Gowrie NSW Lithgow Early Education and Care Centre

I was initially considering placing my own children aged 13 months and 3 yrs at this centre due to the positive website and information provided. However, after speaking with other mothers in our local sports group who currently have children enrolled, I changed my mind. This centre may appear professional and engaging based on its website and promotional material, but in practice, it falls short in areas that matter most: communication, transparency, and respect for children’s individuality. I strongly encourage any prospective parent to seek feedback from current families before enrolling. Families enrolled currently showed me the app used by the centre and the serious lack of information shared. They also highlighted that the service is not individualised to each child's developmental and emotional needs, documentation is mostly handwritten and shared inconsistently. The centre’s complaints process has serious flaws. Issues raised by families are often not addressed adequately or at all. The preference for verbal discussions over written records limits transparency and accountability. management are dismissive. The centre’s advertised use of a communication app is largely ineffective. Daily updates are rarely, if ever, provided .Educators rarely, if ever, respond to parent comments, requests, or concerns via the app, transition of rooms is not documented and is refused by the service to be documented. There is no clear or accessible record of each child’s daily routine. When documentation does exist, it is on paper and not easily available to parents particularly when the parents are separated. There is minimal to no information provided about a child’s learning milestones, interests, or significant moments throughout the day or week, there is no structured readiness for school program implemented or feedback related to if a child needs additional therapy to get them ready for school. Daily care appears generic, with limited attention to individual development or preferences Children are assigned to age-based rooms (e.g., N1 or N2) but are frequently grouped together during “family group times” in a single room, regardless of age or developmental stage. Children’s cultural and familial values are not acknowledged or respected. Children’s preferences and request for thier belongings are frequently disregarded. in the N1 N2 space, personal shoes are removed and replaced with shoes from a communal box, justified under hygiene/safety policies. water bottles are placed away from children and only offered at meal times or when a child verbalises they are thirsty. The organisation also justifies the removal of personal belongings (clothing shoes or comfort items) from children aged 12–36 months—who share space with non-mobile infants—on the grounds of hygiene. This approach disregards children’s autonomy and developmental appropriateness Injuries are poorly documented. Communication regarding incidents—particularly head injuries—is inconsistent and often delayed. Families may only receive email notifications, with no phone call or in-person discussion. The centre appears to suit families who do not have additional needs children, or a child aged 0-3 due to the lack of communication, individualisation and transparency and complaint management of the nursery spaces.