Childcare Advertising in 2026: Which Channels Actually Bring Enrolments

Most childcare centre owners don't have a "should we advertise?" problem. They have a "where do we put the money?" problem. Google, Facebook, Instagram, letterbox drops, local papers, school newsletters: every channel promises families, and the budget only stretches so far.

This guide compares the main childcare advertising channels for Australian centres in plain terms: what each one is good at, when it tends to fall flat, and the rules you need to stay inside. Where we've written a deeper guide on a channel, we link to it so you can go further. If you'd rather have someone run the whole thing, that's what our childcare marketing services are for.

First, match the channel to where the parent is

Parents looking for care are not all at the same point. Roughly, they fall into two groups:

• Searching now. They need care soon, often for a set start date, and they're typing searches like "childcare near me" or "daycare [suburb]". They're comparing a shortlist.

• Not searching yet. They're expecting, on parental leave or thinking about going back to work next year. They aren't looking, but they will be.

Search channels (Google Ads, Google Maps, Starting Blocks) catch the first group. Social and local channels (Facebook, Instagram, community) reach the second group before they start searching. Most centres need a bit of both, but which one leads depends on how urgent your vacancies are.

Channel 1: Google Ads (search)

Google Ads puts your centre at the top of results when a parent searches for care in your area. Because the parent is already looking, it's usually the fastest way to turn a budget into enquiries.

Best for: filling specific vacancies soon, especially in a busy area where your centre doesn't yet show up well in the free results.

Watch out for: searches that waste money (jobs, courses, "free" care) and targeting too wide an area. Google lets you target set areas or a radius around a location (Google Ads Help), so draw that around where your families actually come from, not the whole city.

Our guide to Google Ads for childcare centres covers keywords, negative keywords, catchment targeting and budgets step by step.

Channel 2: Facebook and Instagram ads

Meta ads reach parents in your catchment who aren't searching yet. They work well for building familiarity, promoting tours or open days, and reminding families who've visited your website.

Best for: future intakes, new centres that need to get known, and rooms you can fill with a bit of lead time.

Watch out for: stock photos (parents can tell), using photos of children without written consent, and sending clicks to a generic home page. Before you start, look up what nearby centres are running in Meta's free Ad Library.

Our Facebook and Instagram ads playbook for childcare centres walks through campaign goals, catchment targeting, creative and follow-up.

Channel 3: Google Maps and local search (free, but not effortless)

Strictly speaking this isn't advertising, but for many centres it brings in more enquiries than any paid channel. When a parent searches "childcare near me", the map results and your Google Business Profile are often the first things they see.

Best for: every centre. It's the foundation your paid ads sit on, because parents often check your profile and reviews after clicking an ad.

Watch out for: an out-of-date profile, old photos and unanswered reviews. Start with our Google Business Profile checklist for childcare centres, then our guides to local SEO for childcare centres and getting more Google reviews the right way.

Channel 4: Starting Blocks

Starting Blocks is the Australian Government's free site where families find and compare services, including fees and vacancies. It isn't paid advertising, but it's one of the places parents look.

Best for: making sure families comparing services can see that you have places.

Watch out for: stale vacancy information. Fees and vacancies come from what you enter in the CCS Provider Entry Point, vacancies are entered by age group, and updates can take 24 to 48 hours to show (Starting Blocks). Make updating it part of your weekly routine.

Channel 5: Local and community advertising

Letterbox drops, local papers, school and playgroup newsletters, sponsorships and signage. These are harder to track, but they build the kind of local recognition that makes a parent click your ad or pick you from the map later.

Best for: centres with a strong local identity, new centres and areas with lots of young families moving in.

Watch out for: spending without any way to tell what worked. Use a separate phone number, a short web address or a QR code that goes to a dedicated page, and ask every family "how did you hear about us?" at enquiry.

Where every channel should send parents

An ad only gets a parent to your door. What they find next decides whether they book. Before you spend more on any channel, check:

• A clear landing page with your suburb, ages, hours, how fees work and one obvious way to book a tour.

• A look inside. A virtual tour lets a parent see your rooms and yard before they visit. Our post on childcare virtual tours explains how to use one.

• Fast follow-up. An enquiry that waits days for a reply is often lost. Our guide to turning enquiries into enrolments covers the follow-up process.

Stay inside the advertising rules

Childcare advertising has extra rules on top of the usual ones.

The Department of Education bans inducements that are financial or not directly related to the quality or delivery of care. Its examples include cash, vouchers or gift cards, tablets and other devices, and other gifts or giveaways. This can include offers to families already enrolled if they're likely to encourage another family to enrol, so be careful with referral rewards. You can still advertise discounted or free care (reporting discounts correctly if Child Care Subsidy is claimed), offer free site visits or trial periods, and give marketing merchandise worth up to $30 per complying written arrangement (Department of Education).

The ACCC's general rules apply too: claims must be true, accurate and able to be proven, and the Australian Consumer Law applies to social media ads the same way as any other ad (ACCC). So skip "best centre in [suburb]" unless you can back it up, and stick to facts parents can check: your rating, hours, inclusions and educators.

How to judge which channel is working

Clicks and likes don't fill rooms. For each channel, track these four numbers every month:

1. Enquiries

2. Tours booked

3. Tours attended

4. Children who start

Then work out the cost per child started for each paid channel. A channel with fewer, more expensive enquiries can still be your best one if those families actually enrol. Our post on childcare marketing strategies shows how this fits into a wider plan.

Which channel should you start with?

As a rough guide:

• Vacancies to fill in the next month or two: get your Google Business Profile and Starting Blocks up to date, then run Google search ads.

• Next year's intake or a new centre: add Facebook and Instagram ads and local activity early, so families know you before they start searching.

• Already near full: keep your profile, reviews and Starting Blocks current, and use smaller, targeted campaigns for the rooms that open up.

FAQs

What is the best way to advertise a childcare centre?

There's no single best channel. Google search ads and Google Maps reach parents who are looking now, while Facebook and Instagram reach parents before they start looking. Most centres do best with a current Google Business Profile, a clear tour-booking page and one or two paid channels matched to their vacancies.

Can childcare centres offer incentives in their ads?

Only some. The Department of Education bans financial inducements and gifts such as cash, vouchers, gift cards and devices. Centres can advertise discounted or free care, free site visits or trial periods, and marketing merchandise worth up to $30 per complying written arrangement.

Are Google Ads or Facebook ads better for childcare?

They do different jobs. Google Ads reaches parents actively searching for care, so it usually suits vacancies you need to fill soon. Facebook and Instagram ads reach parents in your area before they search, so they suit future intakes and building awareness. Track both to children started, not clicks.

Want help choosing the right channels?

Every centre's mix is different, depending on your vacancies, your area and what's already working. See our childcare marketing services or book a free chat and we'll look at where your enquiries are coming from and where your budget should go next.