Guardian Childcare & Education South Melbourne

I feel I need to speak up, because this has been building for a long time and directly affects my child. My son is now 5 years old and has been attending this centre for just over two years. After everything we’ve experienced, I am honestly no longer sure I can recommend this centre to new parents who are considering enrolling their child. The most concerning issue is the toilet setup in the 4–5 year old room. There are two toilets on Level 1. One has a fully clear glass door where everyone can see inside. The other looks like a normal door, but children freely walk in while another child is sitting on the toilet — washing their hands, watching, laughing, and pointing. Every time I pick up my son, I see groups of children standing in front of the toilet area, making fun of the child using it. There is no real privacy, no dignity, and no protection. It honestly feels more like a zoo enclosure than a respectful environment for children. Children are not animals. This has already affected my son’s physical and emotional wellbeing. He refuses to use the toilet at kindergarten, holds his poo until he gets home, and developed constipation. We even took him to see a GP because we couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t use the bathroom — until we realised what was happening at the centre. Beyond the toilet issue, there are broader concerns. There seems to be a serious lack of communication and consistency between management and educators. Messages don’t always align, practices change, and as parents we’re often left confused about what is actually happening day to day. Food is another concern. Occasionally, photos of meals are uploaded to the parent portal — very rarely — and it’s unclear why only once in a blue moon. More importantly, it’s unclear whether children are actually eating the food shown. When I ask my son what he ate, he almost always says cookies, biscuits, or crackers. I know my son is a fussy eater, but when I show him the food photos posted on the portal, he often says he has never seen that food before. That raises serious questions about transparency. At times, it feels like more effort is put into appearances — photos, posts, enrolments — than into genuine care, communication, and children’s lived experiences. Everything feels like “showing off” rather than showing what is really happening. There is also no CCTV at the centre. As parents, we have no visibility. We are expected to trust completely — which we do — because we are entrusting our children. But trust should be built through strong relationships, open communication, and consistency. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that relationship has been built. As parents, we send our children here trusting they will be safe, respected, and cared for. Right now, I feel that dignity, transparency, and trust are missing. I believe other parents deserve to be aware of these issues so we can have an open, honest conversation about what kind of environment we want for our children.