can look beyond promotional activity and consider the local market, room occupancy, enquiry process, staffing and operating model together.
Strengthen local demand
Review the centre’s catchment, competitors, family demographics and enquiry sources to identify where additional enrolments may come from. The ACECQA National Registers can also help assess nearby services and quality ratings.
Improve enrolment pathways
Review how the centre manages enquiries, tours, waiting lists and follow-up to identify where prospective families may be lost. Strengthening these touchpoints can help turn existing demand into more confirmed enrolments.
Prepare the business to scale
Review staffing, management capacity, approved places and operating systems to determine whether the centre can support further growth. This helps identify whether to increase utilisation, expand capacity or pursue another location.
How HCPA helps you grow and scale sustainably
Assess current performance
Review occupancy, enrolments, room utilisation, enquiry sources, conversion and the centre's current operating capacity.
Identify the growth constraint
Determine whether local demand, marketing, conversion, service positioning, staffing or available places are having the greatest effect on growth.
Develop the growth strategy
Build a practical plan around childcare centre marketing, local positioning, parent referrals and enrolment conversion.
Prepare to scale
Strengthen workforce, management and operating systems, then use performance data to guide additional capacity or future locations.
What does a scalable childcare business look like?
For an established centre, scaling starts with making the current service productive and less dependent on individual people before adding another location.
The ACCC found that occupancy is a key driver of revenue, profitability and viability for childcare providers, which makes improving utilisation particularly important for centres with existing vacancies.
HCPA can help you work towards:
more productive use of approved places
stronger occupancy across rooms and days
a more predictable enrolment pipeline
stronger family advocacy and referrals
staffing aligned with enrolment demand
clearer accountability for centre management
enrolment systems that can be repeated
a stronger case for another childcare centre
The aim is to create a centre that can sustain strong occupancy without every enrolment or operating decision needing to flow through the owner.
Frequently asked questions about growing a childcare business
How can a childcare centre increase enrolments?
Start by identifying where the vacancies actually sit.
A centre with low overall occupancy may have a very different problem from one that is full in the toddler room but struggling to fill nursery or preschool places.
Review occupancy by age group and day, then look at enquiry volume, parent tours and conversion. This helps establish whether you need more demand or need to convert the demand you already have more effectively.
What local marketing and parent-referral strategies help an early learning centre grow?
Focus on the channels parents use when choosing care locally.
This can include Google search, the centre’s website, social media, community groups, relationships with local organisations and recommendations from existing families.
Parent referrals become particularly powerful when families have a positive experience and can clearly explain what makes the childcare centre different.
HCPA’s early learning experience is that local visibility and a genuine point of difference are more useful than generic childcare advertising.
Does the 3 Day Guarantee create an opportunity for childcare centres?
Potentially.
Since 5 January 2026, the Australian Government’s 3 Day Guarantee gives all CCS-eligible families access to at least 72 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight, regardless of their activity level.
This can broaden subsidised access for families who previously received fewer CCS hours. It does not, however, guarantee a childcare place or automatically increase demand for an individual centre.
Operators still need to understand which families in their catchment are looking for care and why they would choose their service.
How important is social media for childcare centre marketing?
It can be useful because parents are active on social platforms and childcare is a highly local, trust-based decision.
Use social media to show the actual experience of the service, such as the learning environment, educators, activities, facilities and communication with families, subject to the relevant privacy and consent requirements.
HCPA’s experience is that social media can be one of the easier ways for early learning services to reach local parents, but it should sit within a broader enrolment strategy rather than becoming the only source of enquiries.
Why can a childcare centre have low occupancy even when local demand is strong?
The problem may sit inside the enrolment pathway.
Families may be enquiring but not receiving a quick response, tours may not be converting, vacancies may not match the ages or days families need, or competitors may have a clearer point of difference.
Another common issue is looking only at total occupancy. The centre may have enough local demand overall but a mismatch between the days or rooms families want and the places currently available.
Look at the journey from first enquiry through to confirmed enrolment before assuming more advertising is required.
How can parent referrals increase childcare enrolments?
Parents can be one of the strongest sources of trust for another family considering a centre.
Referral growth usually starts with the experience already being delivered. Communication, educator relationships, responsiveness and the way families feel about the service all influence whether they are comfortable recommending it.
Operators can then make it easy for satisfied families to share information about the centre or invite other families to events and tours.
How does a childcare centre create a stronger point of difference?
Start by understanding what nearby services already offer.
Your point of difference should be meaningful to parents rather than simply a marketing slogan. It may involve operating hours, educational approach, facilities, food, communication, educator continuity, particular age-group expertise or another feature relevant to the local market.
HCPA’s early learning experience is that a strong team and clear differentiation can be particularly important where families have several childcare centres to choose from.
