ABOUT THE EVENT

The Childcare & Early Learning Leaders Summit 2026 is Australia’s premier national forum for the owners, operators, investors, advisers, developers, designers and regulators who are shaping the future of childcare. 

Returning to Sydney on 5–6 May 2026, the Summit brings together every strategic, operational and built-environment decision that matters to running and growing high-performing centres. From affordability and pricing to workforce, quality, planning and capital, the program is purpose-built to help leaders make confident, joined-up decisions about sustainable growth. 

The sector is undergoing rapid change. CCS affordability reforms, ACCC scrutiny on fees and transparency, severe workforce pressure, rising quality expectations, and a robust development pipeline are reshaping business models at speed. Leaders need a trusted environment to compare experiences, stress-test ideas and learn from organisations that are successfully navigating this uncertainty. 

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400+ Attendees

50+ Speakers

30+ Partners

1 Big Event

Our Speakers

Paul Mondo

National President, ACA

Adam Lai

CEO, NIDO

Justin Kelly

Partner, M&C Partners

Dr June O’Sullivan

CEO, LEYF Nurseries, UK

Sharon Whiteman

Chief Network Officer, Guardian Childcare & Education

Christine Hall

CEO, Newshoots Children’s Centres (New Zealand)

Chiang Lim

CEO, ACA NSW

Rebecca Hand

Executive Director Early Childhood Education, ECMS

Jason Walter

Head of Real Estate, Federation Asset Management

Myra Geddes

Chief Impact Officer, Goodstart Early Learning
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Key Themes

Strategy, Growth and Affordability

Explore how CCS changes, ACCC findings and broader affordability debates are influencing demand, pricing, fee transparency, product design and multi-site strategy. Understand what a sustainable growth roadmap looks like under closer public and regulatory scrutiny.

Operations, Workforce and Quality

Dive into workforce models, educator pathways, leadership structures, rostering, wellbeing and culture initiatives that keep centres staffed, compliant and performing strongly on NQF/NQS. Hear practical approaches to building operating systems that support quality at scale.

Design, Planning and Construction

Examine how planning pathways, traffic and acoustic considerations, neighbour amenity and sustainability expectations should shape centre briefing and design. Learn how to control capex, reduce redesign cycles and deliver fit-for-purpose environments that work for children, educators and communities.

Capital, Valuation and Transactions

Understand how banks, REITs, private equity and other investors are assessing centres and platforms: yields, rent coverage, WALE, covenant strength, ESG, and risk allocation across leases and structures. Benchmark your assumptions and prepare for refinancing, transactions or new development.

Compliance, Safety and Child Safeguarding

Unpack evolving expectations around child safety, compliance, documentation, investigations and reporting. Gain insights into physical and digital safeguards, incident response and alignment between governance, frontline practice and parent expectations.

Digital Operations, Data and Marketing

See how operators are building digital stacks for enrolments, waitlists, compliance, rostering and parent communication, and how they’re using data and marketing to grow occupancy, sharpen pricing and improve family experience.

Sustainability, Community Impact and Future-Proofing

Explore how centres are addressing environmental performance, resilience and community expectations, embedding sustainability and social impact into both growth strategy and day-to-day operations.

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Why Attend?

1.
Built with the Sector’s Leading Voices

Shaped in collaboration with multi-site operators, independent owners, capital providers, developers, designers and regulators—ensuring every session addresses the issues that matter most.

2.
Gain Insights and Network with Industry Leaders

Hear from 50+ speakers across operators, government, capital, advisory, design and construction, sharing real-world experience lifting occupancy, NQS outcomes and margins.

3.
Decode Affordability, Pricing and Stewardship Settings

Understand how CCS reforms, ACCC scrutiny and emerging stewardship models are reshaping demand, pricing, product design and reporting obligations.

4.
Tackle Workforce as the #1 Operational Risk

Explore evidence-based workforce models spanning staffing structures, rostering, EVP, leadership development and retention—without sacrificing quality or culture.

5.
Lift Operations, Quality and NQS Performance

Learn how leading operators are building digital tools, governance frameworks and leadership cadences that support strong NQF/NQS outcomes at scale.

6.
Plan and Deliver Centres that Truly Work

Best-practice insights on site selection, planning pathways and centre design—from traffic and acoustics to outdoor play, sustainability and educator-friendly layouts.

