It's been a few years and my child still remembers the horrendous physical, emotional, and verbal ABUSE my child experienced in this centre. Please do not believe all the reviews you see - I suspect some are fake.<br><br>First RED flag: Parents DO NOT HAVE ACCESS to the locked gate. Parents are not given the access code apparently due to safety concerns, but there is no way this is legal. I heard my child's awfully fearful cries from outside but couldn't rush in because I was locked out and the educators pretended they didn't know I was there.<br><br>Second RED flag: The then centre manager Ashley was extremely unprofessional. They asked for feedback which I gave (score of 8/10 overall, plus a comment about my child not eating well, maybe the food can be improved. I was honestly polite and pretty neutral about it), but I received a call from Ashley almost immediately. The conversation was filled with emotional blackmail, saying their chef is so upset now and has to be sent to head office for training because of my comment, a score of 8/10 is "very bad" in their books, why not I come to the centre with my recipes, etc. Not in my wildest dreams did I expect this kind of reaction from a manager. After this conversation, Ashley always avoided me during pick up and drop off and will pretend not to see me when I'm standing at the gate waiting to be let in, because again, we are NOT given an access code.<br><br>Third RED flag: The then educational leader Donika, which I believe is the current centre manager, verbally abuses kids when I was there. This is not the worst part. She also smirked at me when I said I heard my child crying and would like to see her. I vividly remembered her face when she answered snarkly - where did you hear crying? Donika also often posts announcements about how they always welcome feedback and that the feedback are not anonymous so they know who exactly are leaving the feedback. Such manipulation you couldn't believe it. I later noticed how she seemed to have every other staff under her control. Later heard that she managed to kick Ashley off her position and took over as centre manager.<br><br>FINAL RED FLAG: My child finally admitted to me that child has been VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSED BY THE Educators, specifically Donika and Fann (slapped on the hand if cry out loud, forced to stand on chair to finish food, asked to stand out in the cold without clothing). Imagine the horror of hearing this from my 3 year old who hasn't watched any TV before and hence would have no exposure to these kind of things to make anything up (and no, we do not hit nor punish our child at home). Child told me that child was warned not to tell me anything or child would be punished. I was mortified.<br><br>More background:<br>My child was so well adjusted and happy at the start, which Ashley and Fann reiterated. After the feedback I gave, child began to cry at every drop off (silently, because child would be hit and punished if cried out loud), which I did not notice until later. On our final day, I saw my child curled up on the bed silently sobbing, unable to hear nor see me coming, and did not respond when I touched and called child. I could only imagine the trauma child must have been experiencing. I looked at the Educator who was cuddling another child to sleep next to us and he just shrugged and said, I don't know what happened sorry.<br><br>I could go on. Extremely traumatising experience here. Please avoid!<br><br>To Donika and the rest who abuse kids - I can only hope you see the evil you're perpetrating. You should not be in the industry. Your consequences will find you.

My baby has been going to Guardian Balckburn West for nearly half a year. The educators are caring and professional. Ashley supported us a lot with settling my baby. I highly recomment this centre.

It has truly been our pleasure to send our son to Guardian Childcare Blackburn West. The educators are warm, attentive, and genuinely dedicated to supporting each child’s learning and wellbeing. Our son feels safe, happy, and excited to attend every day, which gives us great confidence and peace of mind as parents. We would especially like to thank the Centre Manager, Donika. She is incredibly professional, approachable, and caring. Donika leads the team with strong communication and a genuine passion for early childhood education. Her support, responsiveness, and commitment to families make a real difference. We are very grateful for everything she and the team do. Highly recommended!

Our family is very happy with Guardian Blackburn west. Donika and Ashley supported my baby to enrol and settle in his room. The educators in his room are always caring and welcoming. We highly recommend this centre.

Guardian Blackburn west, cant speak highly enough of them, low staff turnover, strong focus on diversely and multicultural, excellent facilities with small class and well rounded curriculum, full of nutral colours and organic activities, and small staff to child ratio, plus impressed with the food, long day care hours available, nappies, wipes, hat, sunscreen supplied, meals 5 times a day, Staff are so warm, friendly and go above and beyond to accommodate and make my daughter feel cared for, she is always excited to go, 5 stars

It's been a great experience for my daughter, with a wonderful team supporting her on her learning journey ❤️

The Guardian team are the warmest and most caring people you could ask for. They have created a welcoming and safe environment that feels more like a family than a daycare. Everyone knows my children’s names and my children know all of theirs. The curriculum is very well planned and communicated and includes a great variety of incursions and excursions. The team here go the extra mile to make every day special.

What sets Guardian Blackburn West apart is the incredible team of educators. From the moment we joined, the staff have gone above and beyond to create a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment for both children and families. Each educator is genuinely passionate, attentive, and deeply committed to the development and happiness of the children in their care. They take the time to get to know every child’s personality, interests, and needs — and it really shows in the way our child has blossomed since starting here. The daily communication is thoughtful and personalised, and we always feel included in our child’s learning journey. Whether it’s through Storypark updates, meaningful conversations at pick-up, or the way they celebrate each child’s milestones — the team’s dedication is truly heartwarming. We are so grateful for the love, patience, and professionalism shown by every staff member. Guardian Blackburn West isn’t just a childcare centre — it’s a nurturing community where children feel safe, confident, and excited to learn. Highly recommended!

We moved to Guardian Blackburn West at the beginning of the year and are so happy that we did. Donika and her team have created a beautiful community here. The staff are so warm and friendly and know our children so well, every morning they are greeted with a smile at the door. Donika, the director, is often on the floor engaging with the children and it’s evident that she knows each of the children in the centre. When my daughter has trouble saying goodbye she takes her outside to do special jobs with her, it’s obvious that she cares about the children and understands their needs. The systems and processes at Guardian are exceptional-I am confident that my children are learning, cared for and that all staff are aware of my children’s medical needs. The centre is clean, they have delicious food to eat and the children are engaged in such wonderful learning opportunities. Just last week my daughter went to the library and last month my son was at the park. The centre encourages parents to come in and share their skills and knowledge. There’s even cohesion between the rooms (evident in the planning we receive each week). We recently attended a community event for Easter and it was such a lovely opportunity to get together with our families at the centre. I would highly recommend Guardian Blackburn West to any families looking for exceptional care for their children.

Very lovely, clean and supportive environment. We love the programs, the warmth and the support from Donika and the educators. We can see our son has been looked after and enjoys his time here. We can’t thank the centre enough. Definitely recommend.