Imagine Early Learning & Childcare

What Imagine Early Learning & Childcare does

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare is a privately held, family-owned early childhood education and care provider operating six purpose-built childcare centres across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1996, the company serves children aged six weeks to five years through age-segmented programs — Baby Childcare (0-2 years), Toddler (2-3 years), and Pre-School (3-5 years) — supported by a Positive Transitions to School readiness program and a Nature Based Play curriculum. Operations are delivered in compliance with the Australian Education and Care Services National Regulations and the National Quality Standard, with each centre architect-designed around age-specific wings, dedicated outdoor environments, and on-site meal preparation aligned with Australian Dietary Guidelines.

The service offering is delivered entirely through physical centres rather than digital channels. Family communication is handled via the OWNA app, a CCSS-approved third-party platform integrated network-wide for real-time updates, photos, daily reports, and two-way messaging; OWNA is used rather than developed in-house. The broader technology stack is non-proprietary and not described as AI-enabled — there are no APIs, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no proprietary data assets. Customer engagement is supported by an active presence on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and by community initiatives including Transition to School evenings and partnerships with local causes.

Revenue is generated through weekly long day care fees paid by families, supplemented by the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the NSW Government Preschool Fee Relief program introduced in 2023. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by centre, age cohort, days booked, and subsidy eligibility, with families directed to Centre Directors for personalized quotes. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on a website-driven enquiry pipeline, centre tours, waitlist enrollment, and word-of-mouth referrals within local communities; the customer base is entirely individual families, with no B2B or institutional contracts.

Name

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare

Legal name

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare

Website

https://imaginechildcare.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare is a family-owned operator of six purpose-built childcare centres across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, NSW, serving children aged six weeks to five years through age-segmented, play-based early learning programs under the Australian National Quality Standard.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Long day care
• Preschool programs
• Childcare services
• School readiness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Valentine

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Long Day Care Fees: Revenue is generated through fees charged to families for childcare services. Fees vary by centre, number of days in care, child's age, and eligibility for government subsidies. The primary revenue stream is daily/weekly childcare fees paid by families.
2. Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS): Australian Government subsidy that reduces out-of-pocket costs for eligible families. The company receives CCS payments which supplement family fees.
3. NSW Government Preschool Fee Relief: Starting in 2023, the NSW Government provides fee relief funding for families with children attending preschool in a long day care setting, applied as a weekly reduction to gap fees after CCS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare operates six purpose-built long day care centres across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, providing play-based early childhood education and care for children aged six weeks to five years. The core offering consists of three age-segmented programs (Baby Childcare 0–2 years, Toddler 2–3 years, Pre-School 3–5 years) delivered under the National Quality Standard, supplemented by a Positive Transitions to School readiness program, a Nature Based Play program, on-site meals aligned with Australian Dietary Guidelines, and the OWNA parent communication app.

Product overview

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare is a multi-location early childhood education and childcare provider operating 6 purpose-built centres across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie (Garden Suburb, Mayfield, Merewether Heights, The Junction, Toronto, Valentine), serving children from six weeks to school age. The core offering consists of age-specific play-based learning programs spanning Baby Childcare (0–2 years), Toddler Program (2–3 years), and Pre-School Program (3–5 years), all delivered under the National Quality Standard. Supporting programs include a Positive Transitions to School readiness program, a Nature Based Play program leveraging each centre's outdoor environments, and an on-site Meals and Nutrition service aligned with Australian Dietary Guidelines. Parent engagement is facilitated through the OWNA communication app. The centres operate on varying schedules (approximately 6:30 am–6 pm weekdays) and collectively cater to children aged 6 weeks to 5 years, with the Valentine centre serving children aged 2–5 years specifically.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baby Childcare Program (0–2 years)

Quantifiable outcome

• High family satisfaction evidenced by extensive testimonials and social media engagement (548 Instagram posts, 869 followers)

Named customers4 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OWNAcoreTechnology or IntegrationOWNA is a CCSS-approved parent communication app used across all Imagine Early Learning & Childcare centres. It provides real-time access to children's data, images, videos, daily reports, event calendars, and two-way communication between families and educators.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Explore & Develop: Australian boutique long day care operator with centres in NSW and other states. Comparable scale (~6–10 centres) and positioning to Imagine, with a play-based, university-teacher-led curriculum.
• Only About Children: Premium Australian childcare and early learning provider (now part of G8 Education). Targets an identical working-family demographic with a research-based curriculum and dedicated parent app, mirroring Imagine's positioning in the 0–5 long day care sector.
• Affinity Education: Privately held operator of ~200+ childcare centres across Australia under the Milestone Early Learning, Papilio, and Kids Inn brands. Operates long day care centres for children 0–5 in NSW and similar demographic catchments, making it a direct Australian regional competitor.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian early learning operator with 70+ centres. Competes directly with Imagine in the premium, university-qualified-teacher segment, offering long day care and preschool programs with strong parent communication platforms.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~430+ childcare centres across Australia under brands including Little Scholars, Only About Children, and Nido Early School. Closest listed peer; competes for families seeking premium early learning with university-qualified teachers.
• Busy Bees Australia: Australian arm of the UK's largest childcare operator, with ~80+ centres across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA. Direct competitor in long day care with university-qualified educators and similar fee positioning in Australian suburban catchments.
• Petit ELJ: Australian premium early learning operator with centres across NSW and other east coast regions. Comparable operating model—purpose-built centres, nature-inspired play environments, uni-qualified teachers—and directly competes for families in similar Sydney/wider NSW catchments.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest non-profit early learning provider with ~670+ centres nationwide. Direct competitor in long day care for children 0–5, with similar play-based curriculum and CCS-funded fee structure, though operating at vastly greater scale than Imagine.

Regional players

• Kids Club Early Learning Centres: Independent Australian childcare operator with multiple centres in Queensland and NSW. Similar long day care, 0–5 age focus and play-based curriculum, operating in adjacent but overlapping geographies to Imagine.

Others

• OWNA: CCSS-approved parent communication app provider and Imagine's core technology partner. Included as an ecosystem/ad enabler rather than a competitor — it supplies the family engagement platform Imagine uses across all centres.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1YhXx6HFYbNG9EPdpANHjQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/imagine.elc.australia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imagine-early-learning-&-childcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/imagine.earlylearning

Compliance2 records

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 Imagine Early Learning & Childcare