
Junior Labs
Sensory play, language exposure, a secure base. Two-to-one ratio in the nursery. Educators trained in infant development. Cooked meals from six months.
Family-owned childcare with small groups, meals cooked on-site, nappies, and every incursion included. Enrolments open for 2026 — and we'd love to show you around.
Each room follows one of three soft threads, with educators trained for that age and that age only. We don't run "mixed" rooms — your child knows their teachers and their teachers know them.

Sensory play, language exposure, a secure base. Two-to-one ratio in the nursery. Educators trained in infant development. Cooked meals from six months.

Outside time every day. Real tools, real materials. Project-based curiosity. Daily yoga & music. The age children first learn to share — and we lean in.

School-readiness with literacy and numeracy paced for real four- and five-year-olds. Partnership with Charlestown East PS for transition visits.
One daily childcare fee covers everything. No extra invoice for the chicken hatching program or for nappies or for a stuffed sandwich costume on book week.
The same fee covers everything in the list above. Most families pay significantly less after the Child Care Subsidy — call us and we'll walk you through what your family is likely to pay out-of-pocket.
Most families pay significantly less after the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), based on family income and activity. Children aged 3+ may also be eligible for NSW Start Strong fee relief. We'll happily walk you through what applies to your family on a tour or over the phone.
Book a tour →
Twelve years in early learning, three of them building Lumio. Mackinley is on the floor most days — she'll likely be the one to show you around, and she'll remember your child's name next time you call.
Five-star Google reviews from Lumio families — and from our sister centre, Charlestown East Preschool (soon to become Lumio Charlestown Preschool). Same team, same care, same Mackinley.
“Couldn't be any happier with Lumio… Lumio has exceeded my expectations. The staff are amazing! … I can't recommend them enough.”
“We are now a month into Lumio and we have a completely new daughter… Drop off is a breeze… we have even had pickups where she has asked to stay and not come home.”
“The welcoming, nurturing environment and small number of kids have suited our daughter so well — the structure and organised activities have really helped her.”
The ones we get most often. If yours isn't here — give us a call.
Monday to Friday, 7am – 6pm. We're closed weekends and public holidays. We don't offer overnight, casual, or half-day bookings — permanent bookings only keeps group sizes consistent.
Six weeks through six years — childcare for every stage from nursery to pre-K. We split into three age-grouped programs (Junior Labs, World Ready, I AM Ready) so educators are trained for the specific developmental window in their room.
Our ratios meet or exceed NSW requirements. Nursery is 2 educators to every 4 babies; toddlers 1:4; pre-K 1:10. We intentionally cap each room below licensed capacity.
Most families qualify for some level of CCS. The amount depends on family income and the activity test. The Services Australia estimator (linked above) gives an accurate number for your family — or call us and we'll walk you through it on the phone.
No — permanent bookings only at this stage. It lets us hold consistent group sizes and lets your child build real bonds with their educators.
For some rooms, yes. Best to call us to check current availability for your child's age group — we'll be honest with you about it.
Tours take about thirty minutes. Children welcome. No follow-up sales pressure — just a walkthrough and an honest CCS estimate for your family.
Families come to Lumio for childcare from across Newcastle's south and Lake Macquarie — Charlestown, Warners Bay, Kotara, Adamstown, New Lambton, Cardiff, Hillsborough, Belmont and the surrounding suburbs.