The City of Greater Geelong has made the difficult decision to close the four creche services within Swim, Sport & Leisure, following an extensive review, consultation with staff and community feedback.
We know this will be disappointing for some members of our community, and this decision has not been made lightly.
Over the past 15 years, regulatory changes in the children's services sector have made it increasingly complex to run creche services in aquatic and leisure centres.
Creche services must now comply with stricter regulations, and standards aligned to early childhood education and care services, including minimum staffing ratios and supervision requirements. These are important for safety, but mean staffing levels must be maintained regardless of how many children attend.
At the same time, demand has been low. Sector changes such as increased childcare subsidies and free three- and four-year-old kindergarten have made other care options more affordable and accessible for families. While these changes provide greater support, they have reduced the need for creche services.
Despite exploring options to continue the service, it is no longer viable to operate the creches at their current level of use and under the increasingly complex regulatory and safety requirements.
We understand this change will impact some families. To support families during this transition, the City is offering three months of free access to our facilities, including pools, gyms and group exercise classes, as well as complimentary swimming lessons for members' children during this period. This is available to any families who have enrolled in 2026.
Importantly, all staff currently working in the creches have been offered ongoing employment opportunities within the City's long day care services and across Swim Sport & Leisure.
The creche services at Leisurelink, Bellarine Aquatic & Sports Centre, Norlane ARC and Splashdown will continue to operate until 1 May 2026.
