First Early Learning - Heywood Grove

My friend and I enrolled our kids at this centre after feeling really optimistic from the centre tour with the Director. However, we’ve since taken both our kids out of their care in less than three weeks. The first evening I picked my son up, none of the educators acknowledged my existence. They sat together in a group chatting as the kids were unsupervised in the playground. I searched for my son and awkwardly left. I had no idea how his first was and emailed the Director that night. The most heartbreaking moment was when I found my son outside at 5pm in 9 degree weather without a jacket or a beanie. My son’s hands and ears were icy cold. None of the kids were dressed appropriately. The only two people who had jackets on were the educators. Another evening I went in to pick up my son to find him sitting on the floor with the rest of the 2 year olds looking up at a small iPad. There was no singing or learning - they were just little zombies on the floor. You’re promised daily updates on the Storypark app but we only got three during the 16 days my son attended. The Director is rarely at the centre as she’s doing damage control at the other branches. She’s readily available to give you this fabulous tour of false promises then disappears once you’re enrolled. I saw her once in three weeks. She was not present at my son’s orientation or his first day. Every concern and incident was raised and discussed in great length via email and phone. The only reason why we were invited to speak to the Operations Manager was because we cancelled my son’s enrolment and it was part of their policy. I sent a final email to the Director saying we appreciated her escalating the matter but we would not be returning. I’m sharing my experience to caution other parents on what to look out for. I relied on the glowing 5 star reviews that were all written a year ago when I should have dug deeper and read about the similar experiences parents had at the other branches. I’m not being petty over some bad service at a restaurant. I’m talking about the health and well-being of my child. The trauma and heartache I’ve just gone through is something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Trusting another centre has been such a challenging process but I’m grateful I’ve now found a place that goes above and beyond for the families that rely so heavily on them.