Goodstart Early Learning Haberfield

We are devastated and disappointed to have had to leave Goodstart Haberfield due to poor leadership and lack of communication, even after starting there in early 2021 and previously having exceptional experiences. I would like to reiterate that the childcare staff themselves are excellent and looked after our children like they were their own. In the past year the director has changed multiple times and while we anticipated some time to settle, I eventually lost confidence in their ability to effectively manage the centre. During this time there were many staff movements including our child’s key educator, between the rooms which didn’t give a consistent point of contact to give updates regarding our child. Especially being in the preschool room, we were seeking a ready for school plan and consistent educators to provide this. There have also been over 10 children leave due to parents having similar issues to us at the centre along with long-standing staff also leaving. We persevered to give the benefit-of-the-doubt for the centre and had meetings with the director, room leader and state manager to no avail. Since moving centres, it has further highlighted the lack of planning and communication. At Goodstart incursions and excursions are often planned last minute and although we signed an undated excursion form, we found out our child had left the centre via a social media post. This could have easily been mentioned at drop-off or communicated via the app (Storypark). IF there are notifications about staffing and excursions, they are communicated via handwritten notes stuck to the door. A few initiatives were introduced after our meetings, but these were very reactive and short lived. The incursions that were introduced were also a parent-paid model whereas the centre we go to now has a comparable day rate and has incursions included, which is important to note when considering costs for childcare. I was looking for proactive planning and to know what the direction for the centre is for the next 3, 6, 12 months. I did not want to write this review and am saddened that the only option we were left with was to leave the centre. I hope that this review inspires change for the centre and for the children that currently attend. I also encourage you to make a thorough assessment of this centre before considering it for your child.