7.
Benchmark Capital, Valuation and Transactions

Hear directly from lenders, valuers and investors on yields, rent metrics, incentives, covenants and debt terms shaping underwriting decisions in 2026.

8.
Turn Data into Better Growth Decisions

See how operators are using catchment analytics, utilisation data, pricing signals and waitlist trends to lift occupancy by 5–10 points.

9.
Deep-Dive Through Roundtables and Clinics

Go beyond presentations with practical workshops on workforce models, digital stacks, planning war stories, NQS playbooks and capital clinics.

10.
Hours of High-Value Networking

Extended breaks, structured roundtables, a hosted buyer program and informal networking create real space to build relationships across the entire sector.

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Probably the most valuable education and networking event that I have attended for sometime, with all of the key stakeholders for Childcare development and centre operation represented in a single forum.

Director, Hampton Property Group

The 2025 FuturePlace Childcare & Early Learning Summit brought together leaders and experts from across the industry. The conversations were really meaningful and timely given the focus on Govt policy in the sector. I really appreciated the diversity of representatives, from government to industry and to capital. We got a lot out of it.  

Chief Investment Officer, ARENA

FuturePlace organised a fantastic event.  I've exhibited at many other similar events, but this event was the most engaging event I've ever seen. They encouraged delegates to collaborate and network very well and even arranged meetings on our behalf. We have already signed up for the 2026 event.

Inspired Floorcoverings

Congratulations FuturePlace for delivering another outstanding Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit. The program was stimulating and informative and the attention to ensuring delegates could network and share information was first class.

Director of Property, OREANA

A must attend event for developers, landlords, operators and service providers in the Childcare & Early Learning sector. Beat the press on industry news and make meaningful connections across ANZ. A great event!

Partner, Hitch Advisory

As an architect designing childcare and early learning centres, summits like these provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals to help drive the sector forward. I was buoyed to see the enthusiasm and rigorous discussions that took place throughout the event.

Managing Director, ARTMADE

A truly informative, sophisticated, thought-provoking two days! Definitely worth attending, networking and meeting old and new value-add suppliers and services for the early learning sector.

CEO, Australian Childcare Alliance NSW

The Summit was a great event with valuable in depth analysis & understanding on the broader impacts to the sector. Looking forward to 2026.

Director, ON Architecture

It’s so important that key stakeholders in the childcare sector can get together in one forum like this to share experiences and insights pertaining to their specialist fields.   The tangible nature of information that is shared is so important in this sector, we have a common goal to build, own, operate the best calibre centres in Australia in an ever-evolving landscape.

Partner, Federation Asset Management

The summit delivered again this year—bringing together developers, operators, and suppliers for radically honest conversations. Being in a room with people brave enough to ask the hard questions and challenge thinking from all angles is an opportunity we never take for granted.

CEO, Amiga Montessori

The Childcare Summit was a fantastic event, really well organised and a great opportunity to get in front of the right people in the industry.  It gave us valuable face to face time with key decision makers and overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable and productive experience, we have signed on again and already looking forward to the 2026 event.

Aarons Outdoor

Awesome event and location.  Great turnout of operators, we've already signed for 2026!

Cyclo Group

The CCEL Summit was very worthwhile in connecting with leaders in Childcare operations, development, investment and finance. Thank you Neil and the team for your tireless efforts in connecting us with so many professionals in the industry.

Ligo Finance

Great event to meet with owners, CEO and many that have multisite locations in the ECC sector. The team has been very pro-active and helpful in us already getting ROI from being involved this year!

1Place Childcare

I was very pleased with the great networking opportunities at the summit. The Childcare Summit was an exceptionally well-run event with a great level of support for the exhibitors and expert presenters. Highly recommend!!

Qikmaps

The CCEL Summit has been a great experience as a partner.  The early communications from Neil and the team were thorough and really prepared us for what was to come. Great experience.

Ascot Group Building

Well organised conference with an engaged audience & high value attendees.  A great opportunity to connect, learn & share within the wider Childcare Industry.

