What is vacation care?

Vacation care runs during school holidays across Gold Coast, filling the gap when children are out of classes but parents need childcare. Programs typically operate during winter and summer breaks, as well as shorter holiday periods throughout the year, and offer supervised activities, games, and structured play in a safe environment.

The key difference from term-time before and after school care lies in timing and structure. Before and after school care happens during school weeks, running early mornings before classes start and afternoons when school finishes. Vacation care, by contrast, operates full days or extended hours across entire holiday weeks, since there is no school schedule to work around. The daily rhythm is different: vacation programs often include excursions, themed activities, or craft sessions designed to fill a full day, rather than the drop-off and pick-up convenience of term-time care.

Vacation care serves working parents who cannot take time off during school holidays and need reliable supervision for their children. For children, these programs offer continuity of care and peer interaction outside the school year. Gold Coast agencies typically structure vacation care by age group or year level, and many fill up quickly during peak holiday periods.