About Astute.

Why choose Astute?

Astute Early Years Specialists are the leaders in Childcare Management and consultancy services. If you’re an approved provider, service owner, centre manager, team member or teacher then you are going to love us and our team of epic (fearless, talented and legendary) specialists.

Why? Because we get it: all of it. Big services, small kindergartens, great (read exceeding) and working towards great – when it comes to early years, we have experienced it!

That’s why we provide advice and support to ensure compliance, improve your rating and streamline operations, all the while the showing the leadership qualities of a superhero.

Meet our team below and see how we can help transform your childcare centre.

Our Values

Respect

We respect our people, our network and the work that we do each day. We understand the value each individual person brings to the world and build relationships that are mutually respectful. Astute embraces & respects individual ideas and ways of thinking.

Excellence

We strive for excellence in every way and in everything we do. When we set to do something, we do it to the highest quality & standard attainable. Our performance & deliverables are second to none. We guide Centre Owners, Approved Providers, Managers and Team members to deliver excellence across all facets of their business.

Relationships

Our people are our family. At Astute relationships are nurtured, valued and integral to our work. We foster strong connections with our clients, centres, team members & stakeholders that become long-term relationships.

Children are important

The wellbeing of children is central to everything we do. At Astute, our purpose is to support Centre Owners, Approved Providers, Managers & Teams to deliver the highest quality education and care programs to children. Children are our future and they deserve to be nurtured, supported and provided with loving environments & community for their early learning journey.

Meet our expert team

Mel Comerford

Director & Founder

Mel is an experienced early childhood professional with more than 25 years working in the early years sector and is passionate about and dedicated

Kylie Dawson

Strategy, Planning & Innovation Manager

Kylie is an experienced early childhood professional who is extremely passionate about supporting centre communities to work together to provide their children with high

Natalie McDonald

Corporate Services Manager

Natalie is an experienced marketing, communication, and project management professional, with over 13 years’ experience within the early childhood sector. She joins Astute Early

Ashleigh Marshall-Payne

Accounts Manager

Ashleigh is a qualified Bookkeeper and Trust Accountant who has worked in the Accounting & Bookkeeping Industry for over 6 years. She has completed

Rebecca Donaldson

Children's Services Manager

Bec a passionate Early Years Specialist with a wide range of experience stemming from over 14 years working in the early years sector. In

Jackie Alesi

Executive Assistant

Jackie is an experienced executive assistant with over 10 years experience in administration, customer service and executive support. Jackie is results driven and thrives

Priscilla Mulcahy

Strategy, Planning & Innovation Coordinator

Priscilla is an experienced early childhood professional with a passion for making a difference. Over the course of 20 years working in the sector,

BMA and Astute Early Years Specialists Nominated for Prestigious Queensland Mining Award

We at Astute Early Years Specialists are thrilled to announce that our collaborative initiative with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) has been nominated for the Community, Staff Engagement, or Equal Opportunity Award at the esteemed Queensland Mining Awards. This nomination is a significant acknowledgment of our innovative efforts in regional childcare through the Childcare Leadership Alliance (CLA) project.

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Contact us today and let our team of early years specialists work their magic.