Should I increase marketing if my childcare centre is already close to capacity?
Not necessarily.
First look at whether there are particular rooms, days or age groups that still have usable capacity.
If the centre is consistently full and has a healthy waiting list, the stronger commercial opportunity may be adjusting capacity, acquiring another centre or planning a new service rather than paying for additional enquiries that cannot be accommodated.
When should I open or acquire a second childcare centre?
When the first service has demonstrated that the business model can be repeated.
Look at sustained occupancy, local demand, management capacity, workforce, cash flow and whether the existing centre can operate without constant owner intervention.
The new location should also be assessed independently. A successful childcare model in one suburb does not mean the same demand and competitive conditions exist elsewhere.
Can staffing limit how much a childcare business can scale?
Yes.
Higher occupancy increases the number of educators needed, while opening another childcare centre also requires leadership, nominated supervisor coverage and sufficient qualified staff.
The opportunity is to forecast workforce needs alongside the enrolment plan so staffing capacity develops with demand rather than becoming a constraint after places are filled.
How can I scale a childcare business without becoming involved in every decision?
Build management systems before adding another centre.
Clarify responsibilities for centre leadership, enrolments, staffing, parent communication, compliance and financial performance. The owner should be able to monitor these areas without personally handling every enquiry or operational problem.
Strong management becomes particularly important for multi-site childcare groups because growth otherwise increases the owner’s workload at roughly the same rate as revenue.
What Our Clients Say
Amazing service and incredibly friendly, helpful staff. We engaged HCPA for our NDIS registration, and they guided us step by step through the entire process from start to finish. Thanks to their professionalism and support, we successfully completed our NDIS Registration Audit on the first attempt with zero non-conformities. I highly recommend HCPA to anyone looking to become an NDIS service provider. Thank you so much to the entire HCPA team for helping us achieve our goal!
Very professional and engaging. Explanation of the complicated process was made easy to understand by Vincent
A big thank you to Shayan Raghib !! for all his hard work and support through helping us with our registration and audit process, he was contactable at all times quick responses for emails/phone calls and any info that required from our team, highly recommend for anyone thinking of completing the SAH/aged care registration.
Had help to register with DVA from Raymund who is very knowledgeable and proffesional. We are so grateful.
Shayan has been absolutely fantastic throughout the whole process. He is professional, patient, and incredibly efficient — the kind of person who makes complicated things feel simple. He helped us a lot, followed up quickly, and always made sure everything was moving in the right direction. Truly appreciate his support and highly recommend him to anyone who wants someone reliable, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Thanks Shayan — you made the process much smoother than expected!
I’ve had an incredible experience with HCPA. A massive thank you to Edwin, who was easily the best person to work with. He helped me from start to finish and made the whole process seamless. If you need NDIS provider service, ask for Edwin he truly cares about his clients!
HCPA company is a very professional company with a highly dedicated team of experts who truly knows what they are doing. From the moment we started planning our journey to become a DVA provider, HCPA took the time to explain everything clearly and helped us understand the whole process and DVA requirements in a way that was easy to follow. Honestly, signing up with HCPA was one of the smartest decisions we have made. We are also very grateful to have Raymund as our consultant. From the very beginning, he has been approachable, supportive, and easy to work with. He guided us step by step throughout the whole process and made everything feel much easier and less overwhelming. Starting a business can honestly be stressful and daunting, especially when dealing with applications and compliance requirements. But having Raymund as our consultant really helped lessen the stress and anxiety. He was always there to answer our questions, explain things clearly, and reassure us whenever we felt unsure. What we truly appreciated was his dedication and willingness to help, even after hours when we needed clarification about our application. That level of support really made a big difference for us. Aside from being very professional and knowledgeable, Raymund is also kind, patient, and has a great sense of humour, which made the whole experience more comfortable and positive. We highly recommend HCPA and Raymund to anyone looking for guidance in becoming a DVA provider. You will definitely be in good hands with a team that genuinely cares and supports you throughout the journey.
Great team, very prompt and helpful
Very polite and knowledgeable gentleman
Very quick and easy on boarding process with Jhanine. Great prompt communication and clarity throughout.
Working with Raymund was a fantastic experience from start to finish. His knowledge and timely communication helped us with the process immensely.
Vincent has been really excellent and supportive throughout my application process. He followed up and followed through.
Working with Reegan Brown from HCPA, fantastic assistance and provided all the resources needed. Kingsley Audu has also been working closely for the past few weeks, very driven and informal individual with a great work ethic.
The support and guidance I have received from Raymund Jovs Carcido has been incredible. Raymund is very knowledgeable, professional and without a doubt, kind and patient! I would definitely recommend HCPA for anyone looking to start on this journey.
