Waitlists and vacancies: how to actually secure a place
How waitlists really work, when to apply, and the flexibility that gets families a place months sooner.
🎒 Starting childcare · 5 min read
Key facts
- Nursery places and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday bookings fill first almost everywhere in Melbourne's outer east.
- Funded kindergarten places are usually offered a full year ahead, from around the middle of the preceding year.
- Being flexible on days, or starting with fewer days and adding later, is the fastest route in.
- Meraki reviews room availability weekly, so a 'full' room can open up within days.
When to put your name down
- Nursery (6 weeks to 2 years): as early as you can, ideally during pregnancy or as soon as your return-to-work date is known
- Toddler rooms: three to six months before you need the place
- Three and four-year-old kindergarten: from the middle of the year before the program year starts
- Moving suburbs or changing centres: ask about mid-year and mid-term starts, which are more common than families expect
Why some days are harder than others
Part-time patterns cluster at the start of the week, so Monday to Wednesday are the tightest days and Thursday and Friday usually open up first. Taking a Thursday and Friday start and shifting days later, as places move, gets many families in months earlier than waiting for a perfect pattern.
What to have ready
- Your child's full name and date of birth
- The days you need, and the days you could accept
- Your preferred start date and any flexibility around it
- Your child's immunisation history statement
- Your Centrelink CRN and your child's CRN for Child Care Subsidy
How it works at Meraki
Both Meraki centres publish current room-by-room availability on their centre pages, reviewed weekly, so you can see what is genuinely open before you enquire. Submit an enquiry or book a tour and our team will confirm the exact days available in your child's room, and tell you honestly if a wait is likely and how long.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I join a childcare waitlist in Melbourne?+
For a nursery place, as early as possible — many families in the outer east apply during pregnancy. For toddler and older rooms, three to six months ahead is usually enough. Funded kindergarten places are generally offered around a year in advance.
Is there a fee to join a waitlist at Meraki?+
No. Enquiring and joining our waitlist is free, and booking a tour does not commit you to anything.
How do I improve my chances of getting the days I want?+
Be flexible. Accept a place with the days that are available and ask to be moved as patterns change, or start with fewer days and add them later. Thursday and Friday almost always open before Monday to Wednesday.
Do you have vacancies right now?+
Availability changes weekly. Current room-by-room availability for each centre is published on the Bayswater and Mooroolbark centre pages, and our team will confirm exact days when you enquire.
Keep reading
How to choose a childcare centre in Melbourne's outer east
Ratings, ratios, fees and the 12 questions worth asking on every tour before you accept a place.
Settling your child into childcare: a week-by-week guide
Orientation, drop-off tears and the four-week rhythm most children settle into — plus what to do when it takes longer.
Want to talk it through in person?
Book a tour of our Bayswater or Mooroolbark centre and ask us anything.