OWNA

Agenda

Tuesday 5th May 2026

08:30

Conference registration & morning coffee

09:00

OPENING REMARKS

Fergus Cunningham, Conference Director, FuturePlace
09:05

CHAIR'S CONFERENCE OPENING

Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW

CHARTING THE 2026 LANDSCAPE: POLICY SHIFTS, DEMAND DRIVERS AND COMPLIANCE EXPECTATIONS

09:10

INDUSTRY LEADERS PANEL DISCUSSION | Charting the 2026 shift in Australian childcare: Policy, transparency & workforce settings

Your essential briefing on what matters next for childcare real estate and operations in 2026.

With the Three-Day Guarantee beginning January 2026, a 15% educator wage uplift backed by $3.6B in funding, the Productivity Commission’s universal ECEC recommendations, and rising expectations around fee and quality transparency, staying on top of sector change has never been more critical.

Join sector leaders for a fast, high-signal conversation decoding what 2026’s policy, funding and regulatory settings mean for growth, feasibility and development. This session cuts across policy, operations, design and valuation to translate reform into practical decisions on site selection, prototype choice, leasing and capital strategy.

What We’ll Cover:

  • State of Play 2026: How the Three-Day Guarantee, transparency tools and child-safety expectations will shape demand, fees, occupancy and operator reputation
  • Workforce & Funding: Accessing and applying the 15% uplift, understanding conditions, and managing wage/rent/ramp guardrails to stay sustainable while lifting quality
  • Development & Leasing: DA slowdowns, prototype decisions (e.g., avoiding basements), rent-per-place benchmarks, and when value lies in buying below replacement vs building new
  • Direction of Travel: The PC’s universal-access trajectory—what may shift in 2026 and how operators should position leases and covenants to attract capital and protect valuation
Panellists inlcude:
Paul Mondo, National President, ACA
Rebecca Hand, Executive Director Early Childhood Education, ECMS
Nicholas Hitchins, CEO, Hitch
Myra Geddes, Chief Impact Officer, Goodstart Early Learning
Moderated by:
Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW
09:50

PRESENTATION | Demographics that drive childcare demand: Mapping the families behind the numbers

A rigorous, evidence-based framework for translating catchment demographics into childcare demand, informing licence sizing, room mix and long-term viability. The session uses recent Census data and projections to illustrate key trends and relationships – providing a generalisable approach to assessing demand in your own markets, noting current limits on more granular regional data. Coverage spans 0–5 populations, birth and migration trends, parent employment patterns, household structures, incomes and community language needs.

  • Population and growth: Current and forecast 0–5 cohorts, birth trends, and internal and overseas migration, with a clear distinction between stable infill suburbs and fast-growing greenfield corridors
  • Community and access needs: Culturally and linguistically diverse populations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and local gaps in health, transport and schooling that inform program design, opening hours and wraparound supports
  • Parents, households and affordability: Parent labour-force participation and commuting patterns, linked with household structures and income bands to understand weekday demand profiles, room/age mix, days-per-child and willingness to pay for premium inclusions
Hari Hara Priya Kannan, Chief Data Scientist, The Demographics Group
10:20

PRESENTATION | Child-safe, complaint-proof, future-ready: Turning compliance into a competitive advantage

In a sector under growing scrutiny from regulators, parents and the media, the difference between a resilient operator and a fragile one often comes down to governance. This keynote shows how “getting the basics right” on child safety, complaints and contracts can actually become a commercial advantage – supporting reputation, occupancy and staff confidence, not just ticking boxes.

Drawing on real-world matters Hitch has advised on, it will surface where things most often go wrong, what a minimum viable legal toolkit looks like for operators of all sizes, and how leaders can turn compliance from a cost centre into a core part of their value proposition.

  • Where things go wrong in real life: Common patterns behind complaints, investigations, disputes and reputational hits – and the early warning signs leaders often miss
  • The minimum viable toolkit: The key policies, contracts, processes and training every provider should have locked down to meet obligations and sleep at night
  • From obligation to advantage: Practical ways to use robust governance and child-safe practice to build trust with parents, staff, investors and regulators
Nicholas Hitchins, CEO, Hitch
10:40

Morning coffee & networking break

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

11:20

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

This interactive session is designed to spark candid, peer-led discussion across the issues shaping Australia’s childcare real estate and operations in 2026—policy settings, safety and quality, workforce, approvals, prototype design, lease economics, capital and technology.

