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Ages: 6 weeks – 6 years
At Aspire Bendigo, we believe children learn best when they feel connected to their local community. We create meaningful experiences that help children and families build strong community connections.
Our community partnerships include:
Aspire Bendigo was named Centre of the Year 2025, recognising excellence in leadership, teamwork, educational programs, and family partnerships.
Our Bendigo childcare centre provides a warm, supportive environment where children thrive, families feel connected, and educators deliver high-quality care.
Built on collaboration, innovation, and Aspire’s values, this award reflects the dedication of our team and their impact on the local community.
Our Bendigo childcare centre is supported by a team of experienced and fully qualified educators who are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for every child. Guided by the Early Years Learning Framework and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, we work closely with families to support each child’s learning, development, and confidence.
Aspire Bendigo offers many weekly, fortnightly and monthly incursions for the different rooms in the childcare centre. Due to the partnership with nearby La Trobe University, the kinder children often visit the library or walk around the campus.
Other popular incursions include:
Aspire Bendigo runs a much-loved Bush Kinder Program for its Four-Year-Old Kinder children. This program brings the classroom outside. The number of learning opportunities multiplies immensely when the classroom is taken out of the building. Bush Kinder gives children the space and freedom to explore and be creative in a natural environment.
At Aspire Bendigo, our in-centre chef prepares fresh and nutritious meals every day, guided by the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Our approach to food focuses on variety, balance, and mindful eating to support children’s healthy growth and development.
We focus on variety, balance and whole foods with each meal containing vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy. Our chefs also make mealtimes special, whether it’s baking a birthday cake or preparing a festive spread to celebrate an occasion. Food is a meaningful and joyful part of our community.
Our purpose-built childcare facility features designs for each age group and caters to children aged 6 weeks to 6 years. These rooms foster a tailored curriculum throughout all stages of learning. Designed to help your child learn and grow, they will quickly develop a love of learning and a sense of community in their rooms.
Our indoor rooms are spacious yet homely, with plenty of natural light and specific learning spaces that cater to each age group. Aspire Bendigo has five fully equipped rooms, along with a commercial kitchen, and a lush green space. With plenty of room to play, learn and explore in the centre’s five rooms, your child will soon feel at home amongst their peers throughout our educational programs.
Outside, there is no shortage of things to explore, with sand pits, cubby houses, vegetable gardens, and more to discover. The childcare centre playground had an update in early 2025, opening up even more opportunities for play. The large outdoor play area offers countless opportunities for imaginative play. With a large undercover play area, toys and activities are often brought outside for new ways to play.
Hello, I’m Britt, the Centre Manager at Aspire Bendigo. I love being part of Aspire and working alongside our dedicated team, families, and children to create a supportive and welcoming community.
My goal is to build a nurturing, play-based environment where every child feels safe, valued, and confident to learn at their own pace. The Aspire value that resonates most with me is Building Trust — because when families feel confident and relationships are strong, children truly thrive.
I began my early childhood career in 2020, progressing from Assistant Educator to Room Leader, Assistant Manager, and now Centre Manager. My leadership focuses on open communication, consistency, and strong relationships with children, families, and educators.
I look forward to welcoming you and your family to Aspire Bendigo.
Hear from parents who’ve experienced the care, quality
and connection that make Aspire different.
I have nothing but good things to say about Aspire Kennington, always welcoming and friendly staff. Great communication and updates about my children and their day to day activities. Highly recommend
Jeremy – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
Staff are excellent and very helpful! The management staff do a super job!
Troy – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
We’ve had a wonderful experience with Aspire. Our eldest attended not long after the centre first opened and now our youngest is in the 3-year-old kinder program. It’s been fantastic to see the same caring, supportive environment over the years. The educators genuinely care about the children and go above and beyond for their families. Brit, Lauren and Cass in the office are always so welcoming and helpful. They make everything so easy. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Aspire Early Learning Kennington to any family looking for a caring and professional childcare centre.
Adam – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
I cannot fault Aspire Kennington. I have 2 kids in 2 rooms at the centre and they have helped in ways I didn't think were possible. Between dietary restrictions and requirements, behavioural concerns, and overall communication is amazing.
nmcrory91 – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
Heaps of fun performing Magical Circus Show! Mal and the team are very professional, efficient and fun, highly recommend.
