Evoke Early Learning Oakleigh is truly a wonderful place for our family. My two children always feel at home here, and all the staff feel like family to us. It is very hard to find another childcare community as caring, warm, and supportive as this one. The educator and education, the meals freshly cooked by the chef, and the daily updates on Storypark are all amazing. We always look forward to seeing the Storypark updates every day. Everything has been the best, and we are so grateful for the love and care given to our children. We cry, Evoke has been more than just a daycare for us — it has been a second home and a family. We will truly miss this beautiful place and everyone in it. Highly recommended from the bottom of our hearts :'(

Both my baby girls started at Evoke when they turned one, and it has truly felt like a second home for them. My older daughter completed both her 3 and 4 year old kinder there, and now my younger daughter is in the 3 year old kinder program. Evoke has been an absolutely wonderful childcare centre with the most caring, nurturing and dedicated staff. From the frequent photo updates that brighten our day, to the thoughtful teaching and learning experiences, we’ve always felt so connected to our girls’ growth and development. The educators genuinely care for each child and create such a warm, safe and supportive environment. We’ve watched our daughters grow in confidence, independence and social skills over the years, and we are so grateful for the love and effort the team puts into everything they do. We couldn’t recommend Evoke more highly to any family looking for a childcare centre that truly feels like a community.

Child care with a sweet touch. Excellent care and very helpful staff. Both my kids have been part of Evoke and under new management they also have a surprise cookie , cakes every morning for the parents at the time of check in. Well done and great community engagement 👍

When we started at the centre 3 years ago there were the most amazing management team and educators. They were so welcoming and made us feel part of the community. They helped us so much with the transition to childcare for the first time, with kindness and warmth. From the middle of last year we noticed a deterioration in the centre. Long term staff leaving with little to no warning which upset our family. We were not given the opportunity to say goodbye to amazing educators that we had developed strong bonds with, which didn’t sit right. This lead to my son being with educators that he didn’t know which was confusing and upsetting particularly at drop off. In the past there was an open door to the manager of the centre, whereas from last year with the new management the door and blinds were drawn constantly which summed up their approach to open discussion about the changes that were occurring. The staff that were left seemed to be doing their best with little resources and support, which is not what you want to feel when leaving your child in their care Since moving to another centre we have seen the change in our child. He is so much happier from having stability and consistency of educators

It was once a very warm and welcoming center, but since the change in management, it has unfortunately transformed into the complete opposite. – The government rating has declined, which is truly regrettable. – The reception desk is frequently unattended, and when someone is present, it is often an unfriendly man who does not offer any greeting. – The management office, which used to remain open and accessible for casual conversations with the manager, is now either empty or closed off with the door and blinds shut. – The current management speaks only in abstract terms such as “transparency,” “change,” and “challenge,” yet they are unable to provide clear or concrete answers when asked. – The previous management team was highly professional, remembered the names of all parents and children, and consistently greeted us with warm smiles. Their hospitality was genuine and heartfelt. – There has been a significant turnover of staff, causing considerable confusion for both children and parents. The bonds between children and their teachers were abruptly severed, and we were not even given the opportunity to say goodbye. – Messages that were inconvenient for management were deleted. – Open discussions among parents were shut down under the pretext of “legal complications,” which I perceived as a form of intimidation from management. – Management closed the comment section on Story Park, appearing to focus solely on protecting themselves. – Rather than working to improve the center, they have chosen to close comment sections, restrict discussions, and concentrate primarily on reviews. For these reasons, I withdrew my child from Evoke, and I cannot recommend this center to anyone. I can confidently state that it is a place to avoid.

There's been a noticeably decline in the quality of management over the past 4-5 months. A lot of deflection and even straight lies. Even had admin try to gaslight me. In a matter of 3 months many have left which has only caused distress to the children with the sudden change, although turnover is relatively high in childcare I've never seen a place become entirely new in a such a short time. Charles turned off comments within the app so people can no longer discuss things with the educators and has even told the educators that they're not allowed to discuss issues with the parents in person. It's a shame to leave a poor review with how hard the educators who have managed to even stay are pushing through the evident mismanagement. All in all the heavy push to "protect the reputation" of the centre has done nothing but damage it to a point where I and many other parents have withdrawn their children.

This centre used to be absolutely amazing with exceptional educators, a real sense of community, and a place where my child was genuinely happy. Sadly, over the past few months it’s gone completely downhill. Many of the wonderful long-term staff have left at an alarming rate, communication has dropped off, and the warm, nurturing environment that once made the centre special has disappeared. What’s even more concerning is how parent feedback has been handled. Many families were voicing their concerns on Storypark, yet rather than addressing them, management simply turned off the comments to silence discussion. It feels like parents have been shut out instead of listened to. There are also serious security concerns. one morning recently, the security code doors were left wide open and unattended with no staff at reception (which had been a common complaint) anyone could have walked in behind a parent unnoticed. It’s heartbreaking to see such a great centre lose its way. We’ve now made the difficult decision to leave, as we no longer feel confident in the care, safety, or leadership of the centre.

My son attended Evoke Early Learning Centre Clayton/Oakleigh from 2022 to 2024 and had a truly wonderful experience. During his time there, it was clear that the centre’s strength came from its exceptional team. The former Manager, Mandy, had been a constant presence for over five years, alongside long-standing reception staff and senior educators. The warmth, consistency, and genuine care of the staff created a nurturing, family-like environment. It was this community that made Evoke such a special place. When my son left at the end of last year to attend four-year-old kinder at a local preschool, I was admittedly anxious about the transition — largely because of how positive our experience had been at Evoke. However, I now feel compelled to speak up due to concerning changes that have occurred since then. I've remained in contact with a large group of parents in a chat group whose children still attend Evoke, and it's disheartening to hear how things have shifted under the current leadership of owner Charles and new manager Tracey. Several long-term room leaders have left — some voluntarily, others under pressure — and MANY remaining staff reportedly feel bullied, micro-managed, and unsupported. The once-positive staff culture appears to have deteriorated significantly. Parents are increasingly worried, yet many feel too afraid to voice their concerns due to fear of repercussions. Alarmingly, management has also disabled the ability for parents to leave comments or feedback via StoryPark — the communication platform previously used to foster open dialogue between staff and families. In our parent group alone, many have made the difficult decision to withdraw their children in the new year. It saddens me deeply to see a centre that once thrived on trust, communication, and community now facing such distress. If you're considering Evoke Clayton/Oakleigh for your child, I strongly encourage you to ask questions and speak directly with current families and staff before making a decision.

Evoke (Oakleigh East) has been an amazing and supportive community. We have been sending our children to Evoke for a couple of years now and found the Staff to be incredibly supportive and our boys have developed new skills, had new experiences, and developed friendships. My kids love it at Evoke and the facilities are brilliant (which is not immediately obvious from the street). As well as being a daycare it has integrated kinder classes for 3 and 4 year Olds. Evoke is a well rounded facility and the staff are excellent maintaining a high standard and enthusiasm to help my boys learn and develop. I can't recommend Evoke enough to those interested in checking it out, it sets an excellent standard for child care in Melbourne. Thank you