Attendees will participate in two 40-minute focused roundtable conversations, each facilitated by a subject-matter expert or experienced industry peer. Each roundtable will be capped to ensure open, practical dialogue. Session topics will be released in advance to support selection and preparation. A five-minute changeover will be provided between the two rotations. 

Roundtable 1 – Unlocking Growth: Finance Strategies for Childcare Operators  

Facilitated by: George Louca, Director & Owner, 3Lane Finance

Roundtable 2 – Designing Inclusive Outdoor Play spaces 

Facilitated by: Madeleine Walding, Commercial Manager, Proludic

Roundtable 3 – Casual Workforce that Works: On-Demand Staffing Models for Quality and Cost Control 

Facilitated by: Jessica Buddle, Co-Founder & GM, Z Staffing

Roundtable 4 – The Multi-Site Compliance Gap: Why What Works for One Centre Fails at Ten 

Facilitated by: Martin Bing, Founder & CEO, 1Place 

Roundtable 5 – Governing for Sustainable Growth: Board, Capital and Risk in Childcare 

Facilitated by: Roseanne Healy, Independent Non-Executive Director, Mayfield Childcare 

Roundtable 6 – Navigating Regulatory Change: Getting Ahead of New Requirements on Quality, Safety and Affordability  

Roundtable 7 – Smarter Site Selection and Approvals: De-Risking Planning, Design and Community Impacts

Roundtable 8 – Data-Driven Operations: Using Dashboards, KPIs and Benchmarking to Lift Quality and Profitability 

Facilitators:
George Louca, Director & Owner, 3Lane Finance
Madeleine Walding, Commercial Manager & Landscape Architect, Proludic
Jessica Buddle, Co-Founder & GM, Z Staffing
Martin Bing, Founder & CEO, 1Place
Roseanne Healy, Independent Non-Executive Director, Mayfield Childcare
12:50

Lunch & networking break

13:50

CAPITAL, TRANSACTIONS AND RISK: FUNDING SUSTAINABLE CHILDCARE GROWTH

Delve into the evolving investment dynamics within the childcare sector, focusing on capital flows and private equity trends shaping the industry. Hear about the supply and demand drivers behind the sector’s growth and explore the investment models that support it. Gain insights into the current landscape of early learning real estate, as well as the key transaction trends and market metrics influencing investment decisions.

  • What does the latest data on the early learning sector tell us about supply and demand dynamics and the level of investment needed to support growth
  • Reviewing the investment landscape for early learning real estate and different investment models
  • An overview of the latest transaction trends being observed in the market
13:50

PANEL DISCUSSION | Unpacking corporate transactions & capital dynamics in the childcare real estate sector

Against the backdrop of 2026 settings—Three-Day Guarantee implementation, a legislated 15% educator pay uplift backed by public funding, and heightened transparency—capital is reassessing risk and return in childcare real estate. This discussion brings together investors, lenders, advisors and operators to examine where pricing is settling, which deal structures are clearing, and how debt terms and covenant quality shape outcomes over the next 6–12 months. Attendees will gain a clear view of liquidity by ticket size, the practicality of roll-ups and sale-leasebacks, and the evidence needed to widen buyer and lender appetite.

  • Understand pricing and liquidity by ticket band with realistic expectations on cap-rate ranges, bid–ask spreads and time-to-close
  • Examine corporate deal flow in 2026 including platform roll-ups, portfolio trades, sale-leasebacks and forward-funds, and how WALE, review type and NNN responsibilities influence valuation
  • Clarify debt and funding conditions covering typical LVR and DSCR settings, margins and covenant trends, construction-to-investment takeouts and refinance windows
  • Identify actionable theses such as buy-below-replacement versus ground-up, portfolio break-up versus one-line sales, and the governance, safety and ESG signals that broaden capital demand
Panellists include:
Jason Walter, Head of Real Estate, Federation Asset Management
Travis Butcher, Fund Manager - Social Infrastructure, Charter Hall
Antony Anisse, Co-Founder & CEO, Kirribilli Capital
Carla Hayes, Head of Investment & Portfolio, ARENA REIT
Moderated by:
Benjamin Martin-Henry, Head of Private Assets Research – Pacific, MSCI
14:30

PRESENTATION | More than insurance: Building risk-resilient childcare centres in a higher-scrutiny era

As child safety reforms, extreme weather and market volatility reshape the risk profile of early learning, traditional “set and forget” insurance is no longer enough. This session explores the evolving risk landscape for childcare operators and shows how to combine fit-for-purpose insurance programs with practical risk management to protect your balance sheet, your reputation and your families when something goes wrong. Drawing on Bellrock’s work with early childhood providers around Australia, it will unpack common blind spots in cover, real-world claims scenarios and the governance habits that keep centres resilient.

