How to keep childcare fees, rooms and availability current online
Out-of-date information is usually a governance problem before it is a technology problem.
Start by assigning a source of truth for each type of information:
| Information | Source of truth | Review trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Daily fees and sessions | approved fee schedule | fee decision or annual review |
| Rooms and age ranges | service operations record | room-model change |
| Opening hours and closures | service calendar | calendar approval |
| Availability | enrolment/occupancy record | place filled, offered or released |
| Staff and leadership | HR-approved public list | commencement or departure |
| Quality rating | ACECQA/Starting Blocks | rating change |
Name the person accountable for publishing each update. One person may perform the edit, but the service should know who approves the content.
Avoid manually copying the same facts into many pages. Use reusable data fields where possible so a fee or phone-number change updates every relevant location. Keep a change log for high-risk information.
Set different cadences:
- availability: reviewed whenever the status changes and at a regular short interval;
- fees: checked before any increase takes effect and after publication;
- staff profiles and rooms: monthly or on change;
- policies and regulatory information: scheduled governance review;
- general educational content: periodic editorial review.
StartingBlocks.gov.au publishes service fees, vacancies, inclusions and quality ratings, so centres should also check that their government listing and website do not conflict. R4
For every dynamic item, show a last-updated date where it helps families judge currency.
Practical next step: create a one-page content register listing every fact families rely on, its source, public locations, owner and next review date.
Related guides
- What a childcare centre website should include
- How should a multi-centre childcare website work?
- Should childcare centres show fees online?
Next step
Keep parent-facing facts consistentPreview the structured rooms, fees, availability and tour information Centrely uses.