Demand from Canberra’s youngest suburbs for childcare is strong and the market is moving to meet those demands.

Living Design Projects director Dimitri Dermatis, who is planning a $1.5 million centre in Casey, said centres in Canberra’s northern suburbs were filling up.

He said they opened a 108-place childcare centre about 12 months ago and it had already reached capacity.

The new centre slated for Casey will have 100 places and accommodate children from nine months to preschool age.

Meanwhile the Gungahlin Childcare Centre in Gungahlin is planning a $700,000 expansion to boost numbers by 42 places. The expansion will include a play area and a new car park.

Liz Lester, the centre director of music, said they hoped the extension would be ready by mid-2015.

“We were out here 10 years ago so we’ve seen the growth both of the community and the sector during that time,’’ Ms Lester said.

“When we started there was just a paddock across the road.’’

She said there has always been a steady demand.

“In the last few years we’ve had a number of services come online around where we are, and the early childhood schools have come on board at Franklin and Harrison, so everything has moved along,’’ she said.

“It is as steady as it ever was.’’

The ACT government owns 33 education and care centres in the ACT.

The Gungahlin Early Childhood Centre is one of 12 facilities in Canberra being upgraded over the next year. These upgrades were funded through the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 budgets.