KU Ultimo Children's Centre

249-257 Bulwara Road
ULTIMO NSW 2007
Get directions
  • Monday to Friday 7:30am - 6:00pm
Babies Toddlers Preschoolers NSW Fee Relief – Childcare

Our Program and Approach

At our centre childhood is celebrated. When children play and explore, their imagination and curiosity is sparked – they are learning through play, and are inspired to continue learning more through specialised experiences based upon their interests and motivations.

Our play-based program intentionally provides opportunities and activities based upon the Early Years Learning Framework, for your child to discover and pursue their own interests and strengths.

At KU Ultimo, we are proud of our reputation within the local community of providing rich education and care that concentrates on individual children in a family-focussed and supportive way.

Our centre is a welcoming and nurturing space where each child is immersed in a rich tapestry of educationally interactive experiences – a space where children are supported to be their own, unique selves, growing and developing a sense of belonging and empowerment.

Our program offers children the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of learning experiences and activities, each specifically designed to promote children’s confidence as capable, active participants in their own learning. Children are presented with a range of activities including gardening, arts and crafts, music and movement, physical play, block building, sand and water play, science experiments, early numeracy activities such as counting and measurement, and early literacy activities such as reading, drawing and writing.

We greatly value the strong relationships between our staff, children and families, and we look forward to the opportunity of including your family in the life of our centre.


Our Specialisation

In addition to the high quality well-rounded programs we offer, all KU centres are also encouraged to develop an area of our specialisation.

At KU Ultimo, our specialisation is Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) Approach, which is an inspired teaching practice for children aged 0-3 years.

We incorporate this into our program through the set-up of learning environments inspired by the RIE Approach and strongly focus on the importance of building secure relationships with the children, families and educators. Our work is inspired by the natural integrity of infants and the formative power of relationships in their lives. When allowed to unfold in their own way and in their own time, children discover, manifest and inspire the best in themselves and in others.

We feel that the children benefit from this specialisation, because they are honoured as equal members in relationships and, therefore, develop confidence and feel respected and valued for who they are. They learn to relate to others in a healthy way and make positive connections and relationships with others and the world. The children are empowered to lead their own learning and are supported to reach their full potential. We are dedicated to creating a culture of people who are authentic, resourceful and respectful.


Our Quality



Our centre has been independently assessed by the NSW Department of Education under the National Quality Standards, and are proud to be rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standard.

However what matters most is what our families think...

“My daughter has thrived at KU Ultimo. The care is warm and consistent. There is a lovely community among the children and whilst divided by room, they all know each other and treat each other with respect. Each child is well supported in their own individual needs.” – KU Ultimo parent

“The KU Ultimo learning philosophy our daughter has received over the last three and a half years has reaffirmed that we chose the best possible experience for her to commence her growth and development.” – KU Ultimo parent

Our Environment

Each KU centre is unique. The best outcomes for children are created within relationships and interactions between children and staff, and children and their families, not within four walls. We work hard to create beautiful, interesting, homelike learning environments for children – whatever our setting.

KU Ultimo is located close to the CBD and is situated in a heritage building that has been converted from an old church. We have beautiful high ceilings that allow natural light to flow through the baroque glass windows.

Our playground is designed to allow children to explore nature and discover the natural environment. We want children to be able to dig in the mud, climb trees, discover and learn about insects and enjoy connecting with nature. The many activities we offer enable children to immerse themselves in the natural elements of their surroundings and feel inspired to create, imagine and play.


Our Reconciliation Action Plan

KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Ultimo, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2017. Please view it here.


Other Features

Child Care Subsidy
Cooked Meal
Hat and Sunscreen
Lunch
Transition to School
Public Transport
Play-based Learning
Outdoor Play
Nappies
Storypark
Education for Sustainability
University Qualified Educators
Experienced Staff

photo of Jenny Liu

Jenny Liu

Director

Jenny is a university-qualified early childhood teacher, practising since 2008.

She advocates for a play-based learning environment that promotes social and cultural inclusivity, enabling children to develop a wide range of skills through hands-on learning experiences.

Committed to listening to the child’s voice, Jenny implements various tailored teaching strategies to accommodate each child's unique learning pace, stimulating and sustaining their learning and thinking within the community context.

Our Team

Our team of early childhood educators are qualified, experienced, caring and highly motivated. All hold specialist qualifications in early childhood education. We believe that the positive interactions children have with our staff are the most important component of our high quality program.

The daily fees for 2024 at KU Ultimo Children's Centre are:

  • Infants: $169
  • Toddlers: $169
  • Preschoolers: $165

This is the full daily fee. If you are entitled to Child Care Subsidy, this will reduce the daily fee you are charged.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, KU has remained very proudly a not-for-profit provider of quality education for more than 125 years. In the past, KU has taken great pride in offering the very best services with minimal increased fees wherever possible. However this year is different, escalating operating costs have meant that in 2024 we are forced to increase fees at a higher rate than we would normally.

The fee increase will ensure we can continue to improve the quality of our services and invest in our highly skilled teachers and educators. We recognise our staff are the heart of KU as they build strong nurturing relationships with children and families whilst continuing to provide a high-quality learning program. These are vital factors that contribute to what is most important to us all – the best outcomes for children.

Overall, KU services hold the highest ratings across the National Quality Standard, with 82% of our services either Excellent or Exceeding, compared to the sector benchmark of 45%.

KU does not distribute our profits to shareholders or send them offshore.

About Child Care Subsidy

Child Care Subsidy is the main payment to assist families with the costs of childcare. It is paid directly to the childcare provider and passed onto families as a fee reduction wherever families meet the criteria. The level of subsidy you receive, as well as the number of hours you will be subsidised, depends on your individual family’s circumstances.

If you do not already have one, you will need a MyGov account linked to Centrelink to claim any subsidy you may be eligible for, and to find out more information, please contact Centrelink on 136 150 or visit www.dese.gov.au.

NSW Start Strong Fee Relief

From 2024, the NSW government has provided additional fee relief funding, based on $2,110 per eligible 4 year old child attending a preschool program within a long day care service. This funding is applied as a weekly credit to the gap fee after CCS has been applied or to full fees where a family does not receive CCS. The Start Strong fee relief will not impact CCS entitlements.

If your child is 3 years old and not yet 4 years old on, or before 31 July 2024 and enrolled at an eligible long day care service, you will receive up to $500 in fee relief.

Start Strong fee relief funding is for children who are 4 years old on or before 31 July 2024, and can only be accessed in one service. This could either be in a community preschool or long day care service. If you have a child who may be eligible, please discuss this with your service Director.

The NSW Department of Education requires parents to sign the ‘Fee Relief Declaration and Consent’ form at the time of enrolment. Your eligibility for Start Strong fee relief Funding is conditional upon signing this form.