Moving to Brisbane with Children

by | Nov 7, 2018 | Family Home, My Thoughts, Understand the Market | 0 comments

Brisbane playgrounds, moving to brisbane from sydney

Moving to Brisbane with Children: What Do You Need to Know?

When moving with children it’s normal to focus on their needs and how they will adjust to a new environment. Luckily Brisbane is a very family friendly city to live in, especially if you find the right suburb to fit your family’s requirements.

Here are five points to consider if you are contemplating a move to Brisbane with children:

  1. The Queensland school year aligns with the calendar year, so kids will be in school from late January to early December. Most children attend a kindergarten program first,and then go on to formal schooling to do their ‘prep’ year followed by years one, two, three etc.
     
  2. Public schools in Brisbane are called state schools and enrollment is based on regulated catchment areas. If you can prove you live in a catchment zone you are automatically accepted at the related school (with the exception of Brisbane State High where additional information is required). Catchment zone information can be found at http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap/.
     
  3. Most children start kindergarten in the year that they turn four, based on a 30 June cut-off date. In other words, if your child was born after 30 June 2015 they would start kindergarten in January 2020. In most cases this means that your child will start kindergarten when they are four years old and will turn five during the kindy year. For more information on Queensland enrollment ages, go to https://www.qld.gov.au/education/earlychildhood/prep/enrolments.
     
  4. Childcare centres in Brisbane are difficult to get into, especially the younger nursery rooms.However, spots are more likely to be available in January as parents shuffle their childcare arrangements. Each centre has a different fee structure but they generally range from $80-$140 per day.
     
  5. Brisbane City Council provides great free events for parents of young children. Checkout the BCC website and search ‘What’s On’. The local libraries offer story time, sing-alongs and other activities throughout the school holidays free of charge. The council also runs a number of free exercise programs in neighbourhood parks.

Brisbane is a great city for families when you can navigate through the move and settle in an area that meets your needs. If you still have unanswered questions feel free to get in touch here and I can answer them directly.