What Big Fat Smile does

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit, community-governed provider of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services operating across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, South Western Sydney and adjacent regions of New South Wales, Australia. Its portfolio spans 42 sites organised across four service formats: 18 Early Learning centres delivering long day care and preschool programs, 10 Community Preschools operating under a partnership model with local schools and councils, 10 Fun Clubs providing vacation and out-of-school hours care, and additional OSHC services. The organisation employs 600+ early childhood educators and serves infants through primary-school-age children, with programs anchored by a proprietary Educational Framework and supported by an Artspace program, Master Classes, Bush Kindy and cooking programs, plus a dedicated Pedagogical Thinker in Residence (Michele Peden) role.

The operating model combines direct-to-family delivery with government-subsidised access: families enrol their children and pay gap fees net of the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy, while preschool-aged children access programs under the NSW Department of Education's Start Strong funding program. Revenue therefore flows from three principal streams - parent fees (after CCS rebates), NSW Start Strong preschool funding, and other government grants - with pricing set on a per-service/per-day basis consistent with sector benchmarks. Customer acquisition is primarily direct via local-area brand reputation, school and council partnerships, and community referral rather than paid marketing channels.

Strategically, Big Fat Smile is currently undergoing its most significant transformation since founding, with a merger announced with Goodstart Early Learning (one of Australia's largest ECEC operators), ongoing geographic expansion into growth corridors such as Wilton, Stanwell Park and Goulburn, a new Chief Executive (Kim Bertino) installed in 2024, a workforce-pipeline partnership with the University of Wollongong, and a 2025-2027 Child Safe Framework implementation aligned to the National Child Safe Standards. The dual structure of community-preschool heritage and commercial-format expansion sets up the organisation for both scale-driven cost advantages and reputational differentiation through not-for-profit governance.

Name

Big Fat Smile

Legal name

Big Fat Smile Group Ltd

Website

https://bigfatsmile.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit early childhood education and care provider operating 42 centres across NSW (Early Learning, Community Preschools, Fun Clubs and OSHC), serving infants through primary-school-age children on a fee-for-service basis supplemented by federal Child Care Subsidy and NSW Start Strong funding.

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), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Nursery School Wraparound Care (Extended Hours) (EDACACAG)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Long daycare services
• Community preschools
• Outside school hours care
• Childhood inclusion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Corrimal

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Early Education and Care Fees: Fee-for-service model where families pay gap fees after Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is applied. Services include long daycare, term preschool, and Fun Club (before/after school care and vacation care).
2. Government Subsidies: Australian Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) provides subsidised care for eligible families. Additional NSW Government Start Strong funding reduces daily fees for children aged 3-5 years at community preschools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care in New South Wales, operating 42 centres including Early Learning services, Community Preschools, and Fun Clubs. It delivers long daycare and preschool for children aged 0-5, before/after school and vacation care for children 5-12, plus inclusion and creative arts programs.

Product overview

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit, sector-leading provider of early education and care services in NSW, operating a multi-service portfolio. The organization offers: Early Learning and Care/Long Daycare (18 services) and Community Preschools (10 locations) for children aged 0-5 years; Fun Clubs (10 locations) providing before/after school care and vacation care for children aged 5-12; Include Me inclusion programs; free Playgroups for families with children 0-5; Transition to School support; and Children and Parenting Support (CAPS). Additional offerings include the @Home online learning platform, Artspace Studio creative arts program, and Artist-in-Residence Program. Supporting frameworks include the Educational Framework (developed by Dr Michele Peden) and Child Safe Framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Include Me: Inclusion program delivering services to families and educators to ensure children are given the best possible start to life, including programs for children with different abilities and developmental needs.
• Fun Club
• Artspace
• @Home with Big Fat Smile