Christopher – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
Claudia is an absolutely legend and both of my kids love her. She is sweet and kind and everything that makes a great childcare worker! The whole centre has been a pleasure to deal with and I couldn't recommend it enough!
Matt – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
My placement experience at Aspire Bendigo has been truly rewarding and inspiring. From the very beginning, the team created a warm, inclusive, and supportive environment that made me feel valued and confident. The educators were not only knowledgeable but also extremely patient, approachable, and willing to share their expertise. I had many valuable opportunities to observe, engage, and work directly with children, which helped me strengthen my practical understanding of early childhood education theories and frameworks. The placement allowed me to develop essential skills in planning, implementing, and reflecting on meaningful learning experiences for children. The centre’s strong focus on child wellbeing, inclusion, and family partnerships has had a lasting impact on me. I particularly appreciated how every educator respected and celebrated each child’s individuality and cultural background — it was truly inspiring to see these values in daily practice. Overall, my experience at Aspire Bendigo has been incredibly positive and enriching. I am deeply grateful to the entire team for their guidance, encouragement, and kindness throughout my placement journey. I feel more confident and passionate about becoming an early childhood educator thanks to this wonderful experience.
Abhishek – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
We could not be happier with the care at Aspire Kennington! My child first started attending the centre a few months ago for their first time and we have loved it since. The atmosphere is beautiful - from the physical space, outdoor play areas catered for each age group, the staff and meals, we have been impressed every step of the way and I couldn’t recommend this daycare more.
Phoebe – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
I couldn’t recommend Aspire Kennington more highly. The entire team is absolutely wonderful, and the management consistently goes above and beyond. I especially want to thank Brittany and Kara for the incredible support they gave me during a challenging financial time. They were so understanding and accommodating to my circumstances, and it meant the world to me. I’m truly grateful for the love and care the whole team has shown my son during these last few years.
Madison – family at Aspire Bendigo, VIC
We know handing your child over to someone else is one of the hardest things a parent does. Here’s exactly how we keep them safe.
Only authorised people can drop off or collect your child. Our centres use controlled access points and require photo ID verification for anyone not on your authorised pickup list.
Every educator holds a current Working With Children Check. Our teams include diploma and degree-qualified staff, with qualified teacher ratios that exceed national requirements.
Through the StoryPark app, you receive photos, observations and daily updates directly from your child's room. You can message educators and see what your child has been up to, any time.
Aspire operates under the National Child Safe Standards across every centre. Our policies, spaces and staffing are designed with visibility and supervision at the centre of everything.
Aspire Early Education and Kindergarten operates in a long daycare setting and has four main education programs, tailored to each stage of early development.
Ages 6 weeks - 2 years
Ages 2 - 3 years
Ages 3 - 6 years
Ages 6 weeks - 2 years
Ages 2 - 3 years
Ages 3 - 6 years
✔ Eligible families are guaranteed 3 days of subsidised care each week
✔ Save up to $2,101 per year per eligible child
Use your CSS Calculator to estimate your subsidy and out-of-pocket costs and contact our friendly team for a personalised quote.
Catch up on all the centre news, events and early-learning highlights.
Children's Book Week is an annual celebration of books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. This year's theme, 'Read, Grow, Inspire' explores the boundless benefits of reading.
Aspire Bendigo celebrated Book Week with a range of fun activities from interactive story times to dress-up parades with children and educators dressing up as their favourite book characters.
The amazing centre Chef, Vicky even created meals to match the stories children listened to.
Throughout the month of June, the Aspire community enthusiastically participated in a Heart-a-thon to craft pocket hearts for Life's Little Treasures Foundation (LLTF).
LLTF is one of Australia’s leading charities dedicated to providing practical support, information and assistance to families of babies born prematurely or sick. LLTF’s vision is to ensure that all families enduring the difficult and life-changing experience of having a premature/sick baby have easy access to critical information and community support.
LLTF know how difficult it is for families with a baby in the neonatal unit, that's why they developed the Little Bag of Calm. The bag includes tips, tools and activities all aimed at encouraging parents to take a moment for self care. Within the bag is a pocket heart. Pocket hearts, hand-sewn with love and care, serve as heartfelt keepsakes for families to hold close and treasure. These pocket hearts offer a reminder that families are not alone in their journey and that LLTF is there to provide support.
