Marketing a New Childcare Centre: A Pre-Opening Enrolment Plan

Opening a new centre is a big moment. The building is nearly ready, the team is coming together, and every empty room is costing you money. The question is how to have families ready to start on day one, not three months later.

This guide explains how to market a new childcare centre in plain English: what the rules say about advertising before you open, what to set up first, and a simple timeline from approval to your first week. It sits alongside our wider guide on how to increase childcare enrolments.

Check the rules before you advertise

Before you run a single ad, know when you're allowed to start. In NSW, the Early Learning Commission says approved providers must only start advertising a service once the service approval application has been submitted (section 104(1) of the National Law). While the application is pending, you need to be open with families that it could be refused.

In other states and territories, check with your own regulatory authority. ACECQA's guide to opening a new service explains the approvals you need and how to find your regulator.

Be careful with fee promises

Most families will ask what they'll pay after the Child Care Subsidy. The Department of Education says CCS applications need to go in before your planned start date, because the subsidy can't be backdated past the date you applied. CCS approval also can't be finalised until your state approval is granted. Until both are in place, say "we've applied" rather than promising subsidised fees.

Know exactly what you need to fill

Good launch marketing starts with a clear picture of what you're selling. Write down:

• Each room, the age group and how many places it has

• The days and hours you'll offer

• Your fees, once they're set

• Your expected opening date (and a backup if building or approvals run late)

• The suburbs most of your families will come from

• What makes you different: your philosophy, outdoor space, meals, programs or team

This becomes the brief for your website, your ads and every conversation your director has with parents.

Start early, because parents do

Families plan care a long way ahead. The Victorian Government recommends parents join their preferred wait lists 12 months or more before they need care, and the NSW Government tells families they can join more than one list. If local families have already joined other centres' lists before they hear about you, you're playing catch-up.

Your pre-opening timeline

Every centre is different, so adjust this to your approvals and build. The order matters more than the exact dates.

Step 1: A register-your-interest page

As soon as you're allowed to advertise, put up a simple page with your location, rooms and ages, expected opening date, and a short form. Ask for the child's date of birth, preferred start date and days needed, so you can match families to rooms later. Our guide to childcare website design covers what parents look for.

Step 2: Your Google Business Profile

Google lets you create a profile before you open. According to Google's help page, you can set an opening date up to a year ahead, and once you're verified your profile shows on Google 90 days before that date. In that window you can add posts, photos of the build and a description. Reviews can't be left until you're officially open. Our Google Business Profile checklist walks through the rest.

Step 3: Build local awareness

Now get in front of families nearby:

• Search ads for people looking for childcare in your suburb

• Facebook and Instagram ads aimed at parents in your catchment, inviting them to register interest

• Local touches like a fence banner with your web address, flyers at playgroups and community noticeboards, and posts in local parent groups where allowed

Our guide to childcare advertising compares the channels in more detail.

Step 4: Tours and an open day

Families want to see the rooms and meet the people. Once the building is safe to show, offer small tours and plan an open day shortly before you open. Invite everyone who registered interest. Our open day ideas cover planning, promotion and follow-up.

Step 5: Offers and enrolment

When your opening date is locked in, start making offers to registered families, room by room. Ring first, then confirm in writing with the days, start date and a deadline to reply. Make the paperwork easy, and follow up quickly.

Turn registrations into enrolments

A list of names isn't a list of enrolments. Families who registered months ago may have found care elsewhere. Keep them warm with a welcome message, short updates as milestones happen (approval, room reveals, new educators), and a personal invitation to tour.

Treat your pre-opening list the same way you'd treat a waitlist. Our guide to childcare waitlist management explains what to record and how to make offers that get a yes, and our enquiry to enrolment guide covers the steps between "yes" and day one.

Show families the people, not just the building

A new centre has no reviews, no track record and no parents to vouch for it. What families want to know is who will care for their child. Introduce your director and educators as they join, with real photos and a few words from each. Share the story of the rooms coming together. Real photos of the finished rooms will do more than renders or stock images.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Starting too late. If your marketing starts a few weeks before opening, many families will already be committed elsewhere.

• Promising what isn't approved yet. Be clear about where approvals are up to, and don't promise subsidised fees before CCS approval.

• Collecting interest without following up. Every registration needs a reply, ideally the same day.

• Opening without a plan for slow rooms. Some rooms fill faster than others. Know which ones need extra attention and keep marketing them after you open.

The first 90 days after opening

Opening day isn't the finish line. Google shows a "Recently opened" tag on your profile for 90 days, so make the most of that window. Once you're open, ask happy families for reviews (our guide to getting more Google reviews explains how to do it within the rules), keep ads running for rooms with vacancies, and look after your first families. They're the ones who'll recommend you to others.

FAQ

When should we start marketing a new childcare centre?

As early as the rules allow. In NSW, that's once your service approval application has been submitted. Because parents often join wait lists a year or more ahead, starting several months before opening gives you time to build a list.

Can we take enrolments before we're approved?

You can take registrations of interest, but be honest with families about where approvals are up to and that they could be refused. Check with your regulatory authority about what applies in your state.

Should we set up a Google Business Profile before opening?

Yes. Google lets you set a future opening date, and a verified profile shows on Google 90 days before it. You can post updates and photos in that time.

Want help filling your new centre?

Launching a centre is busy enough without running the marketing too. Our childcare marketing team helps new and established centres find the right families. Book a free chat and we'll look at your opening date, rooms and catchment and map out a launch plan with you.