What SDN Childrens Services does

SDN Children's Services is a not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care, founded in 1905 as the Sydney Day Nursery Association. It operates 26 long day care and preschool centres across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, serving children from birth to school age through university-trained early childhood teachers delivering play-based programs aligned with Australia's Early Years Learning Framework. Several centres hold ACECQA's 'Exceeding National Quality Standard' rating, and the organisation has expanded modestly through centre takeovers at Glebe (2009), Chippendale (2020), and most recently SDN Bluebell in Gold Creek, Nicholls (ACT, 2026).

Beyond core child care, SDN operates a diversified services portfolio including an autism-specific preschool program (premium-priced at $248/day), NDIS-funded children's therapies (occupational therapy and speech pathology), and government-funded family support programs (Family Preservation, CAPS, PlayLinks). The business operates on a dual revenue model: parent-paid child care fees, partially subsidised through the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy, plus direct government grants from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Daily fees across the network range from $155 to $236, with the autism-specific program at $248/day.

SDN employs between 501 and 1,000 staff and operates with a distributed centre-level management structure under long-tenured directors. Parent communication and documentation are delivered via the third-party Storypark platform, and the organisation maintains a 'Village of Learning' digital content hub supporting marketing and parent engagement. SDN does not operate a for-profit capital structure, with surpluses reinvested into services and centre expansion.

Name

SDN Childrens Services

Legal name

SDN Children's Services

Website

https://sdn.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SDN Children's Services is a not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care, operating 26 centres across NSW and ACT. Founded in 1905, it delivers long day care, preschool, children's therapies, and government-funded family support programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Care

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Long day care
• Preschool programs
• Family support services
• Children's therapies

Headquarters

HQ city

Broadway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Child Care Fees: SDN charges daily fees for early childhood education and care services at their centres. Families pay out-of-pocket fees which are partially subsidized through the Australian government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Fee rates vary by centre and child's age, with additional programs like the Autism Specific Program at higher rates.
2. Government-Funded Family Support Programs: SDN receives funding from government departments (NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Australian Government Department of Social Services) to deliver family support services including Family Preservation and Support, Child and Parenting Support (CAPS), and supported playgroups. These programs are free to eligible families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SDN Children's Services operates 26 long day care and preschool centres across NSW and the ACT, providing early childhood education and care for children from 6 weeks to school age through play-based learning aligned with Australia's Early Years Learning Framework. In addition to core childcare, it delivers children's therapies (occupational therapy, speech pathology, autism-specific preschool programs, often NDIS-funded) and government-funded family support services including Family Preservation, the CAPS parenting program, supported playgroups (PlayLinks), and the Start Strong program, supported by an online Village of Learning resource hub.

Product overview

SDN Children's Services is a not-for-profit early childhood education and care provider founded in 1905, operating more than 26 children's education and care centres throughout NSW and the ACT. The organization offers a multi-service model combining long day care and preschool programs delivered by university-trained early childhood teachers, children's therapies (including autism-specific programs, occupational therapy, and speech pathology), and family support services (playgroups, family preservation, and parenting support programs). The Village of Learning provides online resources for families. The portfolio includes specialized autism-specific preschool programs, NDIS-funded therapy services, and government-funded family support initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Village of Learning: Resources hub to support children's wellbeing, learning and development at home
• SDN PlayLinks
• Child and Parenting Support (CAPS) Program
• Family Preservation and Support Services

Products and services

• Long Day Care and Early Childhood Education Long day care and early childhood education and care for children aged 6 weeks to school age, delivered across 26 centres throughout NSW and ACT using evidence-based play-based learning aligned with Australia's Early Years Learning Framework. Families enrol children directly and pay per-day fees partially subsidised through the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy.
• Preschool Program Play-based preschool program delivered by university-trained early childhood teachers focusing on school readiness and transition to school, aligned with Australia's Early Years Learning Framework. Available at SDN preschool centres across NSW and ACT.
• Children's Therapies Children's therapy services including occupational therapy and speech pathology for children with additional needs, delivered in partnership with the NDIS. Includes the dedicated Autism Specific Preschool Program for children aged 4-5 with a diagnosis.
• Autism Specific Preschool Program Dedicated preschool program for autistic children aged 4-5 years with a diagnosis, providing intensive and targeted support for transition to school. Available at SDN Lois Barker Waterloo and SDN Beranga, delivered 2-4 days per week at $248/day including meals.
• Family Preservation and Support Services Short-term intensive family support program delivered for up to 12-18 months that works with families to strengthen parenting skills, build support networks and keep children safe. Funded by NSW Department of Communities and Justice and offered free to eligible families.
• Child and Parenting Support (CAPS) Program Coaching program that supports caregivers to improve skills and wellbeing for children aged 0-12 years. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and delivered across Canterbury, Parramatta and Inner Sydney regions, free to eligible families.
• SDN PlayLinks Supported Playgroups Weekly supported playgroups for families with children aged 0-5 years, run by trained staff who understand children's development and play-based learning. Includes in-home support for eligible families and runs in Ropes Crossing, Merrylands, Rydalmere, Woolloomooloo, Newtown and Glebe, with an Aboriginal-specific playgroup in Glebe.
• Start Strong Program NSW Government funded program providing additional preschool fee relief for eligible families enrolling in preschool.
• SDN Bluebell Early Learning and Preschool SDN Bluebell is a newly opened early learning and preschool centre located in Gold Creek, Nicholls (ACT), extending SDN's network of 26 NSW and ACT centres with full long day care and preschool services.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NSW Department of Communities and JusticecoreOthersSDN Family Preservation and Support Services is funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. This funding enables SDN to deliver support services to families for up to 12-18 months to strengthen parenting skills and keep children safe.
• Australian Government Department of Social ServicescoreOthersThe SDN Child and Parenting Support (CAPS) program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services to improve wellbeing of children aged 0-12 years through coaching caregivers.
• NSW Department of Communities and Justice - Targeted Earlier Intervention ProgramcoreOthersSDN PlayLinks supported playgroups are funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Targeted Earlier Intervention Program, providing free playgroups for families in Sydney.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early learning operator with ~660 centres. Directly comparable to SDN as the leading NFP long day care provider, serving similar families with the same Early Years Learning Framework curriculum.
• KU Children's Services: Long-standing NFP early childhood education provider in NSW and ACT, founded in 1895. Closely matches SDN on mission, NFP structure, and NSW/ACT geography.
• Only About Children (OAC): Premium Australian early learning and preschool operator with strong inner-city Sydney presence. Directly overlaps SDN on target families, premium positioning, and integrated preschool/health offerings.
• Affinity Education: Australian childcare operator with 200+ centres including the Papilio, Milestones, and Coco Beans brands. Directly comparable on long day care service model and target families.
• Lady Gowrie Child Centre: Federated NFP early childhood provider in Queensland, NSW and Victoria with a long history. Comparable to SDN on NFP status, government-funded programs, and integrated family support services.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian early learning operator with a curated-centre model. Directly comparable to SDN on quality-led positioning and inner-urban locations.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~400+ childcare centres across Australia. Directly competes with SDN in long day care, with a contrasting for-profit/shareholder-return model against SDN's NFP reinvestment approach.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA NSW: Major community-services NFP operating early learning centres, OOSH, and family programs across NSW. Overlaps SDN on NFP structure, multi-service model, and NSW geography, though childcare is one segment of a broader community portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SDNChildrensServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdn-children's-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/sdnchildrensservices
• Xx.com/sdnchildren

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SDN Childrens Services