We are thrilled to share the exciting news about our newest centre in Carrum Downs! As a family-owned and operated service, we eagerly look forward to serving the community and providing exceptional care and education to families in the area.
Located in the heart of Carrum Downs, our beautiful centre is nestled amidst lush gardens and natural play spaces. We have created an organic, nurturing environment to inspire children to learn, grow, and thrive. Surrounded by nature’s wonders, our centre offers endless opportunities for exploration, imagination, and hands-on experiences.
At our family-owned childcare centre and kindergarten, we believe in the power of learning through play. Our passionate educators create engaging and stimulating experiences, fostering a love for learning in every child. We encourage children to develop their unique talents, curiosity, and social skills through carefully designed programs and age-appropriate activities.
We invite you to contact us and book a tour of our purpose-built centre. We understand the importance of finding the right early learning environment, and we are excited to offer our exceptional services to families in Carrum Downs.
We cannot wait to welcome you and your child into our warm and nurturing environment, where they will embark on a journey of growth, discovery, and endless possibilities.
At Birches Early Learning Centre, we strive to elevate the standard of early education, and our dedicated team works tirelessly to provide high-quality care and education to every child, every day. We adopt the widely respected Reggio Emilia approach to learning, which emphasizes enquiry and play-based learning experiences in natural and responsive environments. Our educational philosophies are anchored on this approach to provide an engaging and stimulating learning experience for children.
Our learning programs are designed to be flexible and emergent in nature, and they are guided by the interests and needs of the children. We are committed to reflective practices, which enable us to continually improve and refine our programs to ensure that they are effective in fostering learning and development in children. At Birches Early Learning Centre, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and we are passionate about creating an environment that supports and nurtures their growth and development.
At Birches Early Learning Centre, we recognize that our team of Early Childhood educators is one of our most valuable assets. We believe that we couldn’t achieve our goals or honour our philosophies without their knowledge, support and hard work. Our educators understand the importance of their role and are dedicated to ensuring that every child receives the best possible learning and developmental opportunities.
We take a team approach to ensure that the individual and collective needs of the children are met in a harmonious and friendly environment. By maintaining a consistent and professional team of staff, we facilitate continuity and familiarity for the children and their families.
Our team consists of highly qualified and experienced individuals who have been carefully selected through a rigorous recruitment process. All our team members hold the required certifications, including:
We are committed to ensuring that our team remains at the forefront of their profession through regular professional development, mentoring, and first aid training. Additionally, all our team members hold (or are actively working towards) an early childhood qualification.
At Birches Early Learning Centre, we maintain educator-to-child ratios that adhere to the required ratios to ensure high-quality care and supervision. We proudly offer a team that provides minimum staff turnover and maximum fun for the children. We proudly offer a team that provides minimum staff turnover and maximum fun for the children.
Hi! My name is Shannon, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the Director at Birches Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Ormond. With a deep-rooted passion for early childhood education, I hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and have been dedicated to this field for over three and a half years.
As an early learning educator, I have discovered immense joy working with children. Their endless curiosity, boundless energy, and genuine enthusiasm never fail to inspire me. I believe that every child deserves the highest level of care and the opportunity to thrive in a nurturing and stimulating environment.
At Birches ELC, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional care that nurtures the holistic development of each child. Our centre is designed to be a safe, welcoming space where children can explore, create, and learn through play. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging where every child feels valued and supported.
Our programs are thoughtfully crafted to promote both social and cognitive development. We prioritize creating engaging and inclusive learning experiences that stimulate children’s curiosity, ignite their imaginations, and cultivate a love for lifelong learning. With a focus on age-appropriate activities and a play-based approach, we ensure that children have the freedom to express themselves while developing essential skills.
As the Director, I am deeply committed to building strong partnerships with parents and families. I understand the importance of open and transparent communication and encourage parents to participate in their child’s journey actively. Together, we can create a collaborative and supportive community that fosters the growth and well-being of each child.
I am genuinely excited to embark on this journey with you and become a part of your children’s development and growth. I am pleased to guide, support, and inspire the little ones in our care as they embark on their unique learning adventures. I invite you to join us at Birches ELC, where we will provide a nurturing environment where children can flourish, build lifelong friendships, and lay a solid foundation for their future success.
Thank you for considering Birches ELC for your child’s early education. I look forward to welcoming you and your family into our loving community. Together, we can create beautiful memories and shape the bright futures of your children.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness
Birches is a beautiful centre with lovely staff. There were some tears when Nathan started attending but now he has settled nicely and enjoys it very much, he especially loves the outdoors. The educators have demonstrated great care towards the children, giving us parents the peace of mind. Highly recommended!
We absolutely love Birches not only are the facilities outstanding but the staff are incredible, always going over and above to nurture my son & look for opportunities to encourage his development! What a blessing to know he is in such good hands. Thank you.
5 stars isnt enough for the center. They have been supportive and welcoming from the first point of contact and has continued this genuine practice since enrolment. A center is only as good as its management , and this is proven with the amazing director and staff in the rooms. They continue to go above and beyond. These guys KNOW there stuff!
Our daughter Sophie has been at Birches a few months now and couldnt be happier. From the moment we had met Judy and had a little tour of the centre, i instantly felt at ease and knew I was going to enrol our little Sophie in at Birches. I had discovered this centre the Wed night while i was in bed, took a tour the Thursday morning and by Thursday afternoon had given the centre we had Sophie in at the time notice that i was ceasing her enrolment. She had only been in daycare around 5 months at that stage and wasnt 100% with the centre she was at but was reluctant to move her knowing the struggles we had with her starting at daycare initially.
