GEM Early Learning Mona Vale

We had a DEEPLY disappointing and concerning experience at GEM Early Learning Mona Vale across both of our children. We withdrew our eldest earlier... We had a DEEPLY disappointing and concerning experience at GEM Early Learning Mona Vale across both of our children. We withdrew our eldest earlier this year (2025) due to ongoing communication issues, high staff turnover, and inconsistencies in care that left us questioning the environment. Unfortunately, things only worsened with our youngest. Despite being nearly two years old, he remained in the nursery N1 room (0–1y) while his peers were moved up to the 1-2y room. We raised these concerns multiple times and were met with vague, defensive, and conflicting responses from both management and the owner. There was no structured plan, no consistent reasoning — just shifting explanations and a complete lack of accountability. What disturbed us most was how this situation ended. After respectfully requesting to temporarily reduce our son’s days while we worked together to address these concerns, we were thrown a written response from the owner terminating his enrolment, effective immediately. Absolutely NO attempt to support or understand. Just removal. She wrote she ‘objects’ to some of our points. We found it troubling that a child could be removed from care with no prior notice, seemingly because his parents were advocating for him. It was not only an overreaction — it was, in our view, what feels like an incredibly poor decision that speaks volumes about how this centre handles conflict and feedback. We were left with a child who was abruptly removed from his routine, his carers, and his peers — not because of anything he did, but because we asked questions about his wellbeing and developmental needs. Given the owner’s role in the early childhood sector/owning childcare centres, we expected a far higher standard of care, collaboration, and maturity. Instead, we were met with a decision that felt reactionary, dismissive, far from child-focused and our child’s best interests. If you’re considering this centre, we strongly suggest asking very direct questions about how transitions are managed, how staff communicate with families, and what happens when concerns are raised — especially if they’re not immediately agreeable to management! This was our personal experience, and we hope sharing it helps other families make fully informed decisions. Read more