| Id | Name | Type | Places | Approval | Distance (Km) | Day Rate | Availability |
|---|
* Click centres on the map for more detail and custom analysis options.
Key Metrics
Lake Cathie / Rest of NSW
LDC Providers
3
1,076
Total LDC Places
271
69,189
Total Population
4,872
2,997,085
Persons Per Place
18
-
Avg Centre Age
13 yrs
14 yrs
Population 0-4
219
167,859
0-4 Per LDC Place
0.81
2.5
Workforce Impact
Low
Standard
School Attendance
390
-
School Per LDC Place
1.44
6.1
Avg LDC Fee ($/day)
$135
$151
Other Places (PSK/OOSH)
105
-
SOURCE: ACECQA, StartingBlocks, ABS data analysed by AreaSearch
Last updated:
Approvals Pipeline
Childcare development approvals near Lake Cathie
Development applications around Lake Cathie
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
CC Approvals
—
In the local catchment
Proposed Places
—
Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipeline
Status, location, timing and project scale
Loading childcare approvals…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Places | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Lake Cathie Child Care FAQ
What is the Child Care supply composition of Lake Cathie?
As of our last update on May 24, 2026, there are 5 child care centres in Lake Cathie. Of these, 3 centres provide Long Day Care offering 271 places, there is one Out of Hours School Care centre that has 105 places, and a single centre providing other child care services. The suburb also contains a single school with 390 enrolments.
What population do these centres in Lake Cathie service?
AreaSearch's latest population estimate for Lake Cathie as at May 2026 stands at a total of 4,872 people, of this 219 are estimated to be children under five years of age.
Why do your population numbers differ from Census figures for Lake Cathie?
Some areas have changed considerably since the 2021 Census was undertaken. At the 2021 Census Lake Cathie was assessed as having 4,296 people with 174 of these (4.1%) being children under 5yo. Lake Cathie has seen 486 new addresses added since this time, which, combined with broader ABS population estimates for resident population, leads us to estimate that Lake Cathie has experienced population growth of approximately 576 people from the 2021 Census.
How does the ratio of children per LDC place in Lake Cathie compare to those in Rest of NSW?
In Lake Cathie, our latest analysis shows there are 0.8 resident children under 5yo per LDC place. This figure is significantly lower than the 2.5 children per place across Rest of NSW.
How do childcare fees in Lake Cathie relate to those in Rest of NSW?
Childcare fees in Lake Cathie average $135, which is slightly lower than the regional average of $151 in Rest of NSW.
How does the ratio of school population per LDC place compare in Lake Cathie and Rest of NSW?
In Lake Cathie, there are 1.4 students per LDC place. This figure is significantly lower than the 6.1 students per LDC place in Rest of NSW.
What is the average age of Long Daycare Centres in Lake Cathie?
The average LDC in Lake Cathie was approved 13 years ago, while across Rest of NSW the typical centre approval is 14 years old.
Is the local workforce a significant driver of additional child care demand for Lake Cathie?
No, daily workforce activity is considered low in this area and is unlikely to be a significant driver of child care demand.
Who would typically use analysis such as this?
Childcare operators, developers, investors and financiers would typically conduct a thorough child care supply and demand analysis (SDA) on Lake Cathie before allocating the significant amount of capital required. Boundary-based analysis such as this is often used as an initial guide however, and analysis would be undertaken on the specific site adopting a radial, travel time, or custom catchment to take into account nearby competition and demand drivers that would influence a centre's performance.
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Nearby suburbs & deeper analysis
What will drive demand from here?
Centre supply and current places are an output, not a leading indicator. For the demand-side drivers of this area — population growth, 0–4 cohort trends, dwelling supply, workforce participation and competing development pipeline — open the relevant deep-dive page.