How to find the best daycare?

Review the information that your state or territory provides about child care providers on their online child care search or child care consumer education website. This information can help you make informed child care choices.

How much is childcare per hour NZ?

See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for Best by composite.

What is the best childcare company to work for?

Goodstart Early Learning. 3.3. 10000+ employees. ... Camp Australia. 4.0. 1001 to 5000 employees. ... Busy Bees Childcare. 2.9. 10000+ employees. ... The Goddard School. 3.4. 10000+ employees. ... Guardian Childcare & Education. 2.6. 1001 to 5000 employees. ... G8 Education. 2.7. 10000+ employees. ... Junior Adventures

What's the best age to send a child to daycare?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as all children and families are different. However, many experts suggest that the toddler years (around 1-3 years old) can be a beneficial time to start daycare, as children begin to engage more with peers and can benefit from the social environment.

What are red flags in daycare?

See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for Best by composite.

What are the signs of a good daycare?

Here are 10 clear signs that the daycare you are considering is the right choice.

Home · Rankings · Best by composite

Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1) — national top-50

Centres ranked by the v1 composite score — a weighted average of all six ERO dimensions (curriculum 20% · wellbeing 20% · health & safety 20% · leadership 15% · whānau partnership 12.5% · bicultural practice 12.5%) on a 0–100 absolute scale. Centres missing a dimension get the national mean for that dimension as a flagged synthetic placeholder.

4,373 centres eligible nationally. Source: Education Review Office, licensed CC-BY 4.0.

1

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Pūtake Whakatupuranga

Elgin-Gisborne · Gisborne · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

Roll 93
2

Te Kōhanga Reo o Iti Noa

Te Hapara · Gisborne · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

Roll 70
3

BestStart Taradale

Taradale · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 67
4

Te Kōpae Piripono

Bell Block · Taranaki · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

Roll 55
5

Dunsandel Childcare and Preschool Ltd

Burnham Camp · Canterbury · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 44
6

Te Kōhanga Reo o Kororipo

Kerikeri South · Northland · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

Roll 33
7

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Ao Tawarirangi

Oceanic Gisborne Region · Gisborne · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

Roll 18
8

Lollipops Millennium

Ellerslie · Auckland · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 85
9

BestStart Johnstones Road Kindy

Otara · Auckland · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 80
10

BestStart Motutaiko Street

Taupō Central East · Waikato · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 61
11

Edubase Otago/ Southland

Dunedin Central · Otago · Home Based

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 50
12

Wild Things (Four)

Dunedin Central · Otago · Home Based

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 50
13

Pikopiko Clyde Quay Kindergarten

Mount Victoria · Wellington · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh B A H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 30
14

Conductive Education Canterbury Inc

Addington · Canterbury · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 16
15

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Pou Herenga Waka o Te Whakapono

Marewa · Hawke's Bay · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L B

Roll 20
16

BestStart Dannemora

East Tamaki · Auckland · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 105
17

Rainbow Bears Preschool

Henderson · Auckland · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H A L ERO: Not well placed

Roll 50
18

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Tīmatatanga

Manurewa · Auckland · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L

Roll 48
19

Wakari Kindergarten

Wakari · Otago · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 45
20

Paengaroa Free Kindergarten

Rangiuru · Bay of Plenty · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 43
21

Central Kids Kindergartens - Edgecumbe

Edgecumbe · Bay of Plenty · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
22

Central Kids Kindergartens - Paeroa

Paeroa · Waikato · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H A L ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
23

Milverton Kindergarten

Milverton · Manawatū-Whanganui · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
24

Oratia Kindergarten

Oratia · Auckland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
25

Remuera Kindergarten

Remuera · Auckland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
26

Colenso Early Childhood Centre

Marewa · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 38
27

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Kohao o Te Ngira

Hamilton East · Waikato · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 35
28

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Whānau Tahi

Halswell · Canterbury · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 35
29

Kerikeri Playcentre

Riverview · Northland · Playcentre

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 30
30

Te Kōhanga Reo o Rāhui Pōkeka

Huntly West · Waikato · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 30
31

Te Kōhanga Reo o Tarimano

Ngongotahā East · Bay of Plenty · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 30
32

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rongopai o Takapau

Makaretu · Hawke's Bay · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 30
33

Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūraki Ao

Elgin-Gisborne · Gisborne · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H A L

Roll 30
34

Dinsdale Playcentre

Frankton · Waikato · Playcentre

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 25
35

Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa

Rotokawa · Bay of Plenty · Kohanga Reo

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 25
36

Te Kōhanga reo o Kawakawa Mai Tawhiti

East Cape · Gisborne · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

Roll 20
37

BestStart Totara Street

Mountview · Waikato · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 80
38

BestStart Judea

Judea · Bay of Plenty · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 72
39

The Cats Pyjamas Preschool

Rolleston Tauwharekākaho · Canterbury · Education And Care

C A W A Wh B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 70
40

Irmgard Ritchie Kindergarten

Upper Hutt CBD · Wellington · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 42
41

Anchorage Park Kindergarten

Pakuranga · Auckland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
42

Central Kids Kindergartens - Kihikihi

Kihikihi Central · Waikato · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
43

Central Kids Kindergartens - Thames

Thames Central · Waikato · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
44

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham

Burnham Camp · Canterbury · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
45

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Phillipstown

Phillipstown · Canterbury · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
46

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street

Christchurch · Canterbury · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
47

Newfield Kindergarten

Newfield · Southland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
48

Oxford Kindergarten

East Gore · Southland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
49

Parihaka Kindergarten

Parahaki · Northland · Kindergarten

C A W A Wh A B A H L A ERO: Not well placed

Roll 40
50

Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton

Lyttelton · Canterbury · Education And Care

C A W A Wh A B A H L A

Roll 30

Showing top 50 of 4,373 eligible centres. Per-centre pages link to the source ERO review with full attribution.

Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1) by region

Auckland (1406) Canterbury (487) Waikato (481) Wellington (402) Bay of Plenty (352) Manawatū-Whanganui (235) Hawke's Bay (212) Northland (208) Otago (178) Taranaki (107) Southland (83) Gisborne (66) Tasman (46) Marlborough (38) Nelson (37) West Coast (20)

How we score "Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1)"

Composite is the weighted average of present dimensions (A=90, B=70, C=50, D=25). Synthetic-placeholder dimensions are flagged on the centre profile. Cohort suppression at roll<10.

See full methodology and the ERO source row.

Other rankings

Best-rated by ERO Best for under-2s Best kindergartens Best kōhanga reo Best home-based networks Best playcentres Largest centres by current roll Best 20 Hours ECE centres Best for te ao Māori + bicultural practice Best curriculum (ERO) Best for child wellbeing (ERO) Best leadership (ERO)

Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1) — national top-50

Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1) by region

How we score "Best by SchoolsNearMe composite (v1)"

People also ask about best by composite

Other rankings