  • Today’s risk landscape: How child safety reforms, business interruption exposures, underinsurance and emerging risks (e.g. cyber, climate events) are changing the game for childcare operators
  • Getting cover and limits right: Practical guidance on revaluations, avoiding underinsurance, structuring business interruption cover, and tailoring policy wordings to the realities of early learning services
  • From insurance to resilience: Building a risk-aware culture – risk registers, incident and claims learnings, board reporting and scenario planning that link insurance, operations and governance
Ben Gair, Director, Bellrock Advisory
14:50

Afternoon break and networking

TOOLS, PRICING AND MARKET INTELLIGENCE: MAKING SMARTER CHILDCARE ASSET DECISIONS

15:30

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT | Practical solutions for owners & operators

Three rapid, hands-on showcases focused on tools that move the needle for childcare real estate—location decisions, safer operations by design, and faster, cleaner leasing. Each mini-talk demonstrates a real workflow, the artefacts you can take back to your team, and the metrics to watch. 

Showcase 1: From Clicks to Enrolments: Digital Marketing that Fills Childcare Centres  

Follow a complete digital funnel for a new or underperforming centre: from local SEO and Google Ads to always-on social campaigns and conversion-optimised landing pages. See how to structure campaigns around real catchments, build a simple “enrolment engine” dashboard (impressions → clicks → enquiries → tours → enrolments), and use monthly marketing scorecards to decide where to dial spend up or down across your network.

Facilitated by: Mik Maygar, Head of Growth, Edge Online

 

Showcase 2: Safer Centres, Smarter Buildings: Access, CCTV & Incident Response

A practical walk-through of an integrated safety stack: layered access control, visitor management, camera placement tied to supervision lines, and incident logging that meets 24-hour notification rules. Learn how these choices reduce educator load and lift QA2 performance.
 

Showcase 3: Lease & Document Automation for Faster, Cleaner Transactions Standardise the clauses that matter (term, options, reviews, make-good, NNN responsibilities) and automate workflows from HoA to execution. See redline control, version history, e-signing, and a live “lease health” dashboard that links obligations to monthly reporting and covenant strength. 

Facilitators:
Mik Maygar, Head of Growth, Edge Marketing
16:10

PRESENTATION | Valuation & rent benchmarks: covenant strength, coverage & yield

How valuers price childcare assets in 2026–27, with clear guardrails you can use immediately. We’ll set evidence-based rent-per-place ranges by market type and licence size, then translate covenant quality, coverage and lease settings into yield and buyer depth.

  • Evidence-based $/place: Typical vs premium by inner-metro, metro and regional, tied to local fee bands and licence size
  • Covenant & lease strength: Rent % and wage % guardrails, realistic 8–14-month ramp, WALE, review type, NNN and information rights
  • Yield drivers & buyer depth: quality/safety governance, prototype consistency, post-occupancy data and ESG/IEQ signals that move pricing
Geoffrey Brown, Senior Director, LAWD
16:30

PANEL DISCUSSION | State market benchmarks: pricing, buyer depth & deal readiness

Compare where childcare deals are clearing across NSW, VIC, QLD and beyond. This discussion maps cap-rate and rent-per-place ranges by state and asset profile, unpacks what’s driving the spreads, and shows how lease terms, incentives and approvals friction shift demand and timelines.

