Child and Family Health Centres
Free government service for medicare card
holders providing early development checks,
support and advice from newborn to 5 years.
Cremorne: 9953 7042, Crows Nest: 9926 5990
Immunisation
Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective
way of protecting your child from life
threatening diseases. Your child must be up to
date with vaccinations to qualify for CCS and
other Government rebates. Your doctor can
provide immunisations and some Councils
provide free monthly clinics.
www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation
Family Support Services
A list of family support services can be
accessed via the North Sydney Children’s
Services Guide using this link or access it via
the Community Directory:
www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/communitydirectory
Services for Children with
Additional Needs
Access via the North Sydney Children’s
Services Guide using this link or via the online
Community Directory:
www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/communitydirectory
For information regarding the NDIS go to:
www.ndis.gov.au
Library Services
Stanton Library has a children’s section on the
lower level and offers many free activities for
young children, including storytelling, school
Children’s
Services in
holiday activities, children’s exhibitions and
themed events: www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/kidzone
Financial Assistance
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps with the cost North Sydney
of approved child care registered services. It is
paid directly to your childcare provider to help (0 - 5 years)
lower the fees you have to pay. To find out your
eligibility complete an online Child Care Subsidy
Assessment via your Centrelink online account
at: https://my.gov.au. For more information, call the
Centrelink Families and Parents line on 13 61 50 or
for a full list of payments and services:
www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services
Translating and Interpreting Service
(TIS) 13 14 50. Ask for an interpreter in your
language to contact North Sydney Council on
9936 8100. This is a free service, for information
regarding Council provided services only.
Edited June 2022.
If you detect an error or have any comments email:
communityinformation@northsydney.nsw.gov.au or
9936 8100 and ask for the Community Information
www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/children
Officer. For an electronic version of this brochure or to
North Sydney Council
access in another language, go to: Website: www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au
www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/children Email: council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
Telephone: 9936 8100
PO Box 12, North Sydney NSW 2059
200 Miller Street, North Sydney
North Sydney Children’s
Services Guide Online
The North Sydney Children’s Services Guide is
now fully online as part of the North Sydney
online Community Directory. This easy to use
guide includes all North Sydney childcare services
as well as playgroups, childhood health centres,
family support services, services for children with
additional needs and details of places to visit and
things to do with young children in North Sydney.
Click on this link to access it via the Children’s
Services page of the North Sydney council
website: www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/children
Choosing a Childcare Centre
All childcare services must provide safe and
appropriate care and an educational environment
for children as outlined in the National Quality
Framework (NQF). Regulations cover areas such
as staff qualifications, the ratio of staff to children,
physical requirements of building spaces and
equipment, health and safety and administrative
requirements. For further details of NQF go to:
www.acecqa.gov.au
For further advice on choosing the service that
best meets your and your child’s needs and for
other parenting and childcare tips, a great place
to start is: www.startingblocks.gov.au
To search for childcare services go to:
www.childcarefinder.gov.au
Long Day Care
Long Day Care Centres provide full or part-time
care for children aged 0 - 5 years. Long Day
Care is primarily used by families with parents
working or studying. Centres are available to
provide care for at least 8 continuous hours on
each normal working day, for at least 48 weeks
in a year. They provide flexible, quality care and
offer a fun developmental and educational
program appropriate for each child. Some
centres offer a preschool program for children
aged 3 - 5 years. To be eligible to receive CCS
funding for parents, long day care centres must
participate in the NQF (see previous section).
Preschools/Kindergartens
Like long day care centres, preschools offer an
opportunity for children to play and learn with
their peers before they start school. However, the
difference is that care is generally only available
for children aged 3 - 5 years, during school
hours in school terms and there are usually fixed
attendance times. Preschools are governed by
State Government Legislation. Note that many
long day care centres (please see previous
section) also offer a preschool program for 3 - 5
year olds, with the advantage of longer hours.
Vacation and Occasional Care
There is limited care available for the 0 - 5 age
group, check the online North Sydney Children’s
Services Guide for more information.
Family Day Care
Family Day Care, being home-based care, is
a flexible alternative to childcare centres. A
network of carefully selected, experienced
educators, provide care for a small group of up
to 4 children under 5, in their home. The service
predominately caters for children 0 - 5, but
before and after school care may be provided.
Hours are usually 8am - 6pm, but may vary.
www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/familydaycare
Before and After School Care
As children reach school age and especially if
they have been in long day care, parents with
work or study commitments may need to
consider before and after school care. There are
often waiting lists, so it is important to apply
early. Centres operate under Government
guidelines and provide quality care with trained
staff in an informal, supervised atmosphere. The
Childcare Subsidy (CCS) is available to eligible
families at most centres.
Playgroups
Playgroups offer an opportunity for children
aged 0 - 5 years to meet, play and learn with
other children and a chance for parents and
carers to mix with others. Playgroups are run
by volunteer parents through the Playgroup
Association of NSW: 9632 8577 or
www.playgroupnsw.org.au