I really hope this review helps other working parents, especially mums returning to work.<br><br>I enrolled my baby at this centre when he was around 7–8 months old, in January 2026 but we pulled him out Aug 2026. I had to return to work four days a week, and when I first visited, I was genuinely impressed by the facility. I felt comfortable enrolling my baby and initially had a positive experience.<br><br>Unfortunately, things changed significantly after several changes to the management team. Under the current management, we experienced a number of issues that eventually led us to make the difficult decision to withdraw our child.<br><br>These were the main concerns we experienced:<br><br>1. Lactose-free milk<br>The centre does not provide lactose-free milk. My baby was given cow’s milk for around two months before I raised the issue with management. He was then given rice milk instead. We had been carefully working on transitioning him from formula to cow’s milk at home, so this was very frustrating. I was ultimately told that if I wanted him to have lactose-free milk, I would need to provide it myself.<br><br>2. Sunscreen<br>I raised the issue of sunscreen with the room leader earlier this year and was told that their policy was not to apply sunscreen to children under 12 months old.<br><br>3. No regular photo updates<br>The centre stopped providing weekly photo updates, explaining that this was due to privacy concerns. For us, this was a significant issue.<br><br>Our new childcare centre has managed privacy differently — educators simply don't have their phones in the room, while parents still receive regular photos and updates.<br><br>When my baby moved to a new room, I had no idea who his new educators were or what his day looked like. As a parent, being able to see how your baby is spending their day provides reassurance, particularly when your child is too young to communicate with you.<br><br>There was also a time when my baby came home noticeably different — he was avoiding eye contact and was much less interactive than usual. Naturally, I became extremely concerned because he was too young to tell me what had happened during his day.<br><br>I was advised to look at his portfolio in the room for updates, but we couldn't find it.<br><br>4. Leaving notice and fees<br>There was also an issue with the withdrawal notice period. The centre made an error and recorded our notice as five weeks instead of the required four weeks. We brought this to their attention and requested reimbursement for the additional fee that resulted from their error. Unfortunately, management was not willing to reimburse us.<br><br>For something as straightforward as an administrative error, I found the lack of willingness to resolve the issue very disappointing.<br><br>5. Very limited toys and activities<br>I would also strongly recommend looking closely at the baby room during your orientation. There was a lot of large furniture, but I found there were very limited toys and activities available for the children. I feel bad that I have only noticed this recently.<br><br>We are now at a different childcare centre, and honestly, the difference in my baby has been enormous.<br><br>He receives photo updates every day he attends. He participates in a variety of activities, has plenty of toys to explore, and most importantly, we feel much more connected to his day and his overall experience.<br><br>And yes — he is getting his lactose-free milk now! 😂<br><br>I do want to acknowledge that the educators in the baby room were lovely, and this review is not intended to criticize them personally. My concerns are primarily around the management, policies and overall experience we had as parents.<br><br>The centre is currently rated "Meeting", but based on our personal experience, I often felt that the quality and level of care fell below what I would expect from that rating.<br><br>As a working parent, choosing childcare is a huge decision. We trusted this centre with our baby, and ultimately, we decided that it was no longer the right place for him.<br><br>I hope sharing our experience helps another parent make a more informed decision.

I cannot recommend Fitzroy Early Learning Centre highly enough.<br><br>From the moment you walk through the doors, you can see how much the educators genuinely care about every child. The level of care, warmth, professionalism, safety and communication is truly exceptional, and as a mum, there is nothing more reassuring than knowing your child is in such loving and capable hands.<br><br>The team is always keeping me updated on how my daughter is going throughout the day and regularly sends me beautiful photos of her. Those updates mean so much and give me such peace of mind.<br><br>My daughter absolutely loves going to the centre, and it is so comforting to know she is somewhere she feels happy, safe and genuinely cared for.<br><br>I also love the environment itself. The centre is beautiful, modern and very high-end, with thoughtfully designed spaces for the children to learn and play. The meals provided are fresh and of an exceptionally high quality (I have seen all the fresh fruit being delivered), which is another reason I feel so confident leaving my daughter in their care. She always comes home full and happy.<br><br>A special thank you to Neri, Chetna, Parina, Abinaya, Isabel and Jacque in the Baby Beats room. Your kindness, patience and genuine love for the children is evident every single day. The care and comfort you provide goes far beyond what is expected, and I am so grateful for everything you do.<br><br>If you’re looking for a childcare centre where your child will be genuinely loved, nurtured and supported, I wholeheartedly recommend Fitzroy Early Learning Centre. It is such a special place, and I feel incredibly lucky that my daughter is part of it.

