About Us

Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland provides education and care across the Diocese of Townsville, which covers 434,000sqkm and stretches from Halifax in the North, Proserpine in the South, Mount Isa in the West and Palm Island to the East.

All Early Learning Centres, formally St Mary MacKillop Early Learning Centres, Catholic Kindergartens and Outside School Hours Care centres which are based within many Catholic Schools are now managed by a new Catholic agency called Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland (MMCNQ). 

The Catholic Church has had a long history with early childhood education and care. Schools have been operating Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) since the 1990s, in 2004 some parishes began offering Early Learning Centres which became St Mary MacKillop Early Learning Centres. 

In 2010, the first of a series of on-school-site Catholic Kindergartens commenced delivering early childhood education. All of these services were managed by Townsville Catholic Education at the request of Bishop Michael Putney.

Catholic childcare has now grown to become a substantial ministry, six Early Learning Centres, nine Kindergartens and 14 Outside School Hours Care centres. 

MMCNQ now joins other vital ministries of the Diocese including Townsville Catholic Education, Centacare North Queensland, Saints Catholic College and Parishes.

Our MMCNQ Family Handbook and Families and Volunteers Code of Conduct can be found below: