Guthrie Street Child Care
Our programs

From six weeks to school age.

Programs shaped for how children grow at each age. Bush Kinder is our outdoor kindergarten program, running weekly for children in the kinder age group.

Three children gathered in the fairy-lit reading tent at Guthrie Street Child Care
Explore our programs
Children exploring the bush on a Guthrie Street Bush Kinder excursion

Signature program

Bush Kinder. Outdoors, every week.

Our weekly outdoor program for kindergarten-age children on Yorta Yorta Country. We dress for the conditions and go. It’s how children build resilience, curiosity, and care for place.

See Bush Kinder

Daily session fees from $143 a day before subsidies. Most families pay around $13–$65 a day after the Child Care Subsidy.

See full fees
A child settled into the reading cubby with a picture book at Guthrie

6 weeks to 2 years

Nursery

“What you notice first is how quiet it is.”

A calm space where babies feel safe and known. The same educators each day, small groups, and unhurried routines.

1 educator to every 4 babies.

What matters here

  • Routines led by your baby: eat, sleep, play on their rhythm, not a fixed timetable
  • The same educators every day, so your baby is known by name
  • Daily handover at pickup: feeds, naps, mood, the lot
A toddler riding a tricycle along the path in the Guthrie outdoor play space

2 to 3 years

Toddler

“There will be sand. There will be paint. There will be questions.”

Hands-on play, lots of talking, and small wins that build independence, in a calm, thoughtful space.

1 educator to every 5 toddlers.

What matters here

  • Toilet learning supported at your child's pace, in step with home
  • Indoor–outdoor flow most of the day: sand, water, paint, climbing
  • Plenty of outdoor play in the centre yard each day
Preschool room with paint easels, planted greenery and tables set for art

3 to 5 years

Preschool

“The questions get harder. The answers stay honest.”

Three- to five-year-olds in a hands-on space: small projects, group play, and storytime, building toward kinder.

1 educator to every 11 children.

What matters here

  • Small-group projects, dramatic play, and early literacy
  • Regular outdoor play in the centre yard each week
  • Builds the foundations for the funded Kinder year that follows
Kindergarten room with block shelves, magnetic tiles and a Yorta Yorta-pattern rug

4 to 5 years

Kindergarten

“The year before school, when play starts pointing somewhere.”

The funded kinder year before school, led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher. Eligible families access up to 15 hours a week of funded, teacher-led kinder.

1 educator to every 11 children, led by an Early Childhood Teacher.

What matters here

  • Led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher
  • Kinder Tick approved — eligible 4-year-olds get up to 15 hours a week of funded, teacher-led kinder
  • Built around the Victorian Early Years Learning Framework

Questions parents ask

The bits parents wonder about.

The questions that come up on tours, again and again. About how a day actually goes, not just what it costs.

  • Before your child's first day we typically arrange a couple of short orientation visits. You stay, your child meets their educators, and the room starts to feel familiar. Most families do two or three visits over the week before. There's no fixed formula; we follow your child's pace, not a timetable.

  • Moving from nursery to toddler, or toddler to preschool, doesn't happen in a single day. In the weeks beforehand, your child visits the new room with a familiar educator. Short visits first, then longer ones, then full days. By the time they officially move, the new room is already familiar.

  • Yes. We go out in rain, cold, and mud. That's part of the point. Children are dressed for it: waterproofs and warm layers in winter, sun-safe gear in summer. We cancel only when conditions are genuinely unsafe: extreme heat above the policy threshold, lightning, or code-red fire days.

  • It's normal, and we're trained for it. Your educator will hand your child something familiar, settle them into a calm activity, and message or call you once they've settled, usually within 10 to 15 minutes. You're welcome to ring us any time to check in.

  • When your child is showing readiness signs, we work with you so home and the centre move at the same pace. No pressure. Children get there when they're ready, and we have plenty of spare clothes for the days that don't go to plan.

  • Yes. You're welcome to visit, breastfeed, or drop in any time. A quick call before you come helps us keep the room calm for the other children, but you don't need an appointment to see your own child.

Looking for fees, hours, or enrolment details? See the full FAQ.

Follow along

The everyday at Guthrie.

The team shares small moments from the rooms and the garden on our Facebook page, a window into what your child’s day actually looks like.

Visit our Facebook page

Come and see

The best way to know us is to walk through the door.

Tours run during the week and include a Bush Kinder visit when one is on. Ring us, or book a time online.

03 5821 1711Book a tour
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