I have good experience with this organization.Raymund has done excellent job to see this project to this stage. Thank you.
Edwin has been very helpful throughout the process of registration until finally I have registration to provide NDIS targeted supports. Thanks to Edwin for his detailed and supportive work that enabled the process to go smoothly. I recommend HCPA to those who want to venture into allied health space privately.
Mark is my contact at HCPA, and he consistently goes above and beyond for my business. He checks in with me weekly to see how my NDIS registration is progressing. He’s calm on the phone and genuinely listens—even when I’m venting. Find yourself a Mark at HCPA for your NDIS or aged care business journey.
Edwin was phenomenal in providing the consulting service. He was very clear and guided me step-by-step and overall I am very satisfied
I had a consultation with NISHTA and she was so knowledgeable and helpful. She has provided me resources that are very pertinent to NDIS. She also assisted me in the business side of it. Very grateful and glad I had consulted with her and HCPA!
Edwin is my go to person always there to help. Thank so much -jelyn davis
Prompt responses & result driven
Raymund provided exceptional support to Carespace during our application for DVA and onboarding onto the platform. His approach throughout the process was consistently professional, patient, and genuinely understanding of our needs. He took the time to clearly explain each step, responded promptly to questions, and ensured we felt supported and confident at every stage of the application and onboarding process. His calm and respectful manner made what could have been a complex process feel well‑managed and straightforward. We greatly appreciate Raymund’s expertise, commitment, and client‑centred approach, and we would highly recommend him to any organisation seeking reliable and knowledgeable support.
From the first time i contacted HCPA my experience has been wonderful. The follow up is excellent, the service is professional and i feel very supported. Thank you
Great support, prompt response and action I recommend this organization
Very professional advice based upon the experience. I am on my way to become a DVA provider and an Aged care associate provider with the help of Andrew and Justin. You guys are amazing 👏
Fantastic experience from start to finish. The team provided great support throughout my registration process, and my consultant Bianca was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. They made a complex process feel much easier. Highly recommend their services.
I have been guided and supported by Mr Fayez, a very experienced HCPA Consultant over the last one month in my new journey to start up a service provider business. Fayez had been very thorough about his service, supportive in nature ,great with his communication and clarifying my questions. It has been a successful process with the guidance of Fayez to step into my first ever adventure in business world. I sincerely appreciate the open communication, relentless efforts and clarity HCPA offer its customers. Many Thanks.
Nishta Trikka at HCPA has been instrumental in shaping my business through ongoing consultations. Her insights are practical, data-driven, and tailored to my goals, helping me navigate complex decisions with clarity. I’m currently in sessions, and I appreciate her consistency, responsiveness, and the concrete steps she’s guiding me to take. Highly recommend Nishta and HCPA for thoughtful, results-focused coaching and support.
Being part of the HCPA has added real value to our practice. The advice and resources they offer have helped us improve internal processes and maintain quality care. Their team is knowledgeable, approachable, and clearly experienced in the healthcare field.
Andrew at HCPA was incredibly helpful in guiding me through the process of registering an NDIS business. He made everything clear and easy to understand. His professionalism, patience, and in-depth knowledge made, what could have been a stressful process, a smooth and straightforward application from start to finish. His an absolute legend and deserves a raise.
I was greatly supported by my DVA Analyst Raymund Jovs Carcido. He prompt in replying to my emails and phone calls. With Raymund’s hard work and crossing all obstacles he assisted me in securing my DVA registration and set up. I would recommend anyone to go with HCP for DVA registration.
Patience with no forced selling
I had a really positive experience working with HCPA. They were knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire process. They took the time to explain everything clearly and made what could have been a complicated journey feel smooth and manageable. I always felt supported and well-guided. Highly recommend!
I am very new to a business, and have found Jack and Raymund extremely helpful. I'm sure I cannot progress without them.
Raymund was a great consultant. He not only helped us with DVA Service Provider registration and onboarding but also more importantly helped set up and provided guidance and expertise required to kickstart our business. Raymund was very professional and always forthcoming. Bedurya Community Care is very fortunate to have Raymund’s services. Thank you.
Very friendly and caring always available when needed to answer questions was always dealing with Edwin Castro thank you for all your support
Vincent has been a great support from my first initial contact, throughout my NDIS registration, out-of-cycle audit, mid-term audit, and for over a year of follow-up communication since our registration. From the start, he has been professional, approachable, and very knowledgeable. He consistently takes the time to explain things clearly, offers ongoing support, and provides encouragement that makes the process feel manageable. His positive attitude and willingness to help have made a real difference, and I would confidently recommend him to others navigating the NDIS process.
