Salma, the former Director, was great at making a good first impression, but unfortunately that was where our positive experience ended.<br><br>Initially things were fine, but things went downhill when two of the educators that our baby had form an attachment to left and we were not properly informed. We kept being told they were “on holiday” until time had passed and we eventually realised they were not returning.<br><br>Once these two educators left, our baby regularly came home sticky and dirty and was consistently having poor naps. Our baby was otherwise happy and had no behavioural issues; our concerns were about the standard of care and, particularly, the lack of communication. Other examples include, not being notified when the iPads were down, meaning we received no information about our baby’s food, naps or photos and had no alternative updates about how their day was going.<br><br>We were also extremely concerned when, shortly after a reported HFMD case, my husband witnessed our baby drinking from another child’s drink bottle.<br><br>Even after leaving, the lack of transparency continued. Our baby’s last day was photo day, so we remained in contact regarding the photos. We discovered Salma had left and Melissa had taken over, yet we were still being told Salma was “on holiday” — the same explanation we’d previously been given when educators left. It was incredibly frustrating to see what felt like the same lack of transparency continuing under new management.<br><br>On top of this, the administrative aspect was completed incorrectly on our baby’s final day resulting in us being charged by two childcare centres, another example of Hilltop not having great process or care for the parents.<br><br>Ultimately, our baby was fine — we weren’t. We simply lost confidence in the centre due to the repeated lack of communication, transparency, attention to detail and concerns around cleanliness and supervision.<br><br>A good first impression isn’t enough when you’re trusting someone with your baby. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this centre based on our experience.
