TAFE NSW Shellharbour Children’s Centre

At Shellharbour Children’s Centre, we pride ourselves on our family-first approach. We believe in creating a supportive, flexible environment where your child will feel at home. We understand the importance of feeling comfortable and connected in your child’s early education. Unlike other centres with fixed drop-off and pick-up routines, we offer a flexible experience.

Perhaps you might like to take your child home for lunch before returning them in the afternoon for a few hours. We are committed to family involvement and take the time to know each family, becoming part of your team.

There are two rooms, the babies and toddlers' room for 0–3 year-olds and the preschoolers' room for children aged 3–6 years.

If you're interested in joining our team of early childhood educators, see below.

Location: E Block
11 College Avenue,
Oak Flats NSW 2529

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am – 5:30pm, open 48 weeks a year

Ages: 6 weeks to 6 years

Number of children: Licensed to look after up to 46 children per day

National Quality Standard (NQS) rating: Meeting

At Shellharbour Children’s Centre, our focus is on social learning and connecting with the campus community. Children enjoy opportunities to interact with nature and attend play sessions and visits to the nearby library. 

We know that every child is unique, and we celebrate their individual learning styles too. Our trained educators focus on supporting your child’s social and emotional development. Through fun activities and encouraging safe, calculated risks, we provide experiences that are not only enjoyable but also promote growth.

If you’re looking for flexibility, affordability and a strong focus on family and child development, we’re the centre for you. We can’t wait to welcome you and your child into our community.

Our days and routines are flexible as we are child-led and do our best to follow your child’s home routine. In the mornings, we offer activities like story time, music and creative play, but children are free to choose what they want to do and when. Some children might start their day with play, while others may prefer to eat first, and our routine adapts to them.

We also follow home routines as closely as possible, especially for babies. We have transitional lunches, which means if your child is used to eating or sleeping at a certain time, we’ll make sure to accommodate that. 

For older children, we encourage them to join in with daily tasks, like setting up activities, cleaning tables or even sweeping. There’s no pressure, but they’re always welcome to help out with things like folding laundry to feel like part of a team.

Every day is different, but our goal stays the same: to create a warm, supportive space where your child feels secure, valued and free to explore at their own pace.

What you will need to bring each day

You will need to bring baby formula, milk bottles, nappies and spare clothes for your baby each day. Older children will need a water bottle, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, a hat for outdoor play, nappies (cloth and/or disposable) or underwear and spare clothes. If your child would like to sleep or nap, you’ll also need to bring bed sheets.

"We are extremely grateful for the high level of care and education that TAFE NSW Shellharbour Children’s Centre has provided to our daughter over the last 12+ months. The educators work hard to make a genuine and meaningful connection with our daughter and we can clearly see her growth and her learning, which is widely thanks to the safe and nurturing environment that the centre provides. Returning to work after maternity leave is an anxiety-driven time, but we felt so reassured and have been kept well informed ever since her first day. We cannot praise the centre enough and have had such a fantastic experience so far."

Parent of a toddler

"From the moment we toured the centre, we knew it was the perfect place for our family. Our son started at 11 months old and is now 4 and a half.  He has always felt happy, safe and genuinely cared for. He has built beautiful friendships, and the educators have created such a warm, nurturing environment. We will be so sad to see him finish at Shellharbour TAFE Children’s centre, but we’ll always be grateful for the wonderful start they’ve given him."

 Parent of a preschooler

You don’t need to be a TAFE NSW employee or student to enrol your child at our centre. We are open to all families.

To enrol your child at Shellharbour Children’s Centre, fill out an Application for Care Form and email it to us. Or, you can call us on 02 7921 6737 to make an enquiry.

If there’s a spot for your child, we’ll invite you to an orientation session so your child can spend time in their new environment.

You’re welcome to visit the centre with your child before their first day, so they can get to know their educators and the new environment.

To submit your application, you will need to provide:

• Birth certificate

• Medicare card

• Health care/Pension card (if you have one)

• Immunisation record (must be through Medicare, blue books are not accepted).

Please note: Children must meet government immunisation requirements or have an approved exemption to be eligible for Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

There are five steps to complete enrolment:

1. Apply for Child Care Subsidy (if eligible) – To be confirmed between the Early Childhood Director (ECD) and parents/guardians.

2. Agree on care arrangements – The ECD and parent/guardian confirm the child’s care details.

3. Submit enrolment – The ECD submits an enrolment notice to Centrelink via HubHello.

4. Confirm enrolment – The parents/guardians verify the enrolment with Centrelink.

5. Secure enrolment – If you accept an offer, we’ll send a formal letter detailing the next steps. This includes submitting a birth certificate, proof of immunisation and a security deposit to secure your childcare placement.

Once the enrolment is completed and approved your entitlements can be calculated, and payments made. If there are no vacancies, we can add you to the waiting list.

Under Family Assistance Law, all children attending an early learning centre must have an enrolment notice, regardless of CCS eligibility. For eligible families, Centrelink/Services Australia can only process CCS claims once the correct enrolment is in place.

For any questions, please email us or call us on 02 7921 6737.

We’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions about our centre, please contact us, either by phone on 02 7921 6907 or by emailing us by clicking the enquire now button below.