How many childcare waitlists should I join?

When it comes to childcare waitlists, there’s no “correct” number to join. The right approach depends on things like where you live, how flexible your childcare needs are, and how many options are available in your area. Some families have dozens of services nearby to choose from. Others may only have a small handful within a practical distance from home or work.

But regardless of location, one thing tends to make this stage easier is: giving yourself options. Between joining a waitlist and actually starting childcare, a lot can change:

Your family’s circumstances may change.
Your work plans may shift.
The service that was considered the “the best in the area” might change owners or managers.
A place that seemed perfect may no longer feel like the right fit for you.
And your child’s needs will of course evolve too.

That’s why many families choose to join more than one waitlist - not because they’re being “a bit over the top”, but because they’re keeping their options open for figuring out what will work best when the time comes.

Why many families join more than one waitlist

At first glance, joining multiple waitlists can feel a little excessive. But once you understand how childcare places actually become available, it starts to make much more sense.

Childcare availability is unpredictable

Childcare places don’t open up in neat, predictable ways.

Availability changes because:

• children move between rooms
• families change their care days
• people move house
• enrolment plans shift throughout the year

This means one service might contact you surprisingly quickly… while another may not have availability for quite some time, and often services themselves can’t predict exactly when places will open.

Every service is different

Each childcare service has its own:

• waitlist length
• room availability
• age group capacity
• day availability
• enrolment patterns

One centre may have:

• immediate availability for two days
• but no preschool places

Another might:

• have a longer wait
• but offer the exact days you need later on

Joining more than one waitlist simply gives you more flexibility and more potential pathways.

You’re keeping options open, not committing

This is the part many parents feel unsure about. Joining multiple waitlists does not mean:

• you’re taking places from other families
• you’re locking yourself into anything
• you’re doing something unfair

You’re simply exploring your options while waiting to see what becomes available - and childcare services absolutely expect families to do this.

Deciding how many childcare waitlists to join

Rather than trying to find the “correct” number, it’s usually more helpful to think about your specific situation.

Your location

Some areas have:

• higher demand
• fewer services
• longer wait times

In higher-demand areas, families often join more waitlists simply to improve their chances of securing a place. A quick postcode search on Care for Kids will give you a good overview of the situation in your area - send services direct messages to ask for more specific details.

How flexible you can be

The more flexible you are, the fewer waitlists you may need.

Flexibility could include:

• different care days
• nearby suburbs
• a broader start date
• multiple service types

If your needs are more specific - for example:

• fixed workdays
• multiple children
• a particular start timeframe

…it can help to keep more options open.

How many days of care you need

The number of days you require can also affect availability.

For example:

• 1–2 days can sometimes be easier to place
• 4–5 days often require more alignment within room availability and ratios

This doesn’t mean full-time care is impossible — just that flexibility can become more important.

How to avoid overwhelm while still keeping options open

There’s a point where researching childcare can start to feel like a part-time job. You do not need to join every waitlist in your postcode. You also don't need to understand everything about early childhood education and care or know every detail about the services whose waitlists you're joining. But starting with a shortlist of services that genuinely feel like a good fit (at least for now), will help keeps things more manageable.

At this stage, think about:

• location
• practical accessibility
• your overall impression
• whether you could realistically see your family there

Think quality over quantity

A smaller list of services you genuinely like is often more helpful than a huge list you feel unsure about.

As a very rough guide:

• 2–3 waitlists → focused approach
• 4–6 waitlists → broader coverage (common in high-demand areas)

There’s no “right” number. The goal is simply to give yourself enough options without completely overwhelming yourself.

Keep tracking simple

You don’t need an elaborate spreadsheet system (unless that genuinely brings you joy). Even a quick note in your phone with the service name, date waitlist joined, contact details and expected start timeframe, can make things feel much more manageable. 

Setting up your parent login on Care for Kids is great for keeping all your childcare enquiries and waitlist details organised in the one place - it will all be stored, waiting there neatly for you when needed again.

Is joining multiple waitlists unfair?

This is one of the most thoughtful concerns parents raise but the answer is absolutely not. In fact, it is a very wise move for families wanting to set themselves up well for making strong decisions later. Childcare providers understand that families:

• are exploring multiple options
• don’t know which offer will arrive first
• need flexibility while planning work and family life

Joining a waitlist doesn’t:

• reserve a place
• block another family
• guarantee enrolment

Places are only allocated when:

• availability actually exists
• and a family formally accepts an offer

So you’re not “taking” anything away from anyone by being on more than one list and you won't be letting anyone down by decling an offer later.

A quiet reassurance

Most families:

• join more than one waitlist
• adjust their plans along the way
• don’t end up using every option they explored

And that’s okay. The joining waitlists stage is not committing to anything and certainly not locking anything in. You might not know much about childcare or early learning at this stage. The baby you’re adding to waitlists may not have even been born yet! You’re not over doing it -  you’re simply preparing and ensuring you’ve got good options later on.