How to Prepare Your Centre for January Enrolment Increases
- Lyssa Lacambra
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
How to Prepare Your Centre for January Enrolment Increases
starts with understanding why January is one of the busiest enrolment periods for Australian early learning services. Families finalise care arrangements after the Christmas break, older children transition into school, and waitlists begin to move. For many services, this creates a surge in enquiries, tours, and enrolment activity.
With the right preparation across marketing, operations, staffing and compliance, centres can convert this seasonal demand into stable, long-term enrolments while maintaining quality and regulatory standards.
Key Dates to Keep in Mind
1 January 2026
New Year’s Day (Public Holiday)
Start of the new CCS year
Many services closed - impacts CCS session reporting
14 January 2026 - Fee Reporting Deadline (Providers)
Approved providers must notify any fee increases or confirm no fee changes through their CCS software/Provider Digital Access (PDA).
This ensures CCS entitlements are calculated correctly and families receive accurate subsidy payments.
Missing this deadline can result in incorrect CCS payments, family complaints, or compliance follow-up.
26 January 2026
Australia Day public holiday - plan staffing, ratios and session reporting accordingly.
2 February 2026
Western Australia - Term One commences
Review and Refresh Your Marketing Strategy
January enrolments are competitive. A refreshed, locally targeted marketing strategy helps your centre stand out when families are actively searching.
Focus areas for services:
Update your Google Business Profile with current photos, vacancies and contact details.
Refresh website messaging to clearly reference:
Approved provider status
Alignment with the EYLF
Your NQS rating and strengths
Plan January content highlighting:
Learning programs and routines
Settling-in support
School readiness and transition pathways
Use targeted Facebook and Instagram ads within your service catchment area.
Optimise Enquiry Response and Follow-Up
During peak periods, families often contact multiple services. Fast, clear and personalised responses can be the difference between a booked tour and a lost enquiry.
Key actions:
Set automated enquiry acknowledgements with clear next steps.
Allocate responsibility for follow-ups so no enquiry is missed.
Use short follow-up emails or SMS reminders to support tour bookings.
Be prepared to clearly explain fees, CCS and January start dates.
Polish Your Centre Tours (In-Person and Virtual)
Tours are your strongest conversion tool during January. Families are looking for reassurance around quality, safety and stability.
Prepare by:
Offering flexible tour times where possible.
Ensuring leaders and educators can confidently answer questions about:
Educator continuity and staffing
Child safety and supervision
Daily routines and learning programs
Transitions to preschool or school
Providing virtual tour options for families unable to attend in person.
Engage Current Families as Advocates
Happy families are powerful ambassadors during enrolment season.
Ideas to implement:
Introduce or promote a referral incentive.
Share parent testimonials (with consent) across digital channels.
Host a January family event where current families can invite friends exploring care options.
Strengthen Community Partnerships
Community connections build trust and visibility during high-demand periods.
Opportunities include:
Linking with local schools to support kindergarten and school transitions.
Sharing information with playgroups, community centres and maternal health services.
Hosting parent information sessions on starting childcare or early learning pathways.
Prepare Your Team and Operations
Operational readiness is critical during enrolment peaks.
Key checks:
Ensure staff are confident with enquiry handling and tour messaging.
Review enrolment packs, policies and service agreements for accuracy.
Confirm room allocations and staffing align with projected enrolments.
Complete fee reviews and submit fee reporting by 14 January 2026 to remain CCS-compliant.
Schedule regular check-ins to support educator wellbeing during busy weeks.
Use Data to Inform Ongoing Improvements
Once the January rush settles, review what worked and what didn’t.
Track:
Enquiry to enrolment conversion rates
Strongest marketing channels
Common family questions or concerns
Response times to enquiries
These insights help refine your approach for the rest of the year - not just January.
Final Thoughts
How to Prepare Your Centre for January Enrolment Increases is not just about managing higher enquiry volumes — it’s about setting your service up for a strong, compliant and sustainable year ahead. January enrolment increases are both an opportunity and a workload for early learning centres.
By combining strategic marketing, efficient systems, strong communication and timely compliance actions — including fee reporting by 14 January 2026 — services can convert seasonal demand into long-term enrolments while maintaining quality and trust.
Plan early, support your team, and enter the new year ready to welcome families with confidence.
To further support your January planning, we’ve created a set of downloadable resources, including a January 2026 planner, key compliance reminders, and a practical enrolment preparation checklist. These tools are designed to help services stay organised, CCS-compliant, and confident during the busiest enrolment period of the year.
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