Daycare & ECE in St Albans
14 licensed early childhood services across 3 service types in St Albans, Canterbury.
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 14 licensed services in St Albans.
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 St Albans, by type
Education & Care — 12
BestStart Montessori St Albans
ERO assessed BestStart Montessori St Albans as Not well placed in June 2020. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strong Montessori curriculum delivery and effective whānau partnership (both grade B), but noted that bicultural practice requires further development (grade C), and Te Whāriki incorporation could be expanded. Health and safety systems and leadership were assessed as grade B.
Minerva House
Minerva House is an education and care service in St Albans with 57 children on roll. Our analysis of the ERO report from August 2022 shows the service received a B grade for children's wellbeing, with strong relationships and engagement evident. However, bicultural practice received a C grade, with limited te reo and tikanga integration identified as needing improvement.
St Albans Nest
St Albans Nest is an education and care service in St Albans, Christchurch, with a roll of 50. Our analysis of the ERO report indicates strengths in whānau partnership and health and safety systems (both graded B), with bicultural practice and leadership and governance identified as areas for further development (both graded C).
BestStart Cranford Street
ERO assessed BestStart Cranford Street as Not well placed in June 2018. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strengths in curriculum and learning, children's wellbeing, whānau partnership, and leadership and governance (all grade A), with bicultural practice graded B. The overall placement reflects concerns beyond these individual dimension grades.
Sancta Maria Montessori Preschool (Sherborne)
Our analysis of the ERO report identifies strong support for children's wellbeing and sense of belonging. However, a significant health and safety concern was noted regarding unsecured furniture that poses injury risk, requiring urgent attention.
Montessori STARS
Small World Preschool and Nursery
Small World Preschool and Nursery operates as an education and care service in St Albans with 37 children on roll. Our analysis of the 2023 ERO report identified strengths in children's wellbeing and whānau partnership, with areas for development in leadership and internal evaluation capability.
Learning Curves Montessori Nursery Ltd
Learning Curves Montessori Nursery Ltd is an education and care service for 18 children in St Albans, Christchurch. Our analysis of the ERO report from August 2022 found the service graded B across children's wellbeing, health and safety, and leadership and governance, with positive interactions supporting infant and toddler wellbeing and suitable systems established for health, safety, and monitoring.
Learning Curves Montessori Abberley Park Ltd
Our analysis of the ERO report found the service received a B grade for whānau partnership, with positive relationships and regular opportunities for whānau contribution. Health and safety also received a B grade, with physical and emotional safety systems maintained in compliance with legal requirements.
Forfar Nursery And Preschool
St Albans Community Preschool
St Albans Community Preschool is an education and care service in Christchurch with a current roll of 35 children. Our analysis of the ERO report identified strong parent partnership with good communication and family responsiveness, and legal compliance in health and safety with no concerns noted.
BestStart St Albans
ERO assessed BestStart St Albans as Not well placed in its 2018 review. Our analysis of the ERO report identified bicultural practice as a developing area, with te ao Māori integration noted as requiring greater prominence in the service's approach.
Playcentre — 1
Explore St Albans & Canterbury
Schools in St Albans
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 St Albans?
- There are 14 licensed early childhood services in St Albans, Canterbury: 12 education & care, 1 kindergarten, 1 playcentre. Combined enrolment 605 children.
- Is there childcare near me in St Albans?
- Yes — St Albans has 14 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 St Albans?
- BestStart Cranford Street is the largest licensed centre in St Albans with 100 children enrolled (education & care). See the per-centre listing below for size details on every centre.
- Which centres in St Albans offer 20 Hours ECE?
- 0 of 14 centres (0%) in St Albans 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 St Albans?
- Yes — 1 kindergarten in St Albans. Free Kindergartens typically charge little or nothing for 3-5 year olds because of 20 Hours ECE.
- Which operator chains have centres in St Albans?
- 2 operator chains with centres in St Albans: BestStart Educare (3), KidsFirst Kindergartens (1). Plus 10 independent centres.
- How much does daycare cost in St Albans?
- Costs in St Albans 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/st-albans/ page for the per-age × per-type breakdown.
- What government support is available for childcare in St Albans?
- All 14 licensed centres in St Albans are eligible for the three stackable supports: 20 Hours ECE (universal for 3-5yr olds at 0 participating St Albans 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?
- Full-time childcare costs
- How much does a baby cost per week in NZ?
- A baby typically costs Kiwi parents between NZ$8,000 and NZ$16,000 a year. This comes out to between NZ$153 per week on a medium budget, or NZ$307 a week on a high-spend budget. Parents spend an average of NZ$391 per week on children between the ages of 1 and 3, as the cost of all categories increases.
- How many hours is free daycare NZ?
- Children aged 3, 4, and 5 years old can receive up to 20 hours of free childcare each week. You can use up to 6 hours per day, spread across the week to suit your family. If your child attends more than one centre, you can split the hours between them (up to 20 hours total).
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.