Blog & Updates · Castle Hill and Croydon
Childcare Tips And Centre News, From The Educators In The Room
Straight answers for busy parents on fees, settling in and choosing a centre, plus what has actually been happening in our rooms this month.
33 articlesWritten by the team at Castle Hill and Croydon
- Centre News & Events
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Our four room and centre leaders climbed onto the cubby house for a photo, then swiped to pictures of themselves as small children. Here is who they are.
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- Our Programs & Learning
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- Centre News & Events
Our four room and centre leaders climbed onto the cubby house for a photo, then swiped to pictures of themselves as small children. Here is who they are.
- Our Programs & Learning
What preschool means in NSW, what school readiness really looks like, and how our Croydon preschool room prepares Inner West children for big school.
- Our Programs & Learning
Passports, a luggage drop and a security line, all set up in the preschool room. Our Castle Hill preschoolers boarded a pretend flight to Mexico, and the trip is still going.
- Centre News & Events
More dads, grandads and father figures turned up this year than at any Father's Day we have held in Croydon. Here is what a morning like that does for a three-year-old.
- Centre News & Events
Our ducklings are serious Wiggles fans, so when a video from the Tree of Wisdom itself arrived at the centre during Book Week, the room erupted.
- Centre News & Events
The Wiggles sent our Castle Hill ducklings a video, five Wallys turned up at Croydon, and four rooms battled it out in our Book Week challenge.
- Our Programs & Learning
A workshop with Karen from Kids and Traffic, then road safety storybooks in the preschool room. How our Croydon educators turn everyday moments into safety lessons.
- Centre News & Events
A mobile dentist spent a morning with our Croydon preschoolers, checking teeth in a room they already knew. Why a first dental visit at preschool lands differently.
- Our Programs & Learning
Carlile Swimming spent a morning with our Croydon preschoolers teaching five simple rules for staying safe around water. What the children learned, and how to keep it going at home before the season starts.
- Our Programs & Learning
What preschool means in NSW, what school readiness really looks like, and how our Croydon preschool room prepares Inner West children for big school.
- Our Programs & Learning
Passports, a luggage drop and a security line, all set up in the preschool room. Our Castle Hill preschoolers boarded a pretend flight to Mexico, and the trip is still going.
- Our Programs & Learning
A workshop with Karen from Kids and Traffic, then road safety storybooks in the preschool room. How our Croydon educators turn everyday moments into safety lessons.
- Our Programs & Learning
Carlile Swimming spent a morning with our Croydon preschoolers teaching five simple rules for staying safe around water. What the children learned, and how to keep it going at home before the season starts.
- Our Programs & Learning
Our teddy bears picnic is one of the days the children look forward to most. This year it also sent 62 donated bears to children at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
- Our Programs & Learning
Preschool or day care? The two labels overlap far more than most families expect. Here is how they actually differ in NSW, and what that means for your child and your fees.
- Our Programs & Learning
Officer Josh and Officer Anthony from NSW Police spent a morning with our children in Castle Hill, talking about staying safe and who to turn to when they need help.
- Our Programs & Learning
Watch four-year-olds sort out who gets the last dress-up cape and you are watching some of the hardest work of early childhood. How play builds real social skills.
- Our Programs & Learning
Our Castle Hill daycare runs on a steady daily rhythm, and there is good reason for that. Why predictable routines matter so much for young children.
- Centre News & Events
Our four room and centre leaders climbed onto the cubby house for a photo, then swiped to pictures of themselves as small children. Here is who they are.
- Centre News & Events
More dads, grandads and father figures turned up this year than at any Father's Day we have held in Croydon. Here is what a morning like that does for a three-year-old.
- Centre News & Events
Our ducklings are serious Wiggles fans, so when a video from the Tree of Wisdom itself arrived at the centre during Book Week, the room erupted.
- Centre News & Events
The Wiggles sent our Castle Hill ducklings a video, five Wallys turned up at Croydon, and four rooms battled it out in our Book Week challenge.
- Centre News & Events
A mobile dentist spent a morning with our Croydon preschoolers, checking teeth in a room they already knew. Why a first dental visit at preschool lands differently.
- Centre News & Events
Read about Year 5 students from Holy Innocents spending the morning with our youngest learners.
- Centre News & Events
International Nurses Day Castle Hill at Dashing Ducks: a special visit from Westmead NICU nurse Olivia and rainbow craft made by our preschool children.
- Centre News & Events
Mother's Day childcare celebrations at Dashing Ducks — families at our Castle Hill and Croydon centres came together for handmade gifts, morning teas, and moments worth remembering.
- Centre News & Events
Read about how we commemorated ANZAC Day at Dashing Ducks Castle Hill.
- Enrolment & Fees
A working-parent guide to long day care in Croydon: what it means, what to look for in a Croydon daycare, how the Child Care Subsidy works, and settling in.
- Enrolment & Fees
A practical guide to choosing child care in Croydon for Inner West families: what to look for, the questions to ask on a tour, and how the Child Care Subsidy works.
- Enrolment & Fees
Explore the benefits of long day care in Castle Hill for babies and toddlers. EYLF programs, and nature-based learning at Dashing Ducks.
- Enrolment & Fees
Discover why family-owned child care centres offer a more personal, consistent, and nurturing experience for your child compared to large corporate centres.
- Enrolment & Fees
Confused about the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)? This guide explains how CCS works in NSW, who qualifies, and how to reduce your child care fees significantly.
- Enrolment & Fees
Looking for a child care centre Castle Hill? This guide covers NQS ratings, educator stability, and more so you can find the right fit for your family.
- Parenting Tips & Milestones
Wondering if it's time? Learn the real signs of toilet training readiness, how to start gently at home, and how our Castle Hill daycare supports the milestone.
- Parenting Tips & Milestones
Learn how child care Castle Hill NSW families navigate the settling-in period. Tips from Dashing Ducks experienced educators. Book a tour today.
- Parenting Tips & Milestones
Worried about your child's first day at childcare? We explain what to expect, how long to stay at drop-off, and how to make the transition smooth for your family.
Start Here
Start With The One That Sounds Like You
Just started looking
You are comparing centres and working out what to even ask on a tour.
Working out the money
You want to know what a week actually costs once the subsidy is applied.
Getting ready for day one
The spot is booked and the first drop off is on the calendar.
What our days look like
You want to see inside the rooms before you visit them.
Questions
The Questions Parents Ask Us Most
Short answers here, the longer ones are in the guides above. If yours is not on the list, ask us on a tour and it might end up written up.
Both centres are licensed for children from 6 weeks to 5 years, grouped into nursery, toddler and preschool rooms.
Availability moves week to week and differs between Castle Hill and Croydon. The quickest way to get a current answer for the days you need is to book a tour.
A hat, a spare set of clothes, and anything your child sleeps with. Your room leader will walk you through the rest before the first day.
We keep the goodbye short and predictable, then let you know once your child has settled, which is usually within a few minutes.
Tours run through the day and we can usually find an early or late slot. Pick a time that suits you when you book.
More than 30 years, still family owned, now across two centres in Castle Hill and Croydon.
Come And See It
Reading About It Only Gets You So Far
Walk through the rooms, meet the educators your child would be with, and ask the questions the articles did not answer.