Daycare & ECE in Leamington
7 licensed early childhood services across 3 service types in Leamington, Waikato.
Composite = our 0–100 ECE quality score (weighted average of six ERO dimensions, normalised within Equity Index band). 20 Hours ECE & ERO coverage are counts of the 7 licensed services in Leamington.
Estimate your costs: our FamilyBoost + Childcare Subsidy calculator stacks 20 Hours ECE, the means-tested Childcare Subsidy, and the IRD FamilyBoost rebate to show net weekly cost.
Services in Leamington, by type
Education & Care — 4
Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge
Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge is an education and care service in Leamington with a current roll of 60 children. Our analysis of the ERO report (May 2023) found whānau partnership at a developing level, with parent voice informally gathered but not yet influencing service decisions.
Little Sparrows Educare (Leamington)
Little Sparrows Educare (Leamington) is an education and care service in the Waipa District. Our analysis of the ERO report identifies whānau partnership as a strength, with regular communication and informal engagement, though some family aspirations are being shared and valued.
BestStart Cambridge
BestStart Cambridge is an education and care service in Leamington with a current roll of 60. Our analysis of the ERO report (February 2021) found the service graded B across all dimensions: curriculum and learning includes a range of inclusive experiences, children's wellbeing shows positive interactions and social competence development, health and safety standards are met, and leadership and governance operate to regulatory standards.
Little Sparrows Preschool
Kindergarten — 2
James Gray Kindergarten
ERO assessed James Gray Kindergarten as Not well placed in its 2018 review. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strengths in curriculum and learning (A grade) and leadership and governance (A grade), though the overall placement indicates significant concerns in other areas of the service's operations.
Leamington Kindergarten
ERO assessed Leamington Kindergarten as Not well placed in October 2017. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strengths across curriculum and learning, children's wellbeing, whānau partnership, and bicultural practice, all graded A.
Playcentre — 1
Explore Leamington & Waikato
Schools in Leamington
When they age out of daycare, check schoolsnearme.co.nz for every NZ school with audited financials + ERO reviews.
Frequently asked
- How many daycare and ECE centres are in Leamington?
- There are 7 licensed early childhood services in Leamington, Waikato: 4 education & care, 2 kindergarten, 1 playcentre. Combined enrolment 325 children.
- Is there childcare near me in Leamington?
- Yes — Leamington has 7 licensed early childhood services, every one of them listed below with its address, service type and 20 Hours ECE status. To rank them by walking or driving distance from your exact address, use our find-by-address radius search.
- What's the largest daycare in Leamington?
- Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge is the largest licensed centre in Leamington with 60 children enrolled (education & care). See the per-centre listing below for size details on every centre.
- Which centres in Leamington offer 20 Hours ECE?
- 0 of 7 centres (0%) in Leamington participate in 20 Hours ECE, which subsidises up to 20 hours/week of care for 3-5 year olds. The 20-Hrs pill on each centre card below shows participation.
- Are there kindergartens in Leamington?
- Yes — 2 kindergartens in Leamington. Free Kindergartens typically charge little or nothing for 3-5 year olds because of 20 Hours ECE.
- Which operator chains have centres in Leamington?
- Only one chain operates in Leamington: BestStart Educare (1 centre). The other 6 centres are independent.
- How much does daycare cost in Leamington?
- Costs in Leamington follow the NZ national pattern: education & care centres typically $280-$360/week for under-2s, dropping to $0-$100/week for 3-5 year olds at 20-Hours-participating centres. Free Kindergartens charge little or nothing for 3-5 year olds. FamilyBoost (25% IRD rebate, $75/week cap) applies on top. See our /cost-of-daycare/leamington/ page for the per-age × per-type breakdown.
- What government support is available for childcare in Leamington?
- All 7 licensed centres in Leamington are eligible for the three stackable supports: 20 Hours ECE (universal for 3-5yr olds at 0 participating Leamington centres), the means-tested Childcare Subsidy from MSD, and FamilyBoost (25% rebate up to $75/week from IRD, phased out from $140k-$180k household income). Use our /familyboost-calculator for your specific net weekly cost.
- How much do daycares cost in NZ?
- Typical Weekly Childcare Costs in New Zealand (Before Subsidies)
- How much does it cost to care for a child per week?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Leamington.
- How many hours is free daycare NZ?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Leamington.
- How much does a baby cost per week in NZ?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Leamington.
Understanding NZ ECE — topic guides
Data sources & freshness (4 sources · last refresh 12 July 2026)
Service type, address, roll, ethnicity, Equity Index, 20 Hours, Takiwā, lat/lng
Annual financial returns (community-based + umbrella orgs)
Per-centre review reports + 6-dimension letter grades (curriculum / wellbeing / whānau / bicultural / health & safety / leadership)
Safety score, crime/1k, 2023 Census demographics
Last build refresh: . See full methodology + data sources pages for licences, refresh cadences, and known gaps.