Daycare & ECE in Petone
9 licensed early childhood services across 3 service types in Petone, Wellington.
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 9 licensed services in Petone.
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 Petone, by type
Education & Care — 6
BestStart Petone
ERO assessed BestStart Petone as Not well placed in its 2019 review. Our analysis of the ERO report identified whānau partnership as a strength, with valued relationships and effective communication systems. Bicultural practice was graded as developing, with opportunities to expand te reo Māori use and cultural learning.
Magic Sparks Care and Learning
Magic Sparks Care and Learning is an education and care service in Petone with a roll of 75 children. Our analysis of the 2023 ERO report identifies sound performance across curriculum and learning, health and safety, and leadership and governance, with established systems for professional learning and internal evaluation.
Imagine Childcare
Imagine Childcare is an education and care service in Petone with a current roll of 47 children. An ERO Akarangi review in July 2024 found a play-based curriculum with responsive teaching, though assessment progression requires further development. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strengths in curriculum and learning (grade B), with areas for development in bicultural practice (grade C) and leadership and governance (grade C).
Lollipops Petone
ERO assessed Lollipops Petone as Not well placed in 2018. Our analysis of the ERO report identified sound play-based curriculum and strong whānau partnership (both grade B), alongside embedded te reo and tikanga practice and health and safety compliance above minimum requirements (both grade B). The service was noted as having areas requiring further development in capability and local place-based context.
Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd
Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd is an education and care service in Petone with 20 children on roll. Our analysis of the ERO report shows the service has a well-aligned curriculum with good community connections (grade B), though leadership and governance practices need strengthening, with an internal evaluation framework that is established but not yet fully implemented (grade C).
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Petone
ERO assessed this service as Not well placed in May 2018. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strengths in curriculum responsiveness and children's wellbeing (both grade B), though leadership and governance require further development (grade C). The service was working to strengthen its internal evaluation practices and evidence-based decision-making.
Kindergarten — 2
Petone Kindergarten
ERO assessed Petone Kindergarten as not well placed in its 2015 review. Our analysis of the ERO report found children's wellbeing was graded B, with caring relationships and a welcoming environment in place, though some areas for development were noted.
Petone Beach Kindergarten
ERO assessed this service as Not well placed in their 2015 review. Our analysis of the ERO report found Whānau partnership and Leadership & governance both graded as B, with parents welcomed warmly and their views valued, and leadership effectively managing change.
Explore Petone & Wellington
Schools in Petone
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 Petone?
- There are 9 licensed early childhood services in Petone, Wellington: 6 education & care, 2 kindergarten, 1 te kōhanga reo. Combined enrolment 487 children.
- Is there childcare near me in Petone?
- Yes — Petone has 9 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 Petone?
- Lollipops Petone is the largest licensed centre in Petone with 110 children enrolled (education & care). See the per-centre listing below for size details on every centre.
- Which centres in Petone offer 20 Hours ECE?
- 0 of 9 centres (0%) in Petone 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 Petone?
- Yes — 2 kindergartens in Petone. Free Kindergartens typically charge little or nothing for 3-5 year olds because of 20 Hours ECE.
- Is there a kōhanga reo in Petone?
- Yes — 1 kōhanga reo (te reo Māori medium of instruction) in Petone. Look for the "Kōhanga reo" service type in the listing below.
- Which operator chains have centres in Petone?
- 6 operator chains with centres in Petone: Imagine Childcare (2), BestStart Educare (1), Barnardos New Zealand (1), Lollipops Educare (1), Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust (1). Plus 2 independent centres.
- How much does daycare cost in Petone?
- Costs in Petone 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/petone/ page for the per-age × per-type breakdown.
- What government support is available for childcare in Petone?
- All 9 licensed centres in Petone are eligible for the three stackable supports: 20 Hours ECE (universal for 3-5yr olds at 0 participating Petone 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 does daycare cost NZ?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Petone.
- Who is eligible for 20 hours free ECE?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Petone.
- How much does Winz pay for childcare subsidy?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Petone.
- How much does a child cost per week in NZ?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Petone.
- How many hours is free daycare NZ?
- See the centre listings, methodology, and our FamilyBoost calculator on this page for daycare in Petone.
- 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 Petone.
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.