I would like to take a moment to share my positive experience with Eden Academy Harkness. From the moment you walk into the centre, you can feel the warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment that has been created for both children and families. The centre is always clean, well-organised, and thoughtfully set up to support children’s learning and development. The educators are truly outstanding. They are caring, patient, and genuinely passionate about what they do. It’s clear that they take the time to build strong relationships with each child, making them feel safe, valued, and supported. Their dedication and consistency give parents great peace of mind knowing their children are in capable hands. A special mention goes to the Centre Manager, Mel, whose leadership is clearly reflected in the high standards of the centre. Mel is approachable, professional, and always willing to listen and support both families and staff. Her commitment to maintaining a positive culture and ensuring quality care is evident in every aspect of the centre. Overall, Eden Academy Harkness is a wonderful place for children to grow, learn, and thrive. I highly recommend it to any family looking for a supportive and high-quality childcare environment.

Eden Academy Harkness has been an amazing place to send my children. My two boys have been attending for about six months, and both of them struggled with separation issues at the start. The educators were incredibly patient and supportive, taking the time to help my boys feel safe, comfortable, and settled. What really stood out to me was how they went above and beyond—not just supporting my children, but also checking in on me as a parent during the transition. That level of care and understanding made a huge difference. The quality of care here is outstanding. There’s a genuine, meaningful connection between the educators, the children, and their families. I truly feel that my kids are valued and nurtured every day. I highly recommend Eden Academy Harkness to any family looking for a caring and supportive environment for their children.

My daughter has been at Eden Academy Harkness since it opened and she is absolutely thriving there. She loves going to “school” everyday and seeing her friends, she comes home happy and I know she is getting the best quality of care everyday. The educators care deeply about the children and put their hearts into everything they do. My daughter has made strong connections with many staff members. Management within the centre is also great - I know if there is something I need to bring up, then it will be handled professionally and in a timely manner. I recommend this centre to everyone I know!

Eden Academy Harkness is warm and welcoming from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. Educators greet families with a positive attitude and are always ready to support them with any worries, concerns, or questions about their child. The team is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of every child while also providing engaging experiences that support learning and development. At Eden Academy Harkness, the needs of the children in their care are always paramount.

We have been apart of Eden Academy Harkness for less than 12 months, in this time I've seen my son change in the most positive way. The centre is always clean and so inviting. On a personal note: Mel has done such an amazing job growing Eden to where it is now. Constantly maintaining communication and relationships with families and always making sure the centre is up to perfect standards. When I had a concern, the way she handled is so promptly and professional - she really made me feel comfortable in approaching any concerns in the future. Something I haven't experienced before in other centres.

Amazing atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff.

Eden Academy Harkness has such a homely feel to it. The educators are so nurturing and truly care for the children as if they are their own. The management team are professional, friendly and really listen to your suggestions, concerns, wants and needs. They are very approachable and I feel comfortable from the minute we walk into the service to the minute we leave. I highly recommend!

We couldn’t be happier with this childcare centre. I have a 2-year-old and a 7 month-old attending, and the level of care they both receive is incredible. The educators are so warm, patient, and genuinely caring. You can tell they really take the time to get to know each child individually. Since starting here, my daughter’s speech has absolutely exploded — it’s been amazing to see her confidence and communication grow so quickly. My baby is also so well looked after, which gives me so much peace of mind. It’s not easy leaving a little one that young, but I truly feel like he’s in safe and loving hands every day. Communication from the centre is great, and I always feel informed and included. Both of my kids come home happy, settled, and thriving. In the months we’ve been here, the toys have already been updated to keep up with the children’s learning and development, which I haven’t seen at any other centre. I would highly recommend this centre to any parent looking for a nurturing, supportive, and engaging environment for their children.

I had to contact the health departments and Victorian education department at the end of my visit. They don’t follow quarantine rules if there’s an outbreak in a room. They will consistently move between rooms and infect children and even have children all together that should be separated due to quarantine regardless of if there’s a massive sign saying “health department declared outbreak” on the front door. If your child hurts themselves they will contact you HOURS later. Then blame it on your child for crying so much that they couldn’t call you. This is a HEAD injury btw. In the span of 6 months my child was bitten on the face with no reason as to why. Had multiple injuries on their head with NO incident report sighted ever and no call to let me know. When asked for an incident report it took 2 days to be sighted. I was accused of neglect because from the time my child got in the car to the centre they had done a massive wee and so there nappy was full again (they drink a lot) i was accused of not changing them in the morning after they woke up. They don’t care about how much your child drinks water. And so many other issues. There’s multiple children that have parents that are staff so there’s ALOT of favouritism. If you bring up any issues you’ll be given dirty looks your entire stay and every time you drop your child off. At the end I was granted a full waiver of 2 weeks of fees due to the serious neglect my child recieved. They tried telling me my child because their autistic didn’t like painting and drawing. Yet at their new centre does art activities every single day. I’ve spoken to multiple parents that have pulled their child out due to their own horrible experiences. I wish I pulled my child out sooner. Absolutely horrible experience. Issues I had were consistently bought up with the promise things would get better and they did for a couple of days and then back to square one. The fact that I had to tell them to wipe my child after they did a wee is ridiculous.

Eden is Amanzing, my son has flourished since arriving and enjoyed himself every day. He loves all of the educators and enjoys all of the creative learning activities and the amazing outdoor area. The centres communication, facilities and leadership are fantastic. The kids are in such good hands. Shout out to the chef John too, because my son loves the food!