  • Pricing & benchmarks: Cap-rate and $/place ranges by state and market type, when premiums are genuinely defensible
  • Buyer depth & timelines: Active pools by ticket size (<$5m, $5–7m, >$7m), typical bid–ask spreads, realistic time-to-close
  • Lease terms & incentives: WALE, review type, NNN responsibilities, milestone-based incentives that widen demand and protect exit value.
  • Development & approvals reality: Pipeline hotspots, common risk killers (traffic, parking, acoustic/amenity), and the buy-vs-build line where repositioning wins
Panellists include:
Jake Wallman, Senior Partner, Sterling Property
Jai Sethi, Managing Director, Forte CRE
Moderated by:
Vanessa Rader, Head of Research, Ray White
17:00

CHAIR'S CLOSING REMARKS

Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW
17:05

Networking drinks

18:05

End of conference day 1

Wednesday 6th May 2026

09:00

OPENING REMARKS

Fergus Cunningham, Conference Director, FuturePlace
09:05

CHAIR'S WELCOME

Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW

SCALING WITH PURPOSE: SOCIAL IMPACT, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND SMARTER TOOLS FOR EARLY LEARNING

09:10

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE | Scaling social justice in early years: Inside LEYF’s social enterprise model

Dr June O’Sullivan OBE will share how the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) has grown from 19 to 43 nurseries across 13 London boroughs, using a social enterprise model to cross-subsidise high-quality, affordable provision in disadvantaged communities. She will explain how surplus from a few nurseries in affluent areas supports operations, funded-only places and differentiated fees in areas of deprivation, and how LEYF’s pedagogy and action research underpin consistently higher Ofsted ratings. June will discuss acquisitions, integrations and strategy, and what parts of the LEYF model could translate to Australia.

  • Designing for impact at scale: How LEYF grew from 19 to 43 nurseries while keeping children, staff and families at the centre of every integration
  • A sustainable cross-subsidy model: Using surplus from nurseries in affluent areas to fund high-quality, affordable places and differentiated fees in deprived communities
  • Quality as a system outcome: Embedding LEYF’s pedagogy, action research and workforce development to achieve consistently higher Ofsted ratings
  • Lessons for Australia: What operators, investors and policymakers can take from LEYF’s approach to acquisitions, property strategy and community-based Early Years provision
Dr June O’Sullivan, CEO, LEYF Nurseries, UK
09:40

PANEL DISCUSSION | Sustainable growth roadmap for childcare operators: Scale with quality and impact

Growth only works if quality and trust keep pace. This session maps a practical roadmap for operators to expand their networks while lifting standards of care, strengthening educator capability, and creating measurable social value. Panellists will share what to scale, what to safeguard and what to measure over the next 12 to 18 months.

  • Growth choices and guardrails: How to balance organic and inorganic moves. Site and acquisition criteria, demand and workforce availability, rent to revenue guardrails, and prototype fit to avoid overreach
  • Quality by design: Embedding pedagogy, environment standards and internal NQS checks into every new centre and integration plan, so quality does not slip during ramp up
  • People and capability: Building the educator pipeline, leadership pathways, scheduling and wellbeing practices that drive retention, consistency and child outcomes at scale
  • Economic and social value metrics: A simple scorecard that tracks occupancy ramp, fee integrity, educator retention, NQS outcomes, family trust, inclusion and local community benefit
Panellists include:
Jenni Gaffney, Chief Network Officer, Young Academics
Simone Andrews, Growth & Business Strategy Manager, Aspire Early Education
Roy Azzi, CEO, Clever Cubs
Sharon Whiteman, Chief Network Officer, Guardian Childcare & Education
10:20

PRESENTATION | Paperwork to presence: How AI can lift quality, compliance and educator wellbeing

Early childhood educators didn’t join the sector to stare at screens – yet documentation, compliance and parent comms are eating more and more of every day. Drawing on his journey from service owner/operator to education technology founder, Himal will explore how AI built specifically for early learning can act as an “educator aide”, not a replacement – cutting admin without cutting quality. He’ll unpack how intelligent tools can streamline planning and documentation, strengthen cycles of learning, support NQF/EYLF alignment and deepen family engagement, all while protecting children’s data and educator professionalism.