Birches felt warm, inviting and so homely and I just knew Sophie would love it there. Judy is amazing, so warm and friendly and every one of the girls are just so wonderful with the kids. My husband and I very much look forward to our updates in the Story Park app to see what fun activities the kiddies have been up to that day. Sophie always looks so happy and all the kids seem to be getting along so well. Naturally she comes home tired after a long day of fun and learning but much happier than she did coming home from the last centre she was at.
I honestly cannot speak highly enough of this beautiful centre and the team and am so glad we made the move to Birches.
A beautiful daycare with some country charm. From when we walked in the door with Brianna/Mini we’ve felt at peace knowing staff there have a high level of care and work well as a team and with us parents. As a parent of two Special Needs children we took the step to change daycares and we should of done it sooner. We love sending Bri there and not only are the staff dedicated to the kids but they also care about the families. We haven’t had to worry once about Brianna or how she’s coping. The staff have her special needs in the front of their mind and we’ve complete trust and faith in Judy and her team. Couldn’t recommend them enough.
Absolutely love it here. The staff are amazing, the centre is beautiful.
Would recommend to anyone thinking of a new daycare. Our son is thriving here, would never go anywhere else.
My son has been attending birches ELC for the last 6 months! He absolutely loves going, and he’s grown so much since being there. Constantly learning new things. ALL the staff are absolutely wonderful!
Love everything about this centre, everyone is amazing , both my kids love it. the staff has been amazing in getting my daughter settled in touchwood. would recommend to anyone for sure
What a fantastic service to enrol your child in. As soon as we walked through the door we felt welcomed. Our son is so happy to come Birches each week, he has built strong relationships with the educators and is always eager to tell me what he has done throughout the day.
We absolutley love Birches. The staff have made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable from the beginning when we first toured the centre. Our daughter is always talking about daycare and looks forward to going every week. Our son, who doesn’t attend due to being at kinder, always says how much he wishes he went to Birches, because in his words “It’s the greatest and most fun place, with super cool stuff!” My partner is also extremely hard to impress and we left with him saying he wanted our daughter enrolled here and nowhere else. So a big thankyou to Judy and all the wonderful staff, You guys rock!!
Since changing our son from another center to Birches ELC we have had no more tears at drop off and no more concerns about anything that is happening in his day. The center is beautiful and clean, the staff are absolutely lovely and the happy children running around speaks for itself. Well done everyone!
I was originally very nervous about sending my 4 month old into care when I started back at work. The staff at Birches literally took all the stress out of it and have made my transition back to work super easy. My daughter is always full of smiles and incredibly happy to go there! I couldn’t recommend them enough, they are amazing.
57 McCormicks Rd,
Carrum Downs, Melbourne
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The Child Care Subsidy has made child care more affordable, flexible and accessible to Australian families. Use our free Child Care Subsidy Estimator Calculator to calculate how much subsidised care you could be eligible to receive.
We welcome children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. Our rooms are grouped to suit each stage of development from our nursery through to our funded kindergarten program.
Our centres are open Monday to Friday, typically from 6:30am to 6:30pm (hours may vary slightly by location). We’re open all year round, except on public holidays.
Your daily fee includes:
Fees vary based on your child’s age, centre location, and days booked. Most families are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Contact your local Birches centre for a personalised quote or try our online CCS calculator.
No! We provide all nutritious meals and snacks, as well as nappies, wipes and bedding. You only need to pack a change of clothes, water bottle, and any personal comfort items your child may need (like a dummy).
Start by contacting your nearest Birches centre or submitting a waitlist application online. We encourage families to book a tour, meet the team, and see the centre before enroling. Our Centre Directors will then guide you through the enrolment process step-by-step.
Yes. Our three and four-year-old kindergarten programs are delivered by Bachelor qualified Early Childhood Teachers and are funded under the Victorian Government’s Free Kinder initiative. Kinder is integrated into the long day care routine, giving you both education and flexibility.
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a federal government payment that helps reduce your out-of-pocket childcare fees. It’s calculated based on your family’s income, activity level, and the number of hours of care you use. You apply for the CCS through your MyGov/Centrelink account. Once approved, Birches applies the subsidy directly to your fees. To get a personalised quote and find out exactly how much you’ll pay each day, contact your local Birches team – we’re happy to help!
Yes. fees still apply for booked days, including public holidays and absence due to illness or holidays. CCS covers up to 42 absence days per year (without needing a medical certificate), and some centres may offer make-up days if available.
All educators at Birches Early Learning hold approved Early Childhood Education qualifications, including Certificate III, Diploma, or Bachelor’s degrees. In addition to their formal training, our educators are certified in First Aid, CPR, Asthma, and Anaphylaxis management. They also complete training in Child Protection, Safe Sleep practices, Diabetes, and Food Allergy awareness. This ensures they are fully prepared to support children’s health, safety, and well-being every day. We meet or exceed all required educator-to-child ratios across our centres.
Absolutely. We encourage all families to book a tour so you can explore the centre, meet the educators, and see if Birches is the right fit for your family.
We use a secure parent app to share daily updates, photos, meal and nap times, and learning activities. You’re always welcome to drop in, call or speak with your child’s educators at drop-off or pick-up if you have any questions.
We work closely with families to support any medical needs. We follow individual health or allergy action plans, and all staff are trained in managing asthma, anaphylaxis, and administering medication safely.
Each day includes:
Our kinder runs within long day care, meaning your child can attend full days with a qualified teacher, all year round. Unlike sessional kinders that may only run short hours and close for holidays, our program offers 15 government-funded hours per week, plus extended hours and meals – perfect for working families.