I had really high hopes for Fitzroy ELC however there were a few things that left us as parents unsettled. Given our daughter had completed all orientations it took her 3 months and still could not settle often coming home telling us she played by herself all day and no one spoke to her… numerous times during morning drop off I viewed educators turning their back and not welcoming her or including her into play or breakfast time leaving her unsettled and watching her sit by herself… After raising this to management more than 3 times they reassured me that they would place a note on the app to confirm when she settle many times this was missed and ensured me that they spoke to their team and communication was thorough through to all staff member. When i arrived at reception no one could discuss with me and had no time to address my matters… telling me they had tried to communicate it false. I did not feel heard or understood with management and was often shut down which was the cherry on top for us. Fitzroy Management was away and the matter was getting passed around to multiple people, we offered 3 points of contact for them to reach out communicate with us however did not. Why should we have to pay for fees when educators yet alone MANAGEMENT who aren’t doing their job correctly? The level of negligence is nothing like I have seen before. Having moved into a new centre we have noticed significantly large difference in centre management & where the faults were at Fitzroy ELC, I would be carefully considering this centre when looking at placement for your Child/ren especially the educators and who are around your children as the staff should probably be doing the CORRECT checks on employees.

Running CPR and Childacre First Aid training at your childcare centre was a fantastic experience. Your educators showed a strong knowledge of policies, clear thinking under pressure, and an exceptional commitment to children’s wellbeing. That level of dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.

I’m not quite sure where to begin, but I want to start with a heartfelt thank you to all the educators who have looked after our daughter Our daughter joined this centre when she was just 5 and a half months old in 2021. It’s never easy to place your child in daycare at such a young age where she began attending four days a week, and as first-time parents, we were understandably anxious about choosing the right daycare. When we first entered the centre, we were warmly welcomed by the wonderful Sheralyn. She guided us through the entire process, and we are incredibly grateful for all the support and assistance she has provided over the years. We vividly remember dropping off and calling about four times that very day to check on her. However, after just a few days, we realized that this environment was perfect. All the educators showered her with love, kindness, and reassurance. This nurturing atmosphere continued throughout all the rooms as our little human grew older, and to this day, the educators have consistently shown the same love, kindness, and support. My partner and I often refer to you all as our second mum and dad because, in reality, you have all played a significant role in raising our daughter, providing her with a beautiful upbringing while we were at work. For this, we cannot thank you enough! Thanks to all the educators, Armani has thrived and blossomed into such a bright and intelligent little person and it started right here with you all at Fitzroy ELC! Thank you again for being there for our daughter and for us!!

I have so many positive things to say about FELC, I hope I can remember them all here. My daughter has attended the centre for nearly 4 years, since she was 10 months old. When drop offs were hard they always facilitated the process gently and provided great advice that appears to come from current, gentle parenting methods. My daughter started during Covid and I was always comforted and impressed by the extensive cleaning practices that you could see and smell. The chefs prepare excellent nutritious food that I hate to admit surpasses my home cooking and experiments for fussy eating. From a child safety standpoint point I’m comforted by the processes and procedures they have in place and their willingness to talk me through these. The purpose built building also makes for an environment that is safe on a number of levels. The variety of activities is next level and it’s mind blowing to have my 4 year old come home and teach me yoga, composting, healthy biscuit recipes and Italian songs! The staff and steady stable, well trained, invested and kind and the centre Manager has helped me many times with challenging parenting moments. Thanks to you all for doing an amazing job of caring for my daughter. Oh and undercover parking is great for drop offs on rainy days!

English is not my daughter’s first language, so moving in to english-speaking childcare was not easy for her. Luckily FELC got caring and friendly educators, my daughter enjoyed every moment there. Thanks to Radishes team: Hannah, Joanne, Queenie, and Cindy! Our time was short but we surely will miss you all

All the educators are great, and my children have beautiful memories here. We cannot move on.

We have loved our time at Fitzroy ELC! In every room my kid has become so attached to her teachers and they have looked after her so well. They are all so kind and caring, and really form great bonds with the kids. The whole center is fun and friendly, and always made us feel so supported. It really focuses on building a community and has so many wonderful extra programs and resources that my daughter always enjoyed. We cannot recommend more!

Our twins attended this daycare from 9 months- 18 months of age and we could not speak more highly of it. The only reason they no longer attend is because we have since moved interstate. Being our first experience of daycare we were obviously anxious, however the staff were absolutely wonderful and we always felt safe leaving our boys in their care. The design of the spaces are beautiful and the children spend time outdoors every day. The food provided is fresh and cooked on site. An onsite art teacher conducts lessons with the children (even in the baby room). And the dedicated carpark means drop offs are a breeze (not something i say lightly with two babies). The app used for updates was excellent (even letting us know how long their nap was and what they had eaten and how much). Our only regret is that our boys wont spend the next few years at this daycare as the older children's rooms looked amazingly enriching. Would highly recommend. (Thanks again for caring for our boys Luca and Frankie!)