When we began looking for childcare there was initial hesitations and a lot of confusion over where was the right place for our child, particularly as first time parents. Our first visit to Little Charlies in FTG immediately put us at ease. Staff were approachable and so so patient with the many questions we had. That the facility itself was reasonably modern by comparison to other childcare buildings, with well thought out security measures in place left me with a sense that it was a safe place for our child. The play areas are reasonable in size with enough room to let our child burn off what seems to be endless amounts of energy. Each day we would recieve communication about how long our child had napped, what meals they had, and even how many servings they had of each meal. That our child would have multiple servings indicates to me the staff must be working some magic in the kitchen (compliments to the chef). Neither myself or my partner ever encountered any difficulty with communicating with staff about our child's requirements. Any requests we made were met with a smile and a willingness to help our child. As a new parent, I was bracing for the dreaded daycare/school yard lurgies or plagues. Whilst we did experience one or two illnesses, I was quite surprised how little we were impacted by colds/gastro or other bugs, likely a testament to how clean the overall facility is. On the rare occasions a bug was going around, staff would be quick to communicate any possible issues. Overall we could not have been happier with our experience at Little Charlies. To the staff - thank you for providing our family with such a positive first experience with regards to our child's education, every day our child spent at Little Charlies they came home happy, which is in no doubt a credit to your efforts. (Had it not been for geographical reasons we would very much still be at Little Charlies) (And no - despite what some other reviews may be suggesting, I am not being paid or compensated for this review in any way.)

I’m really disappointed with how much this centre has changed especially in the last couple of years. Worse this year still. Many great educators who made it such a positive place have left, and now there seem to be a lot of agency or temporary staff in amongst the regular ones. Management feels absent and unapproachable, and communication with families has really dropped off. Love the educators and you can see how hard they work, often manning the kitchen, cleaning it and cooking meals on top of everything else! Overall, the management comes across as quite unprofessional, and it doesn’t feel like anyone is really on top of things. From my perspective, my child isn’t happy or engaged like they used to be, and the overall care and professionalism have declined. It feels like the focus has shifted away from genuine education and care. We’re over it, the kids seem over it, and honestly, so are many families, including us. We’re now looking elsewhere. They seem completely out of touch with how they are running things and trying to impress there’s “nothing to see here” and “nothing to worry about” but it’s not something I trust anymore just based on everything I’m seeing. The reassurance doesn’t match what we see going on. Edit: I’m also curious to know how existing parents are aware about the Google review- not many parents would be actively on Google reading reviews of a centre they already attend. That’s interesting that “supporting parents” are coming out of the woodwork. I am KIND and I’m also HONEST. If I felt happy, comfortable and confident, I’d say it and give a great review. This supportive parent review reads more like a defence from management than feedback from a parent, which makes it hard to take at face value. Authentic reviews usually focus on the children’s experiences and day-to-day care rather than management’s workload. Edit#2: The use of long dashes in your response highly suggests use of chat gpt (a very common tell tail sign) to write a response for you🤦 which further amplifies distrust. It’s just sad. Nothing pointed out in the response negates the poor service I’ve observed and experienced or excuses it in my opinion. Putting your ex employees in a negative light doesn’t make you shine either. It’s rather pathetic really. Your reasons for staff leaving are different here than in the parent posts which fuels distrust 🤔 -It would be so great if managers had the ability to self reflect and really take on constructive feedback instead of deflecting and excusing every single negative feedback received. There’s just zero accountability with real concerns being raised in my opinion. Lastly, most parents are pretty clued in with what a genuine review reads like and what a disingenuous review looks like. Understandably, a business is going to do what it needs to do but parents are also smart. I genuinely hope that Little Charlie’s decides to take the feedback on board.

I couldn't disagree more with these recent negative comments. Management have tirelessly supported the team, families and service at their own cost of time and effort, we have seen that time and time again. We have found that whilst in recent time the industry has taken a blow, the continuity from LC's has provided us with ongoing trust and support in the team. I can imagine it would be hard for management to spread themselves across all needed areas and it is no wonder you have not seen them at the front desk as often as they are hands on supporting their team. I know I can always sort out management when needed, even if that means popping my head in another room from my child to see them. If anything the service has gotten better and better of the years we have been there with our child. Cut them some slack and be kind. If you have an issue chat to them directly as they are very approachable, understanding and proactive.

Disappointing. Lack of professionalism from directors. Frustratingly slow to respond to inquiries or they don’t at all. They are rarely ever at the reception desk anymore opting to remain upstairs in the staff only space talking about things that probably shouldn’t be discussed in open spaces. It’s very difficult to find someone to speak to when you need to. So frustrating! I’ve heard disappointing conversations being had up there. It has really gone downhill. Decrease in quality of care in every aspect. Parents do talk to each other. Won’t be re-enrolling or recommending.

