Central Coast

Central Coast Family

From circus skills and football to story sessions, playgroups and holiday camps, families around Ulverstone and Tasmania’s Central Coast have practical ways to play, learn and spend time together. Local early learning, developmental support and regional family services also offer help at different stages of childhood and family life.

✨ Play, learning and holiday activities

Slipstream Circus

Children can build confidence, coordination and circus skills through classes and school-holiday activities at the Ulverstone Sports & Leisure Centre on Flora Street. Programs welcome participants from age two, with enrolment information, age suitability and current program details available from Slipstream Circus.

Ulverstone Library

Young children and their carers can share songs, stories and early literacy activities through preschool Storytime and Rock and Rhyme. Libraries Tasmania also schedules activities and school-holiday programs for school-aged children. Book preschool and school-age sessions through Eventbrite or the library where required. The Ulverstone site has wheelchair access, an accessible bathroom and a baby-change facility.

Leighland Christian School Ulverstone Playgroup

School-term playgroups at the Ulverstone campus give younger children and their carers opportunities to learn and socialise. Little Learners runs on Mondays, while the nature-based Bright Horizons meets on Thursdays. Depending on the group, activities may include library visits, science, music, art and craft, and indoor or outdoor play.

Camp Clayton

Located on Clayton Road in Ulverstone, Camp Clayton offers holiday camps for children and young people as well as school programs and leadership opportunities. Each camp has its own intended age group, dates and booking arrangements, so families should review the individual program before registering.

Ulverstone Soccer Club – Red Hot Skills Program

Children aged 5–12 can develop football skills through a block-based program with two sessions each week in West Ulverstone. Players aged 13 and over are directed towards age-group training, while separate summer six-a-side options are available from age seven. Check the club’s program information to choose the appropriate pathway.

🌟 Childcare and outside-school-hours care

Ulverstone Child Care Centre

Central Coast Council operates long day care alongside before-school, after-school and vacation care in Ulverstone. The centre advises that childcare places have a waitlist, making early planning important. Families seeking care should submit an enrolment request well ahead of the date on which they hope to begin.

Discovery Early Learning – Ulverstone

Families can access early learning and preschool for children aged 0–5, along with before-school, after-school and vacation care for ages 4–12. Outside-school-hours care is delivered from the multi-purpose hall at Sacred Heart Primary School. A child must already be enrolled before a vacation-care place can be confirmed.

🪄 Development, communication and inclusion

CHAT Centre Speech Pathology

This Ulverstone practice provides speech pathology for children aged 2–16 and works with their families. Support includes assessment, diagnosis, therapy and early intervention, as well as help with communication supports, feeding difficulties, literacy and learning needs. Families can contact the practice to discuss whether its services fit their child’s circumstances.

Mission Australia – NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention

Central Coast families can approach this regional service when a child from birth to nine years has developmental concerns or disability. The office is in Devonport, but the program serves the wider region and accepts self-referrals. Short- to medium-term support may be available without the child necessarily becoming an NDIS participant.

Early Childhood Inclusion Service (ECIS)

ECIS is a Tasmanian Government educational inclusion service for eligible children from birth to four years who have a diagnosed disability and/or developmental delay. Parents and carers may refer directly. With the nearest centres in Burnie and Devonport, the service helps children participate in early learning and transition to Kindergarten; it does not provide formal diagnosis or therapeutic health services.

💡 Parenting, youth and family support

Youth, Family and Community Connections – Integrated Family Support Services

Families across the North-West Coast, including the Central Coast area, can access voluntary case management. Support may involve parenting guidance, advocacy, connections with community services, and help strengthening family participation and relationships. The service covers the coastal area from Latrobe to Wynyard.

Youth, Family and Community Connections – Junction Hubs and school-holiday programs

Young people aged 12–24 can seek information and assistance through nearby Junction Hubs in Devonport and Burnie. YFCC also provides term-time afternoon activities for ages 11–18 and no-cost school-holiday activities for young people across North-West Tasmania. Bookings are essential for holiday activities.

Anglicare Tasmania – Pathway Home

Pathway Home offers free regional support to children and parents working towards living together again. Depending on the family’s needs, assistance may cover family-time visits, parenting courses and counselling, meetings with Child Safety Services, court attendance and referrals. Anglicare accepts both enquiries and referrals from families in North and North-West Tasmania.

❤ Housing and family violence support

Youth, Family and Community Connections – Crisis Accommodation Support Services

Young people aged 13–20 who are homeless or at significant risk of homelessness can access crisis accommodation and intensive support through this North-West Coast service, based in Devonport and Burnie. It operates around the clock and works towards family reunification when safe and appropriate, or towards sustainable independent accommodation.

Anglicare Tasmania – Relationship Abuse of an Intimate Nature (RAIN)

RAIN provides free, voluntary case management, advocacy, safety planning and counselling for people affected by intimate partner violence. North-West staff are based in Devonport and Burnie, and the service accepts self-referrals as well as referrals from organisations. RAIN is not a crisis service.

Family Violence Counselling and Support Service

Children, young people and adults affected by family violence can access free and voluntary information, counselling, support, advocacy and referrals through this statewide Tasmanian Government service. Appointments may be available in locations beyond Burnie, Launceston and Hobart. The service operates from 9 am to midnight on weekdays and from 4 pm to midnight on weekends and public holidays.

📌 Before you book or attend

• Check ages and eligibility: Program limits vary considerably, particularly for camps, youth services, disability support and outside-school-hours care.
• Confirm bookings and enrolment: Holiday activities may require advance registration, while childcare and vacation care can involve enrolment conditions or waitlists.
• Ask about access: Discuss mobility, communication, sensory, personal-care or participation requirements directly with the provider before attending.
• Review supervision arrangements: Check whether a parent or carer stays, whether children attend independently, and what collection requirements apply.
• Confirm current details: Dates, availability, program costs and session arrangements can change between terms and holiday periods.

👉 If you operate a family-focused business, service, activity or community group serving Tasmania’s Central Coast, you are warmly invited to add your listing or update its details so local families can find accurate, practical information.

⚠️ Accuracy Note: We do our best to keep this information useful and up to date, however details can change over time. If you notice anything that appears incorrect or out of date, please let us know and we will review it. Local business owners and community leaders can also help keep local information accurate by logging in and creating or managing their own listing and useful content on centralcoast.tas.guide.