Only About Children

What Only About Children does

Only About Children (OAC) is an Australian private operator of early childhood education and care centres, running 80+ owned-and-operated campuses across Sydney (57+), Melbourne (30+), and Brisbane (8). The company serves families with children aged 0-6 across three age-structured programs — Nursery (0-2), Toddler (2-3), and Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) — unified by its proprietary Grow Curriculum and supplemented with on-campus allied health services, chef-prepared nutrition, and a 2-Year School Readiness Program. Mandarin-immersion streams are offered at 9+ campuses, and all locations are eligible for the federal Child Care Subsidy and state-funded kindergarten in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland.

The technology stack is predominantly third-party and operational rather than proprietary AI: Xplor Home App for parent updates, Storypark for learning-journey documentation, HR21 for HR, and an internal OAC Hub built on SharePoint for staff operations. The company monetises through recurring weekly childcare fees, partially offset by federal CCS and state government funding, delivered via a direct-to-consumer sales motion in which families discover, tour, and enrol through the website, the 138 622 phone line, or in-person campus visits. Marketing leans on parent testimonials (4.6-star verified rating), a News & Views content platform, and a Refer A Friend program offering AUD 1,000 credit per successful referral.

OAC is a privately held entity registered in Victoria (ABN 94 107 666 624) with its support office in St Leonards, NSW. No parent company, investors, funding rounds, management team details, or audited financials are disclosed in the input data, limiting visibility into capital structure, ownership, and revenue.

Name

Only About Children

Legal name

Only About Children

Website

https://oac.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Only About Children is an Australian private operator of 80+ early learning campuses across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, delivering nursery-to-kindergarten programs for children aged 0-6 under its proprietary Grow Curriculum, with embedded allied health, nutrition, and Mandarin-immersion streams, funded via recurring weekly fees and government subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Care

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic/School-Readiness Preschools (EDACABAB), Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Preschool programs
• Kindergarten education
• School readiness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Childcare Fees - Recurring Care: OAC generates revenue through recurring childcare fees charged to families for early learning and kindergarten/preschool services. Fees are ongoing and typically billed per session or per week of care. Revenue is recurring in nature as families maintain ongoing enrolments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Only About Children delivers early childhood education and care for children aged 0–6 years through 80+ owned and operated campuses across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Its core offering consists of age-based programs (Nursery, Toddler, Preschool/Kindergarten) unified by the proprietary Grow Curriculum, complemented by allied health services, on-site nutrition, and a 2 Year School Readiness Program. Families enrol directly and pay recurring weekly fees, with costs offset by the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy.

