Catholic Early EdCare

What Catholic Early EdCare does

Catholic Early EdCare is the early childhood education and care arm of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, operating as a directorate of Centacare under the Corporation of Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. The organisation delivers Long Day Care (for children aged six weeks to kindergarten age), Queensland Government-approved Kindergarten programs led by university-qualified early childhood teachers, Outside School Hours Care (before and after school), and Vacation Care. As a not-for-profit Catholic provider, it operates 134-135 services across South East Queensland, from Hervey Bay in the north to Gatton in the west and down to the Gold Coast, with many co-located with Brisbane Catholic Education primary schools.

The organisation's technology stack is light: it uses Xplor child management software for parent communication and operational management, and JobAdder for recruitment, with no proprietary platforms disclosed. Programs follow the Early Years Learning Framework and Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines, supplemented by differentiating features such as Bush Kindy (nature-based outdoor learning across most kindergarten services) and intergenerational programs. Safeguarding compliance includes the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.

Revenue mechanics rely on three streams: Australian Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments per enrolled family, Queensland Government Kindergarten Funding passed through as fee reductions (effective from 1 January 2023), and parent co-payments covering the gap between subsidies and actual fees. From January 2026, the federal 3-Day Guarantee entitles CCS-eligible families to at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Marketing is direct-to-consumer via the company website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, and community events embedded in parish and school networks. The go-to-market emphasises centre tours, faith-based values alignment, and word-of-mouth within Catholic school communities.

Name

Catholic Early EdCare

Legal name

The Corporation of the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane

Website

https://catholicearlyedcare.qld.edu.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Catholic Early EdCare is a not-for-profit early childhood education provider operating 134-135 long day care, kindergarten, and outside school hours care services across South East Queensland, serving families within the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Care

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL), Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Half-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAC)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Long day care
• Outside school hours care
• Kindergarten programs
• Faith-based childcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Child Care Subsidy (CCS): Catholic Early EdCare is an approved child care provider under the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy scheme. Families receive government subsidies based on combined family income, child care fees charged, and work/study hours. From January 2026, the 3-Day Guarantee ensures CCS-eligible families receive at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.
2. Queensland Government Kindergarten Funding: On 1 January 2023, Queensland Government introduced new funding for kindergarten programs. Funding is provided directly to Catholic Early EdCare services and passed on to eligible families as financial adjustments reducing out-of-pocket costs.
3. Parent Co-payments: As a not-for-profit organisation, Catholic Early EdCare keeps fees as low as possible while providing affordable quality childcare. Families pay the difference between subsidies and actual fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Catholic Early EdCare operates long day care, Queensland Government-approved kindergarten, outside school hours care (before/after school and vacation care), and Bush Kindy nature-based programs across 134-135 service locations in South East Queensland. The organisation delivers play-based early learning for children from six weeks to 12 years under a not-for-profit, faith-based model, with most services co-located with Brisbane Catholic Education primary schools and parishes.

