Kin Early Learning Centre - East Queanbeyan

We relocated from WA, and this is my child’s third early learning centre. It is the first time I have ever left a one-star review. Within a 48-hour period, my child received three incident reports. The first report documented that he was knocked over by a child who was running and fell onto a trolley. The injuries included facial bruising and swelling, a split lip, and bleeding inside the mouth. A second report, within the same timeframe, stated that the same child deliberately pushed my son face-down into a garden bed covered with wood chips. The injury was to his lower eyelid — approximately 2 millimetres from his eyeball. Both reports outlined steps that would be taken in response. The documentation itself appeared appropriate. However, the second incident occurred shortly after the first, involving the same child, and the outcome did not reflect the intended preventative measures described. Experiencing multiple injuries of this severity within two days raised serious concerns for our family. ⸻ Additional considerations: • Daily updates were generally provided as end-of-day summaries rather than in real time. My child’s routine was confused with another child of the same name once. • During drop-off and pick-up, I observed children crying near walls or corners without immediate response. On at least one occasion, educators were nearby and appeared to be conversing with colleagues while a child continued crying for some time. • Older and younger children are grouped together. Mixed-age settings can work well, but they require consistent supervision, particularly after incidents between specific children. Our child’s experience led us to question whether sufficient safeguards were consistently in place when children of different ages were cared for together. • The enrolment agreement requires 8 weeks’ written notice for withdrawal. This condition appears in small print in the handbook. Families may wish to review this carefully before enrolling. ⸻ In our previous centre in Perth, our son was consistently happy and often asked to attend. During our time at this centre, he cried heavily most mornings at drop-off. On more than one occasion, he ran back to me and asked not to stay. As parents, this change was difficult to ignore. I cannot fully explain why he reacted so differently, but it was clear that he did not appear to feel the same sense of comfort and security. Early childhood education is not only about policies and procedures. Young children are highly sensitive to their environment. When a child shows ongoing distress, it naturally raises questions for a family. We withdrew our child because we no longer felt comfortable with the level of supervision and risk management in practice. This review reflects our documented experience so that other parents can make an informed decision.