We went to 5 different childcares before finding Little Charlie's, so glad we found them! The rest were nice but we didn't get that 'warm' feeling we were hoping for, so we were just going to settle with one, until my husband happened to find Little Charlie's. We had a tour and instantly we felt warm and welcomed. Each and every staff member greated us with a smile, the kids looked so happy and our anxiety with leaving our daughter went straight away. It's been a year of care and my daughter loves it there. Don't usually write Google reviews, but I know I relied on reviews when searching for a daycare, so thought it may be helpful to someone.

Fantastic centre with a wonderful, supportive and caring team that go the extra mile to ensure everyone is well cared for and bring the community together. My son loved the nursery and toddler room staff and built genuine connections. He loved the daily outdoor activities and during his time in the toddler room his speech and knowledge of songs, colours, letters and numbers progressed. Couldn’t recommend Beth and the team more.

A Sad Decline . Now Just About Money, Not Children It breaks my heart to write this, because this centre used to be wonderful. It once felt like a place where children were genuinely nurtured and supported. But over time, it has become painfully clear that profit is now the priority, not the children. What was once a warm, safe, and engaging environment has drastically deteriorated. The moment you walk in, it feels neglected. Grubby floors, stained carpets, everything looks worn, uncared for, and unhygienic. The toys are old and tired clearly not replaced in far too long. It seems no money is being invested into things the children can use. This is not the environment any child deserves. The Kinder 3/4 room, in particular, is completely chaotic. What used to be structured has devolved into loud, disorganised madness. There’s no sense of calm or safety. I feel so sorry for the teachers working tirelessly in that room. My child would come home daily describing wild scenes, like he was loose in a zoo, with children with behaviour problems scaring my child enough that he was not wanting to go in a lot of the time. Sick children are routinely kept in the centre while coughing, sneezing, with green, runny noses and illness spreads quickly. We only hear about outbreaks once our children are already sick. It’s clear they’re prioritising keeping numbers high rather than taking responsible health measures. And that seems to be the core issue that it’s all about making money and cost cutting now to the detriment of the teachers who do their best and the children who are desperate for more organisation, structure and order. The centre appears focused on enrolling as many children as possible while cutting every corner it can. Some rooms seem almost empty while others are over capacity, and staffing levels do not meet the needs of the children. I’ve since learned that staff are often counted as “on site” even when they’re not actively in the rooms where they’re needed and this seems to be happening here. Teachers to children numbers may look acceptable on paper, but the reality is very different. Teachers, many of whom are warm and genuinely care are clearly stretched far too thin. They’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to provide the quality of care and attention children need, even though they smile and speak positively, it’s very clear. No one can thrive in the kind of pressure cooker environment this has become. Management is evasive and, frankly, dishonest. Concerns are brushed off or met with empty reassurances. The assistant director presents herself as helpful, but I rarely felt supported or heard by her. More often than not, responsibility is passed off to the director. Even the kitchen situation is a mess. On several occasions, the chef was absent and the director was left to prepare meals in a small, chaotic kitchen. The food isn’t that great and my child was often hungry. And perhaps most troubling of all: when families raise these concerns in reviews, they’re offered vouchers for$200 in exchange for positive reviews. If you scroll down, you’ll see negative truth that has been covered up. That’s not only unethical, It’s a clear attempt to bury the truth. In the end, I couldn’t leave my child in this environment any longer. It’s not what it used to be, sadly, not even close. What once felt like a supportive and nurturing place now feels like a business cutting corners at every turn, squeezing in as many children as possible while doing the bare minimum to keep up appearances. I urge any parent considering this centre to look closely and trust their instincts. Your child deserves better than this.

Our grand children have been here for a while now. Our daughter is very happy with the friendly staff and environment. Recently I had the pleasure of dealing with the Centre Director Beth Hopper. She is incredibly easy to deal with , kind and willing to help. Thanks Beth for helping us out.

We came to have a look on an open day and we're enrolled the following Monday. We couldn't be happier with the care and education our child has at little Charlie's. There is a genuine care from the educators who are just as invested in ensuring our little one has the skills they need and have a great time while learning them. Would recommend Little Charlie's to anyone who is looking for service that truly is child focused and community based.

We had made the call to move centres, and we were able yo do a walk through the same day we called. Upon arrival we were super impressed with the space and layout, making the most of the area. The educators are vibrant and bright, the children are happy, the kitchen always have beautiful food being prepared fresh. I love that there is so much time and effort put into the weeks, there is always something exciting each week for the kids to learn and discover. Beth had created an incredible culture for families and workers. Each point of contact has been a positive experience.