Product overview

Catholic Early EdCare is the early education provider of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, offering a unified portfolio of early childhood education and care services. The organisation operates 134 long day care, kindergarten, and outside school hours care services across South East Queensland. The core service offerings include Long Day Care (for children from six weeks to kindergarten age), Kindergarten (Queensland Government-approved programs with university-qualified teachers), Outside School Hours Care (before/after school care), and Vacation Care. Additional program features include Bush Kindy (nature-based outdoor learning). Services operate under the not-for-profit Catholic values framework, integrated with Brisbane Catholic Education schools and parish communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long Day Care Long Day Care is Catholic Early EdCare's core early education and care service for children from six weeks old through to kindergarten age, offering safe, nurturing, inclusive environments with play-based learning programs delivered by qualified educators. Services operate across 134+ locations in South East Queensland, co-located with Brisbane Catholic Education schools where applicable.
• Kindergarten Kindergarten is a Queensland Government-approved program run by university-qualified early childhood teachers, offered as stand-alone sessional kindergartens or within long day care services. Children must turn four by 30 June to be eligible, and Queensland Government funding is provided directly to services to reduce family out-of-pocket costs.
• Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) Outside School Hours Care provides before school and after school care for primary school-aged children, co-located with Brisbane Catholic Education schools and supporting social skills development and extended learning in a safe and supportive environment. More than 31,000 children are supported annually through OSHC services.
• Vacation Care Vacation Care provides school holiday programs with fun, engaging and enriching experiences for primary school-aged children, including incursions, hands-on activities, creative workshops, outdoor play, excursions and in-service days. Operated at 112+ locations across South East Queensland, attracting families even from schools outside the regular OSHC network.
• Bush Kindy Bush Kindy is a nature-based outdoor learning program delivered across most Catholic Early EdCare kindergarten services, providing hands-on experiences in bushland, gardens and local outdoor spaces to build children's respect for the environment and support exploration and discovery-based learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,000+ children supported annually through OSHC services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Archdiocese of BrisbanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic Early EdCare is the early education provider of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. Services operate under the Archdiocese's governance and share Catholic values and mission. The Archdiocese has zero tolerance for all forms of abuse and is committed to safeguarding everyone involved in its activities.
• CentacarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic Early EdCare is a Directorate of Centacare under the Corporation of Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. Centacare provides operational support and governance for early childhood education services.
• Brisbane Catholic EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany Catholic Early EdCare services are co-located with Brisbane Catholic Education schools. Services are integral parts of local communities where children participate in school and parish events and activities. OSHC services are delivered at 113 Brisbane Catholic Education schools.
• XavierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXavier is an agency of the Archdiocese of Brisbane that supports children with complex disabilities and developmental delays. They provide occupational therapy and speech pathology services to help build confidence, inclusion and positive mealtime experiences for children with sensory needs.
• STOPlineminorOthersIndependent external reporting service for safeguarding concerns. Reports about abuse, harm and serious misconduct can be made anonymously by phone, email or online.
• Services AustraliaminorOthersAustralian Government agency managing Child Care Subsidy assessments. Families complete CCS assessments through Services Australia to determine eligibility and subsidy amounts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Petit ELJ: Brisbane-based boutique long day care operator with a small network of centres in SEQ; comparable as a regional, family-focused LDC provider competing for the same SEQ enrolment pool.

Direct peers

• Only About Children: Premium-tier childcare operator with campuses across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; directly comparable as an urban long day care provider targeting professional families with a multi-site, CCS-funded model.
• KU Children's Services: Australia's oldest NFP early childhood provider operating across NSW, ACT and Victoria; comparable as a not-for-profit, mission-driven ECE operator reliant on government subsidies and offering preschool/kindergarten services.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early learning provider with ~670 centres; directly comparable to Catholic Early EdCare as a similarly structured NFP delivering LDC, kindergarten and OSHC with comparable government-subsidy reliance.
• Affinity Education Group: For-profit operator of ~190 centres including Milestones Early Learning and Kids Academy; directly competes in the SEQ long day care market with a similar multi-site operating model and CCS-funded revenue stream.
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian long day care operator with ~70 centres; comparable as a multi-site provider offering LDC and kindergarten programs targeting professional families in metropolitan catchments overlapping SEQ.
• C&K (The Creche and Kindergarten Association): Queensland's largest NFP kindergarten and early childhood provider with ~350 services; directly comparable as a not-for-profit, Queensland-anchored provider of kindergarten and sessional care funded by the same state government program.

Emerging players

• YMCA Queensland: Not-for-profit community organisation delivering OSHC, vacation care and kindergarten across SEQ; directly comparable as a faith/community-adjacent NFP competing for the same OSHC contracts at Queensland schools.

Broad incumbents

• Busy Bees Australia: Subsidiary of UK-listed Busy Bees Group operating ~80 centres in Australia; an established incumbent offering similar long day care and kindergarten services with access to global capital and curriculum resources.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~430 centres across multiple brands (Little Learners, Guardian, Only About Children); a broad incumbent in the same SEQ ECE market with a for-profit capital structure that contrasts with CEEC's NFP model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZjHnszK7DKpk0NiTO0epYA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatholicEarlyEdCare
• Instagraminstagram.com/catholicearlyedcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-early-edcare

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Catholic Early EdCare