Stepping Stone

What Stepping Stone does

Stepping Stone (SA) Childcare & Early Development Centres is a privately held, South Australian-owned operator of 26 long-day-care centres serving families with children from birth to school age. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Maylands, South Australia, the company delivers age-segmented early childhood education programmes — Baby Programming (0-2 years), Toddler Programming (2-3 years), and Kindy Room Programming (3-5 years) — using a play-based curriculum aligned with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. Its 14 centres have been selected as Partner Services to deliver the South Australian Government's new 3-year-old preschool programme commencing January 2026, with the remainder of the network also positioned to deliver government-subsidised early learning.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model: families book centre tours and submit enrolment enquiries through the company's website (steppingstonesa.com.au) and are billed weekly for centre-based care. Revenue is generated from childcare fees that are partially subsidised by the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS), with the residual gap fee paid electronically by families. On-site operational differentiators include daily nutritious meals prepared in-centre (covering approximately 50% of children's dietary intake during attendance), purpose-built facilities, sustainability and sun-safety programmes, and a comprehensive safety and security framework. The company has 501-1,000 employees and supports educator development through an embedded mentoring programme, pedagogical mentor support, partnerships with Lisa Burman Consulting and the Be You mental health initiative, and a pre-employment training pipeline via the WorkReady initiative.

Strategically, Stepping Stone has pursued depth in the South Australian market rather than multi-state expansion, combining organic centre rollout with curated ecosystem partnerships (Be You, Lisa Burman Consulting, Child Care Services Training, Renewal SA, and the SA Government 3-year-old preschool programme). The company does not disclose proprietary technology platforms, mobile applications, or AI/ML capabilities, and its competitive positioning rests on physical centre network density, government accreditation, educator pipeline strength, and locally-owned brand recognition within a single Australian state.

Name

Stepping Stone

Legal name

Stepping Stone (SA) Childcare & Early Development Centres

Website

https://steppingstonesa.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stepping Stone (SA) is a privately held South Australian operator of 26 long-day-care centres delivering play-based early childhood education and care to families with children aged 0-5, with 14 centres selected to deliver the SA Government's new 3-year-old preschool programme from January 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB), Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare centre services
• Long day care
• Preschool programs
• Early learning centres

Headquarters

HQ city

Maylands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Childcare Fees: Revenue is generated from childcare fees charged to families for early childhood education and care services at 26 centres across South Australia. Fees are partially subsidised by the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS) programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stepping Stone (SA) operates 26 centre-based childcare and early development facilities across South Australia, providing long day care and age-specific educational programs (Baby Programming for 0-2 years, Toddler Programming for 2-3 years, and Kindy Room Programming for 3-5 years) built on a play-based learning curriculum aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework. Services include on-site nutritious meals, sustainability and sun safety programs, and family enrolment supported by the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

Product overview

Stepping Stone (SA) is a South Australian childcare and early development centre operator offering long day care services across 26 centres. The company provides age-specific educational programs including Baby Programming (0-2 years), Toddler Programming (2-3 years), Kindy Room Programming (3-5 years), and a new 3-Year-Old Preschool Program (selected as Partner Services for the SA Government initiative from January 2026). All programs follow a play-based curriculum aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2, with emphasis on sustainability, nutrition, and family engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baby Programming Early learning program for children aged 0-2 years, providing quality education and care in safe, secure environments that foster natural curiosity and exploration.
• Toddler Programming Early learning program for children aged 2-3 years, offering engaging interactions through planned and spontaneous play in indoor and outdoor environments.
• Kindy Room Programming Early learning program for children aged 3-5 years, providing a diverse curriculum of play-based learning activities designed to prepare children for school readiness.
• 3-Year-Old Preschool Program South Australian Government-funded preschool program delivered at 14 selected Stepping Stone centres, providing subsidised early education for 3-year-old children.
• Long Day Care and Early Development Centres Long day care and early education services operating across 26 centres in South Australia, offering nutritious meals, sustainability practices, and play-based learning curriculum aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children receive 50% of their dietary intake while at the Centre through daily nutritious meals prepared on site

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lisa Burman Consulting in Pedagogical GrowthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2023Associate Consultant Amanda Bartram from Lisa Burman Consulting provides professional development workshops for Educational Leaders, focusing on research and professional inquiry. Topics include the image of the child, open-ended invitations for learning, play theories and play-based pedagogies, connecting research to practice and curriculum decision-making.
• Be YoucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2023Be You is a national mental health in education initiative. Stepping Stone (SA) has made a commitment to Be You, recognising the significance of mental health for the safety, wellbeing and development of children, families and educators. The company has Be You Organisational Leaders and Action Team Leaders focused on developing professional knowledge and practices to foster positive, inclusive and resilient learning communities.
• Child Care Services TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Child Care Services Training and Department of Industry Skills' WorkReady initiative to deliver pre-employment programmes for those seeking careers as childcare educators. The programme allows participants to complete training over a 24-week period, with graduates able to work at Stepping Stone centres.
• Renewal SA / Department for Innovation and SkillsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership through the WorkReady initiative to support pre-employment training programmes for early childhood education careers in Adelaide's northern suburbs.
• SA Government - 3-Year-Old Preschool ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner14 Stepping Stone (SA) centres have been selected as Partner Services to deliver the South Australian Government's new 3-year-old preschool programme, commencing in January 2026. This government partnership enables centres to provide subsidised preschool education for 3-year-old children.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of 400+ childcare centres across Australia under brands including Affinity, Guardian, and Only About Children. Closely comparable multi-age centre model, government-subsidised revenue mix, and listed-operator benchmark for valuation.
• Only About Children: Australian operator of ~70 centres focused on integrated early learning and health/wellbeing programmes. Comparable multi-age centre model and similar premium parent-experience positioning.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early learning operator with ~660 centres nationally. Directly comparable centre-based long day care and kindergarten offering, including government preschool delivery, competing in many of the same SA suburbs as Stepping Stone.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian childcare operator with 70+ centres offering nursery, toddler, and kindergarten programmes. Closely comparable curriculum-led positioning and parent-facing premium fee model.
• Busy Bees Australia: Australian arm of UK-based Busy Bees, operating early learning centres nationally. Direct competitor in long day care and kindergarten with similar EYLF-aligned curriculum.
• Affinity Education: Operates ~190 centres across Australia offering long day care, preschool, and government-funded kindergarten. Directly comparable age-banded programming (nursery through kindergarten) and CCS-funded fee structure.

Emerging players

• Mini Masterminds: NSW-based early learning operator with growing national footprint. Comparable small-to-mid operator profile and curriculum-led positioning, useful as a private peer benchmark.
• Junior Adventures Group: Australia's largest provider of before, after-school, and vacation care. Comparable overlap in Stepping Stone's before/after-school and vacation care lines, useful as a benchmark for that segment.

Regional players

• Bambino's Kindergarten: SA-based childcare and kindergarten operator. Comparable regional competitor offering nursery, preschool, and government-funded kindergarten in the same Adelaide catchment.
• Kids Club Early Learning Centres: SA-headquartered childcare operator with multiple centres across Adelaide. Closest like-for-like local competitor; competes head-to-head with Stepping Stone in several Adelaide suburbs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Stepping Stone