Can my child attend a normal long day care centre if they have additional needs?

Yes, many children with disability or developmental delay attend mainstream long day care, family day care and kindergarten programs, often with inclusion support arranged alongside enrolment.

How early should I start the inclusion support process?

As early as possible. Individual support plans and additional funding arrangements generally need lead time before the child's start date.

Is inclusion support different from a dedicated special needs service?

Yes. Inclusion support is added to a mainstream placement, while a dedicated special needs and inclusion service is its own standalone program.

Enrolling a child with additional needs in mainstream child care

Families sometimes assume additional needs means choosing a separate specialist service, when in practice many children attend a mainstream long day care, family day care or kindergarten program with inclusion support built around them. This page is about that pathway: enrolling in a regular Gold Coast child care setting while arranging the inclusion support, extra educator ratios or individual planning that make the placement work.

It differs from a standalone special needs and inclusion support service in that the child is enrolled in the mainstream program itself, with inclusion funding or additional support staff arranged alongside it, rather than attending a dedicated inclusion-focused service exclusively.

Ask any long day care, family day care or kindergarten provider directly about their experience with inclusion support before enrolling
Raise funding options for additional educator time or equipment early in the enrolment conversation
Request an individual support plan meeting before the start date, not after
Check the physical environment and any therapy or allied health links the service already has

What it costs

Costs follow the standard fee structure of whichever mainstream service you choose, though additional support arrangements sometimes involve separate funding applications that affect out-of-pocket costs. There's no single set price since it depends on the funding pathway and the individual support plan agreed with the service.

Top 3 by our score

Ranked from our published scoring of public Google reviews for special needs & inclusion support.

1. Coastal Babysitters Gold Coast
5.0★ · 1362 reviews

91
2. Little Scholars Nerang
5.0★ · 83 reviews

90
3. Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centre - Coomera
5.0★ · 69 reviews

89

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FAQ

Can my child attend a normal long day care centre if they have additional needs?: Yes, many children with disability or developmental delay attend mainstream long day care, family day care and kindergarten programs, often with inclusion support arranged alongside enrolment.
How early should I start the inclusion support process?: As early as possible. Individual support plans and additional funding arrangements generally need lead time before the child's start date.
Is inclusion support different from a dedicated special needs service?: Yes. Inclusion support is added to a mainstream placement, while a dedicated special needs and inclusion service is its own standalone program.

We may share your enquiry with partner providers who can do the work, and we may earn a referral fee. Our rankings are based solely on our published scoring method and are not affected by referral fees.