Little Lane Early Learning Centre - Box Hill

Choosing a childcare centre is a big decision for any family, especially for first time parents.<br>I rarely leave negative reviews, but I wanted to share our personal experience in the hope that it may help other parents who are choosing a childcare centre make a more informed decision.<br><br>Shortly after my son started at this centre, he vomited after being fed by an educator. The centre followed its health policy and asked us to collect him because they suspected gastro. We completely understood and fully cooperated with the centre’s health procedures.<br><br>Afterwards, the management team suggested that I come into the centre to help my son settle in. I was asked to feed him myself while he gradually built a relationship with the educators, with the plan that they would eventually take over. We fully supported this approach and followed the centre’s recommendation for four months.<br><br>After four months, when I asked whether the educators could begin assisting my son with meals, I was told that the centre’s policy was that children of his age must feed themselves independently.<br><br>I understand that this policy may be appropriate for most children. However, my son is a child who needs a little more support, and independent eating is still an area where he requires assistance. I hoped to discuss a gradual transition with the management team, but the response I received was simply that this was the centre’s policy, and that we could arrange our own one-to-one support worker if additional assistance was needed.<br><br>What disappointed me most was not that the centre had its own policies, but that when my child genuinely needed a little more care and support, I never felt that the management team was willing to work with us to find a solution. Throughout the process, I did not experience the patience, understanding or support that I had hoped for.<br><br>Another incident has stayed with me ever since. On one winter day, I arrived early to collect my son and found him sitting outside alone, crying. When I picked him up, I discovered that his pants were completely wet. No one had informed me, and no one had changed his clothes. As a parent, it was heartbreaking to see my child in that situation.<br><br>In the end, I decided to withdraw my son from the centre. What saddened me even more was what happened during our notice period. During those final weeks, my son happily greeted the reception staff and the educator who taught Chinese every day, but his greetings were met with no response. I also clearly felt that the staff’s attitude towards our family had changed. No two-year-old who happily greets the adults around him should have that experience.<br><br>Perhaps our experience was an isolated case. However, based on what we went through, I would encourage families whose children may need a little more patience, understanding or support to have a detailed discussion with the centre before enrolling, to ensure the support their child needs can genuinely be provided.<br><br>We never expected the centre to do anything beyond its responsibilities. We simply hoped that when our child needed help, he would be met with understanding, patience and appropriate support. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.