Overall experience was immeasurable with the support from Raymund Jov Carcido from the start. He used to regularly follow up until we are satisfied with all our questions. This is the first time we are starting this business. So Raymund gone through every single paperwork and other process clearly for us to understand the process. We are still learning so I am hoping to get things sorted out according to the requirements. I would definetly recommended HCPA and their service worth the time and support from them.
The service provided was very professional with high standards. Mr Edwin supported me through the process of getting all relevant documents ready for the audit. He scaffolded information and ensured that I understood the audit process. Whilst getting the procedure document delayed this didn't impact on the overall experience and that I was able to submit this in a timely manner. I will recommend HCPA to my friends who would like to register as NDIS providers.
Raymund Jovs Carcido was exceptional in helping me set up my DVA business. He guided me through the entire process with clarity, professionalism and patience making what could have been an overwhelming experience feel manageable and well-structured. His knowledge of the DVA requirements, business compliance and documentation was invaluable. Raymund was always approachable, responsive and genuinely invested in my success. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to establish or grow a DVA-related business—his support made a significant difference.
Monica was very thorough and knowledgeable. We feel supported in our NDIS journey
From helping us obtain our registration, to continued consulting support, HPCA has been wonderful; particularly Monica Trisal! Thank you for the information and support that has been so vital for our progression.
Thank You Dear Mark Magbanua Your outstanding work and the values your company upholds have been truly inspiring. I deeply admire the dedication and quality you bring to the industry. It’s professionals like you who set the standard, and I hope we continue to learn from and collaborate with you as we grow. Thank you once again — your impact genuinely makes a difference. Warm regards, Essam Soliman
Great service and staff are professionals. Raymond walked with me in every steps by following up with calls and emails. he is good
I am a newly NDIS-registered provider, and HCPA assisted me in preparing all required compliance documentation for registration. Their expert guidance, particularly from Nishta, was invaluable throughout the audit process. I only had one consultation with Nishta for my Stage 1 audit, yet the depth and clarity of information she provided equipped me well enough to successfully pass Stage 2 as well. As a result, I became fully NDIS-registered just over two months after the audit. I am now considering ongoing consultation with Nishta and HCPA, as their support has given me confidence to run my business with strong compliance, credibility, and clarity. I highly recommend their services to new and emerging healthcare providers.
Raymund Jovs Carcido was incredibly helpful throughout my DVA application process. He took the time to explain everything clearly, answered all my questions with patience, and made what could have been a stressful process feel straightforward and manageable. His knowledge, professionalism, and genuine support made a huge difference, and I felt confident knowing my application was in good hands. I’m very grateful for his assistance and highly recommend Raymund to anyone needing help with their DVA claim.
I was happy with my consultation with Ferdinand. He explained everything to me in terms I could understand & gave me different outcomes. He was not pushy & gave me time to think.
Great support and highly responsive.
We can’t thank Fayez from HCPA enough for the support he gave us. He went above and beyond to make sure we had the right information and fully understood our options. He was kind, knowledgeable, and always happy to help. Such a positive experience; highly, highly recommend Fayez!
Gemma consistently demonstrates a high level of efficiency and excellence, with prompt responses and strong ongoing support.
Friendly no pressure discussion
Fantastic service
Very Professinal service
Victor's professionalism and clarity in explaining the options and steps highly impressed me.
Luca was very informative; and able to put together my vision and align within his expertise. I was impressed
I have been working with Raymund past 5 months with registering our business for DVA community Nursing. Raymund guided us with every step, he showed wide knowledge and understanding of DVA and process involved. My journey from start till now has been very smooth without stress. Raymond made sure, i was updated with every process. I am very happy with the service received and Thank you Raymund for guiding us throughout the process. I cannot thank you enough for your professionalism and expertise you have shown😊
Hi HCPA Fayez was very understanding and very knowledgeable he explained himself very good well done. Keep up the good work.👌
Our experience with HCPA for the DVA application process was very positive. The service was professional, well-organised, and communicated clearly at every stage. We felt well supported throughout the journey, and the process was managed efficiently and respectfully by Vincent and team. I appreciate the high standard of service received and would confidently recommend it to others.
From start to finish, Gemma made the process so much easier. Her attention to detail is excellent, and she was always quick to respond to my endless questions with patience and professionalism. Gemma's strong understanding of the early childhood sector was evident throughout and ensured the licence approval process was handled smoothly and efficiently. Gemma made what could have been a stressful experience feel straightforward and manageable. I highly recommend Gemma for licence approval support.
With the two very helpful and friendly calls I have received since I enquired online for information, I am very happy with the thought of working in this field to provide technical and outdoor garden work for clients potentially moving forward.
Related childcare and early learning resources
Explore the stages of running a kindergarten business.
Starting a long day care service
Planning to open, acquire or take over a long day care service?
Managing long day care compliance
Need support with policies, assessment and rating or a regulatory issue?