  • The real cost of paperwork: How documentation and “Insta-teaching” pressures are affecting educator wellbeing, children’s experiences and quality – and why incremental tweaks to templates and apps aren’t enough
  • AI as an educator-aide, not a replacement: Practical examples of how AI can use everyday observations to support planning, learning stories and reflections aligned with approved frameworks, while keeping educators firmly in control of judgement and pedagogy
  • Implementing AI safely and ethically: Lessons from centres already using Mana – bringing teams on the journey, setting clear guardrails around privacy and data security, and measuring impact in time saved, quality gains and stronger family engagement
Himal Randeniya, CEO & Founder, Mana
10:40

Morning coffee & networking break

OPERATING MODELS THAT WORK: PEOPLE, SAFETY AND DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE CENTRES

11:20

PANEL DISCUSSION | Workforce & operational excellence: Building sustainable operating models

With demand growing and pay settings shifting, sustainable childcare businesses will be defined by the strength of their operating models – how they structure roles, lead teams and run centres day-to-day. This panel looks at workforce through a strategic, C-suite lens: staffing models, attraction and retention, leadership, culture and productivity. It explores how operators are reshaping roles, rostering and employee value propositions to lift quality and margins at the same time.

  • Strategic Workforce Models: Balancing full-time, part-time and casual staff, network-wide rostering patterns, and the role of agency as a genuine last resort – not a default
  • Leadership, Culture & EVP: Centre manager and regional leadership models, ownership of quality and P&L, and the employee value propositions that actually move attraction and retention
  • Operating Model & Productivity: Redesigning roles, workflows and use of technology to reduce friction, protect QA1/QA2, and keep wage percentage and other cost lines in range
  • Board-Level Metrics & Governance: The simple operating scorecard executives and boards should monitor each month – from wage % and occupancy to tenure mix, engagement and quality indicators – and how to respond when indicators move
Panellists include:
Rory Vasallo, Owner, Stride Early Learning
Scott Couter, CEO, Honour Early Learning Group
Lynda Salvo, CEO, Explorers Early Learning
Himal Randeniya, CEO & Founder, Mana
12:00

PRESENTATION | Smart security for childcare: Empowering staff & protecting children

As expectations around child safety, compliance and parent transparency continue to rise, many centres are finding that legacy security set-ups are no longer fit for purpose. This session explores how “smart” security – combining modern access control, video, and environmental monitoring – can give educators simple tools that support their day-to-day work rather than adding complexity.

  • Rethinking security in childcare: from traditional set-ups to people-centred, smart protection
  • Giving staff simple, integrated tools for access, arrivals/departures, incidents and lockdowns
  • A practical roadmap for uplifting security across single sites and multi-site networks, even with legacy systems in place
Matthew Goubar, Field Marketing Manager, Verkada
12:20

PRESENTATION | Beyond the white box: Inside New Shoots’ holistic approach to childcare centre design

A deep-dive case study on how New Shoots conceive, design and continually refine childcare environments that feel fundamentally different from generic centres. Moving from philosophy to practical execution, the session unpacks the principles that underpin their work, shows how those ideas play out across new builds and transformations of existing sites, and offers frank insight into the design, investment and governance decisions behind their most successful projects.

  • Design philosophy and points of difference – why New Shoots design the way they do, what truly sets their centres apart beyond surface-level finishes, and how they define non-negotiables for every project
  • From generic to distinctive – visual before-and-after examples from new builds and renovations that show how existing services can be reimagined, including key moves that shift a centre from standard to standout
  • Practical investment and delivery choices – where to focus budget for maximum im-pact, how to balance aesthetic ambition with operational realities, and the trade-offs New Shoots have learned to avoid
  • In-house architecture and integrated vision – how New Shoots’ internal architectural capability keeps the child and family experience at the centre, reduces design drift and shortens the gap between big ideas and buildable solutions
Christine Hall, CEO, Newshoots Children’s Centres (New Zealand)
12:40

Lunch & networking

BUILDING TRUST INTO EVERY PROJECT: PLANNING SYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT MODELS AND MEDIA STRATE6Y

13:20

PANEL DISCUSSION | Planning, approvals & best-in-class childcare centre design

The best childcare centres don’t start on site – they start in the planning system. This session brings together planners, designers and operators to explore how to bake approvals thinking into your prototype, so developments move faster through council while still delivering outstanding environments for children and educators. Panellists will unpack the common “risk killers” around traffic, parking, acoustics and neighbour impacts, and show how leading teams standardise layouts, circulation and services to reduce redesign, cut capex and streamline conditions from consent to occupation. Expect practical ranges, details you can copy, and a clear picture of what “approvals-ready, best-in-class design” looks like in 2026