Products and services

• Early Learning and Care (Long Daycare) Long daycare services for children aged 0-5 years, providing full-day or part-day care with educational programs, meals, and nappy provision.
• Community Preschools Term or long daycare preschool services for children 0-5 years, operated across 18 Early Learning services and 10 Community Preschools in NSW, focusing on educational excellence and school readiness.
• Fun Clubs Before and after school care and school holiday care programs for children aged 5-12 years, offering creative curriculum including drama, cooking, arts and crafts, photography, and dance activities across 10 Fun Clubs.
• Include Me Inclusion program delivering specialised services to families and educators to ensure children with different abilities and developmental needs receive the best possible start, with dedicated playgroups available.
• Playgroups Free community playgroups for families with children aged 0-5 years, offering welcoming spaces for children to play and parents to connect, with early childhood experts available.
• Transition to School Support services for children transitioning to school, providing practical support, community events, information, and access to current research for families.
• Children and Parenting Support (CAPS) Australian Government initiative supporting families with young children aged 0-12 years living in the Wollongong region.
• @Home with Big Fat Smile Online home learning platform providing families with digital resources and activities for children's learning at home.
• Artspace Studio Creative arts program established in 2008 bringing children into a world of imagination and discovery through a Reggio-inspired approach, working alongside practicing qualified artists.
• Artist-in-Residence Program Program where professionally trained visual artists and musicians inspire children through art, music and creativity, supporting children to become confident, curious, lifelong creative thinkers.
• Pre-Employment Program A fee-free program in collaboration with ECTARC, the Department of Education and the Illawarra YES program, offering three units in Workplace Health and Safety, Food Safety and First Aid, with work experience opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 centres serving communities across NSW
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Wollongong (UOW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2024Partnership for Bachelor of Education - Early Years (Accelerated Pathway Program) supporting diploma-qualified early childhood educators to advance careers. Two Big Fat Smile employees (Tracey Pike and Dimi Perras) participated in the program and met with Minister of Early Childhood Education. UOW provides lecturers, tutors, and mentors from the sector.
• Ladder Education Group (China)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019International Cultural Exchange program between Big Fat Smile in Australia and Yangzhou Ladder Education in China for early years education. Students and teachers interact in real time as part of cultural exchange initiative.
• Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Big Fat Smile was part of ELACCA launch event for Launch into Learning campaign, supporting early childhood education awareness and advocacy.
• NatureForAllminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Big Fat Smile joined the inaugural #NatureForAll Australia Forum in Sydney Harbour National Park, connecting with 25+ organisations to promote nature-based learning.
• Early Start (University of Wollongong)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Major partner of Early Start Conference 2017 with theme 'Helping Children Flourish and Realise Their Potential: Translating Research for Policy, Practice and Community'. Two Big Fat Smile educators presented posters at the conference.
• The Hunger ProjectminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Big Fat Smile supported SAVVY SURVIVOR fitness challenge to raise funds for The Hunger Project initiative which aims to break the cycle of poverty.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SDN Children's Services: Non-profit operator of 20+ children's centres across NSW, ACT, and Victoria. Mission-aligned peer focused on quality early childhood education and inclusion for children with diverse needs.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~400+ childcare centres (including Affinity, Guardian, Nurcery brands). Comparable long-daycare and preschool services across Australia; for-profit listed peer competing in same subsidy-driven market.
• Only About Children: Premium long-daycare, preschool, and OOSH operator with campuses across Sydney and Melbourne. Directly comparable integrated 0-12 years service model targeting working professional families in NSW.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium long-daycare and preschool operator with 70+ centres nationally. Comparable early learning services for 0-5 years with a focus on educational quality and curriculum; competes in the same NSW metro/regional catchments.
• YMCA NSW: Major community-purpose operator providing OOSH, vacation care, and early learning across NSW. Comparable not-for-profit ethos, before/after school care (Fun Club-equivalent) offerings, and regional NSW footprint.
• Affinity Education Group: Operates ~200+ centres under Milestones, Papilio, Kids Academy and Affinity brands. Directly comparable long-daycare operator competing for the same NSW/ACT families with similar government-subsidy revenue model.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest non-profit early learning provider with ~670 centres. Announced merger partner of Big Fat Smile; directly comparable not-for-profit ECEC operator with similar government-subsidy-driven model and multi-site footprint.
• KU Children's Services: Non-profit operator of ~130 preschools, long daycares and OOSH services, especially in NSW and ACT. Closest mission-aligned not-for-profit peer with similar community-preschool positioning and government-subsidy reliance.
• Lady Gowrie Child Centre: Community-based non-profit ECEC operator across QLD, NSW, and Tasmania with integrated inclusion support. Comparable not-for-profit positioning, inclusion programs, and government-subsidy-driven model.

Emerging players

• Good Shepherd Early Learning Centre: Smaller community-organization ECEC operator. Comparable community-preschool and subsidized-care model, though at smaller scale than Big Fat Smile; useful as a regional benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BigFatSmileCommunityPrograms
• Xx.com/big_fat_smile

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Big Fat Smile