Guardian Childcare & Education Mulgrave

We have sent our daughter and son to this centre since 2022, We've been very happy with the level of care provided to our kids and have found the carers super genuine. My kids have made great friends here that have transferred to playdates outside of daycare which has been really amazing to see. They have both thrived attending this centre, with my daughter who is now finishing up her 4 year old Kinder program & my son who is in the toddler room. The space is kept tidy, clean, very open plan which is great and I find that they create really engaging activities for my kids. I think the only minor issue(that the centre probably cannot control) is that I find they aren't able to attend a variety of excursions due to the locality of the centre itself. Special thanks to Lavender, Cindy, Meg, Christina, Rose, Bhupinder and Fiona who have been so consistent with their presence and care for both of my children - as well as centre management (Jess & Dani) who are passionate about every child and always ensuring parents are informed of changes.

We've been with the centre since 2019, when it was called Platypus Junction and it was such a great centre that thrived on building a community. When the pandemic hit, a change in management (both director and assistant director) happened which really down hill with that management group. It also coincided with when Guardian bought the centre out. A lot of good staff did leave, we eventually left the centre too. I even deleted my previous 5 stars review. However, since Jessica (current director) joined, really turned the environment around and made it all about quality educational and fun programs, and building on staff capabilities. We returned to the centre after hearing the change from our friends that remained there and really glad that we did. Staff are so much more engaged and the retention rate is steady, so much better that even previous quality educators have returned to the centre as well. All the staff and kinder teachers are wonderful, they care not just about the kids but your family as a whole. New chef provide great quality and delicious food, my son always request for more servings. The centre is bright and clean with an awesome play area on the roof top. There are constant incursions and basketball court excursions at the nearby building for the kinder class. Fun events are on throughout the month and make the kids all excited. I can highly recommend this centre again.

Glad we left. Platypus junction when we first signed up was really nice, it was refreshing to see and be at. Shortly after it was purchased by Guardian. A new manager was hired. And it just went downhill from there. If not for the original staff (mind you, they all started leaving) they would receive 1 star. The facilities are nice, but the organisation is more concerned with turning a profit. Under the roof ratios and increased costs for what? My child went through 5-6 teachers in his 1.5 years there, no consistency. Some staff also speak chinese behind others' backs, yes I can understand, just choose not to speak it. Tried raising a complaint with the regional manager, but was insisted on having a face-to-face meeting. Not interested in talking if you're afraid of a paper trail. If you're looking at the reviews and think wow what a place, know that the majority are for the previous childcare centre. With the new organisation and management, I cant see it going anywhere but further south. Thank you to all of the lovely educators and original platypus junction staff that looked after my children during their time there. You are all wonderful. But a ship only sails as well as the captain that leads it.