  • Approvals pathways & risk killers: Mapping zoning, overlays and referral triggers; using pre-lodgement to surface deal-breakers; designing out traffic, parking, acoustic and overshadowing issues before they hit the DA
  • The prototype that gets approved: Optimal licence sizes and room adjacencies, single-level bias with clear yard visibility, circulation, storage and amenities that reduce educator load while meeting safety, access and amenity expectations
  • Cost, buildability & conditions to occupation: Structural and specification choices that cut capex and program risk, durable envelopes and services, and simple tools (conditions trackers, neighbour comms plans) that keep consent conditions manageable through to opening
Panellists include:
Michael Swinnerton, Senior Development Manager, Oreana
David Klingberg, Director, Smart Planning and Design
14:00

PANEL DISCUSSION | Development models & partnerships in childcare: Delivering safe, high-quality centres

A pragmatic exploration of how projects get funded, designed and delivered when child safety and quality are the first principles. Industry leaders unpack the development models in play, the disciplines that make developer–operator partnerships work, and the levers that keep projects bankable without compromising outcomes for children, families or educators.

  • Development Models That Pencil: Turnkey, forward-fund, JV, sale-and-leaseback and buy-below-replacement repositioning — where each model fits by site context, licence size and capital profile
  • Partnership & Brief: Co-designing the prototype with operators — supervision lines, room adjacencies, age-appropriate yards, inclusion needs — and aligning the planning pathway and evidence pack from day one
  • Risk & Incentives: Clear allocation for design/defects/warranties, commissioning and day-one readiness; milestone-based incentives and lease settings (WALE, reviews, NNN) that support sustainable rent-to-revenue
  • Delivery & Continuous Improvement: Using single-level prototypes, DFMA/modular where appropriate, and disciplined procurement to shorten programs; post-occupancy feedback loops that refine safety, quality and whole-of-life performance
Panellists include:
Stefan Piruk, Development Director, Jarra Property
Michael Leipnik, Director, Aston Construction
Daniel Stone, CEO, Mayfield Childcare
Bradley Air, National Project and Building Manager, Affinity Education Group
14:40

FIRESIDE CHAT | Managing media in a crisis: Lessons from the frontline of childcare

When something goes wrong in a childcare centre, the story rarely stays local. Social media, worried parents, mainstream media and regulators can turn a single incident into a full-blown reputational crisis for an operator – even when they are doing the right thing. In this candid fireside chat, Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW and Justin Kelly, Partner, Media & Capital Partners, unpack the work they’ve done together helping services and providers navigate intense media scrutiny, community concern and political pressure. They will share what they’ve learned about preparing for the worst before it happens, how to respond in the first 24 hours of a crisis, and how to communicate with parents, staff, regulators and journalists in a way that preserves trust. Owners and operators will walk away with practical recommendations to strengthen their crisis communication plans, build internal capability and protect their brand – while keeping children and families at the centre of every decision.

  • From incident to headline: How issues in centres escalate into public crises – and what ACA NSW is seeing on the ground
  • The first 24 hours: Practical guidance on who should speak, what to say (and not say), and coordinating messages across parents, staff, regulators and media
  • Building a crisis-ready organisation: Embedding media protocols, training spokespeople and using “near misses” and minor incidents to strengthen your communications playbook
Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW
Justin Kelly, Partner, M&C Partners
15:00

CHAIR'S CLOSING REMARKS

Chiang Lim, CEO, ACA NSW

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Who Attends

The Summit is tailored for senior decision-makers and influencers across the childcare and early learning ecosystem, including: 

  • Childcare Owners & Operators (single-site, multi-site and corporate groups) 
  • Executive Leaders – CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Heads of Strategy, Heads of People & Culture, Heads of Quality/Education 
  • Centre Development, Property & Facilities Leaders 
  • Capital Markets & Advisors – banks, lenders, REITs, private equity, investors, valuers, M&A and corporate finance advisers 
  • Developers, Builders, Architects & Planners with significant ECEC portfolios 
  • Legal, Tax, Planning and ESG/Impact Advisers 
  • Technology, Security and Digital Operations Providers 
  • Government, Regulators and Peak Bodies at local, state and federal level 
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The Childcare & Early Learning Leaders Summit presents unique annual opportunities across a number of channels, all designed to deliver business development and leadership opportunities.

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