We are delighted to announce that the Aspire community has successfully crafted an impressive total of 12,531 pocket hearts to be donated to LLTF.
The dedicated staff and families of Aspire Thornhill Park contributed 2,658 of these meaningful creations. These heartfelt gestures will undoubtedly make a significant difference in the lives of numerous families.
Meet Brendan, one of the exceptional employees who plays a pivotal role at Aspire. Take a moment to discover more about Brendan's remarkable journey.
Read More on Bendigo Advertiser
On Thursday 14th of September was R U OK?Day, which is a national day of action to remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and to start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about might be struggling with life.
It is an important day to reflect on mental health and our general wellbeing, as it is often such a silent issue. This year’s theme “I’m here to hear”, emphasises that you don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend and a great listener.
Many of our Aspire Childcare centres, as well as our Head office, recognised this day by having a morning tea and dressing up in yellow, and our Aspire families were also invited. It was a great day for all of us to come together and spread the message. We also provided a range of resources and spoke about the importance of supporting one another and reaching out to those who may be struggling with their mental health.
At Aspire, we strongly support our employees’ health and wellbeing, and provide our employees access to an Employment Assistance Program (EAP). This is a tool that is available to our employees 24/7 and a beneficial resource for them to use.
If you do see someone in your life struggling, have a conversation using these four steps:
1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in
To learn more about the signs and when it's time to ask R U OK? visit their website here: https://www.ruok.org.au/signs
On Thursday 6 of September our Aspire centres celebrated Early Childhood Educator's Day. This day recognises and celebrates the work of Australia’s educators in early learning services for the important role they play in supporting children’s wellbeing, learning and development in the early years.
To celebrate our wonderful Aspire educators, our centres enjoyed a range of delicious food and treats and were given special gift packs to take home.
Leading up to the day, we also invited our Aspire families to leave a message of gratitude for their child's educators. We were blown away with the many thoughtful messages about our educators from families showing their appreciation. Our educators were so grateful to read these messages recognising their hard work. See one of the messages we received from a Wollert family below.
“I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible care and support you provide to my child at Aspire. Your dedication and commitment to nurturing not only their physical needs but also their emotional and educational growth have made a profound impact on my kid. Your patience, kindness, and ability to create a warm and inclusive environment have helped my child feel safe and happy while away from home. Your regular updates and willingness to address any concerns or questions have provided us with peace of mind and trust in the care you provide.”
Wollert Family
We want to thank all our educators at Aspire for the support they provide and their contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of our young children.
If you are considering a career in Early Childhood, Aspire has many job opportunities throughout our centres. Learn more about a career at Aspire here or view our available jobs.
Aspire's Operations Manager Kylie Bartlett has an extensive 25-year background in the early childhood education and care sector, beginning as an educator before steadily progressing into leadership roles, developing a deep understanding and appreciation for working in the sector.
Read more about Kylie's career growth at Aspire in our article in The Sector Newspaper.
If you are interested in a career within the early childhood education sector, Aspire has various job opportunities available. Visit our career page here to learn more.
From 18-22 September, our Aspire centres participated in a Book Donation Drive, supporting Life’s Little Treasures Foundation (LLTF). While parents are in hospital with their sick or premature baby, other children in the family also spend a lot of time there.
Our aim of the book drive was to donate picture books for these children to enjoy while they are spending extensive amounts of time in hospital.
Many of our Kindergarten families were kind enough to participate and donated a copy of their child’s favourite book to share with these children whose family is in hospital. We collected these books at a collection point at each of our centres, where they will then be distributed to families through the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation hospital program.
Cards were also written with special messages and calico bags were decorated by the kinder children to be delivered with the books. See images below.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Book Drive. We collected over 100 books across our Aspire centres. This is an amazing effort from our Aspire families, and we appreciate your ongoing support for the LLTF community.
With a large focus on community at Aspire, we are proud to have formed such a meaningful partnership with Life’s Little Treasures and are so thankful for all the families who participated.
We look forward to our next event with LLTF, the annual Walk for Prems Events in Bendigo and Melbourne. To find out more about Walk for Prems visit the website here, and register with our Aspire team.