Product overview

Only About Children operates a multi-campus early childhood education and care platform offering integrated services across over 80 campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The core offering consists of age-based programs (Nursery 0-2 years, Toddler 2-3 years, and Preschool/Kindergarten 3-6 years) unified by the proprietary Grow Curriculum. The platform combines education with health and wellbeing services including allied health support, nutritious food programs, and specialized school readiness preparation. Families can access additional tools including a Child Care Subsidy Calculator and participate in government-funded kindergarten programs where eligible.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursery (0-2 years) Early learning and care program for infants and toddlers aged 0–2 years, providing a safe and nurturing developmental environment within OAC's nursery classrooms.
• Toddler (2-3 years) Early learning program tailored for toddlers aged 2–3 years, emphasising developmental milestones and age-appropriate activities within OAC's Grow Curriculum.
• Preschool & Kindergarten (3-6 years) Preschool and kindergarten programs for children aged 3–6 years, preparing children for primary school through OAC's Grow Curriculum and eligible for Victorian, NSW, and Queensland Government Funding Initiatives.
• Grow Curriculum Proprietary educational curriculum developed by Only About Children, delivering a holistic approach integrating education, health, and wellbeing for children aged 0–6 years, applied throughout each child's day at every campus.
• Health & Wellbeing Services Integrated allied health services accessed at OAC campuses, providing developmental support, speech therapy, and other health services for enrolled children.
• Food & Nutrition Program On-site food and nutrition services providing children with age-appropriate, healthy meals prepared by qualified chefs throughout each day of care.
• 2 Year School Readiness Program Structured program designed to prepare children for primary school through dedicated curriculum components and developmental support starting at age 2.
• Mandarin Language Stream Mandarin language immersion early education program available at nine OAC campuses across Sydney and Melbourne, including Chatswood Railway St, Granville, Hornsby, Rhodes, Turramurra Pentecost Ave, Wahroonga Burdett St, Wahroonga Eastern Rd, Waitara, and Balwyn North.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Xplor Home AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationXplor Home App is used by OAC families to receive updates about their children's daily activities, learning experiences, and care at campus. It is a parent communication and engagement platform integrated into OAC's service delivery.
• StoryparkcoreTechnology or IntegrationStorypark is used by OAC educators to document and share children's learning journeys, development milestones, and experiences with families. It provides a portfolio-style communication platform for early childhood education settings.
• Bright HorizonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced on OAC's website as a 'Work + Family Solutions' partner, suggesting a referral or affiliation relationship for families seeking work-family balance solutions beyond OAC's core early learning services.
• MasterChef Tommy PhamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with MasterChef Tommy Pham for family-friendly recipes and nutrition content, featured on OAC's News & Views platform to promote healthy eating and nutrition awareness for families.
• Dr Preeya Alexander (GP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPractising GP and parenting expert who provides sun safety and parenting advice content for OAC's News & Views platform, lending medical credibility to family health content.
• Dr Kaylene Henderson (Child Psychiatrist)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChild psychiatrist and OAC Parenting Expert who provides advice on managing children with anxiety and social-emotional wellbeing topics through OAC's News & Views platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodstart Early Learning: Largest Australian early learning provider with ~700 centers. Directly comparable to OAC as a multi-campus operator offering nursery, toddler and kindergarten programs with government-subsidised fees across the same geographies.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian early learning operator with ~120+ campuses. Closely comparable to OAC on positioning (premium, curriculum-led, school readiness) and on multi-city footprint across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~400+ childcare centers across Australia under brands including Affinity, Guardian and Only About Children? No - includes Little Seeds, Peppers, Community Kids. Directly comparable multi-campus operator with similar age-cohort programs.
• Affinity Education: ASX-listed operator of ~170 centers across Australia (under G8 Education). Directly competes with OAC in the same age cohorts and geographies with similar government-subsidised fee model.
• Busy Bees Australia (formerly Kidsunlimited): Australian subsidiary of UK-listed Busy Bees Nurseries, operating 80+ centers in Australia. Closely comparable to OAC on size, multi-city footprint and curriculum-led premium positioning.
• Explore & Develop: Premium Australian early learning operator with a smaller multi-campus footprint concentrated in Sydney. Directly comparable to OAC on positioning, age cohorts served, and curriculum emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global leader in employer-sponsored childcare and early learning with ~1,000+ centers. Already referenced as OAC's 'Work + Family Solutions' partner. Comparable on integrated health/nutrition and employer-channel expertise, though operates globally rather than concentrated in Australia.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: US-based operator of ~1,500 early childhood education centers. Comparable on age-based programs (infant through pre-K), proprietary curriculum, and integrated family services, though operates at much larger scale and in a different geography.

Emerging players

• MindChamps Early Learning: Premium early learning operator with smaller Australian footprint. Comparable on curriculum-led positioning and focus on holistic child development, though operates at smaller scale than OAC.

Regional players

• Reggio Emilia Australia / Montessori Schools: Network of independently operated Montessori and Reggio Emilia-inspired early learning centers across Australia. Comparable curriculum-led alternative to OAC's Grow Curriculum for parents seeking specific pedagogical approaches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OacChildcare
• Facebookfacebook.com/OnlyAboutChildren

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Only About Children