On Sunday 8th of October the Aspire Bendigo community participated in Life's Little Treasures Foundation's first Walk for Prems event in Bendigo.
As a Major Sponsor of Walk for Prems, we were thrilled to support an organisation that does so much for families in need. Life’s Little Treasures Foundation is Australia’s foremost charity dedicated to providing support, friendship, and information for families of premature or sick babies.
Walk for Prems is the largest annual fundraiser by Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, with all proceeds going directly toward much-needed products and services for families with premature and sick babies.
For the first time ever, Walk for Prems was held in Bendigo at Lake Weeroona. It was a great morning with a remembrance ceremony, a cheerleading performance, music and a range of kids activities provided by Little Sports Heroes. After the ceremony, everyone who registered then set off together to walk around the Lake.
Staff from both our Aspire Bendigo and White Hills centres teams participated on the day. Thank you to our amazing Bendigo team and families for joining us to raise funds to provide vital services for families in need of support.
The Melbourne Walk for Prems event is next Sunday 22nd October at Albert Park Lake. Staff from our various Melbourne centres will be walking on the day. If you are interested in joining our Aspire team or want to donate visit the website here.
Contact UsEnquire Now or book a tour at one of our Bendigo centres today.Book a TourEnquire Now
Enrolments are now open for 2024 at our Aspire Early Learning and Kindergarten centres. With limited vacancies across our different age groups and learning programs, we encourage you to enrol now to secure a place at your closest centre.
Aspire offers high quality early learning programs for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years old. Our three pillar philosophy Connect, Learn and Grow, creates the foundation for all learning experiences.
Our Educational Programs
Our education programs are designed to guide children’s learning and development, by encouraging them to explore, discover and connect with others. Our programs are tailored to support the transitions throughout a child’s educational journey, from our nurseries, all the way through to our 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten.
Nursery - Our Nursery Program provides a nurturing environment with daily activities and intentional teaching opportunities.
Toddler – Our Toddler program is designed to create an environment that supports your toddler’s social and cognitive development.
3-Year-Old Kinder- Our funded 3-year-old Kinder Program, Kickstart to Kinder, ensures children develop much-needed social, emotional and literacy skills.
4-Year-Old Kinder- Our funded 4-year-old Kinder Program is designed to ensure a successful transition into primary school.
Enrol now by enquiring with us or booking a tour to explore the centre and its facilities. If you need help with the enrolment process or wish to learn more about our curriculum, please contact our head office on 1800 978 429.
Contact UsEnquire Now or book a tour at one of our centres todayBook a TourEnquire Now
Start by booking a tour or contacting our team on 1800 978 429. During your tour, you’ll meet with our Centre Manager and explore the childcare centre. If you choose to enrol, our team will guide you through the enrolment process, followed by a Stay & Play orientation before your child’s first day.
When you arrive, our Centre Manager will greet you and show you through our indoor and outdoor environments. You’ll learn more about our programs and extracurricular activities, while having the opportunity to ask any questions about your child’s care and education.
As every family’s circumstances and funding entitlements are different, contact our team for a personalised quote based on your individual circumstances and eligibility.
From 2026, eligible families can access at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight through the 3-Day Guarantee, as well as the $2,101 Free Kinder fee offset for the first 15 hours of kindergarten per week.
We ask families to bring a water bottle, hat, spare change of clothes, comfort item (toy or blanket) if required, and formula. Please pack your child’s belongings in a bag and ensure all items, including the bag, are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
We provide nutritious meals, nappies and wipes for your child throughout the day.
Aspire keeps families connected through regular updates, learning journals and our parent communication app, Storypark. Educators share insights into your child’s learning, development, wellbeing and daily experiences, so you can stay up to date with their progress.
Vacancies can vary throughout the year. Contact our team for the latest availability and waitlist information, and we’ll help you understand your options for enrolling your child at Aspire.
Bendigo childcare first opened in April 2020, welcoming families into our early learning community. Since opening, we’ve continued to bring families together through special events, celebrations and family-focused activities, while building strong connections with the local community.
Join our next information session or open day to see our spaces and speak with educators.
See why thousands of families trust Aspire for their child’s early learning journey.
