At first, everything was going really well. Alex and the administration staff were very helpful, and the Early Childhood Teacher, Miss Renata, cannot be faulted—she has been wonderful. However, things changed after my daughter had to miss several days due to medical reasons. I’ve made multiple attempts to resolve the issue with the centre manager and admin staff, and have even contacted Centrelink, but unfortunately haven’t had any success. Despite providing medical certificates for the missed days, I was still required to pay full fees. What’s been most frustrating is the lack of communication—my follow-up emails have gone unanswered for days, and no one has made any effort to contact me to discuss the situation. Very disappointed with how this has been handled, especially after such a positive start.

My daughter has a very rare genetic disorder and level 3 autism. The Team at Gumdale have gone above and beyond to accommodate her need, stemming from learning to dietary requirments. Her teachers are like Aunties and Uncles to her. Being an Indigenous family our children treat elders with respect and can often see them as family. Gumdale has been so welcoming and respectful to our culture. With great communication and genuine understanding of life’s demand. We feel like we are apart of a family. They also show that regardless of her disabilities, they always make the effort to include her in learning and activities, even to the point of customising certain activities to suit her needs so she can be apart of the fun. With lots of one on one learning and play moments, I know my daughter is receiving all the support she needs at this age. I highly recommend Journey Gumdale to all those parents in search of family daycare and kindy, because I strongly believe our team is the best team. I am grateful for their support, genuine love and care towards my little one. I know she is safe and loved when i leave her in their care. Emma

I am a mum of three children, and I feel very happy with Journey Early Learning Gumdale. Alex, the Centre Manager, is amazing. She is very kind, professional, and truly cares about the children. As a mum, I feel safe leaving my kids in her care. Tracy, the Assistant Centre Manager, is so lovely—she is like a kind grandmother. She is always caring and supportive. Thank you to all the team for your kindness and hard work. My kids are still attending, and we are very happy to be part of this centre ❤️

We found this centre after experiencing issues with our first choice. The difference is night and day and I wanted to write this review to encourage any parents reading to reach out and see what the centre at Journey Gumdale is like. I believe there’s a level of quality that comes from the top down. Alex (the director of the centre) has created an environment where all the staff are striving to do an amazing job. I think she must support them really well. Alex is approachable, works with me to overcome any challenges and actually listens and sorts things out. Not that I have had any need to but I feel extremely confident that if there were an issue, Alex would get a resolution and it would stick. Honestly I hope the senior management team see this and realise how important she is and that she can never be “lost” for their business. The educators are consistent and go above and beyond and are in the same class as Alex. Holli, Regina and Maddi and everyone I’ve ever come across are all just legends. They actually care and it’s so noticeable. They notice and report things, give amazing information about how our child is going and it’s just nice to actually feel like he is safe there with them. The facilities and resources available to our child seem to be top notch as well. There doesn’t seem to be anything spared and he’s constantly painting and using things etc so it’s just awesome confirmation that this isn’t somewhere that spends as little as possible to improve the bottom line. As a first time parent who was severely let down by our first childcare centre, I can’t recommend this place enough. I don’t think my review even does it justice but I want to finish by saying no-one asked or anything like that and essentially if you’re needing childcare, take the tours etc and see for yourself.

Very good child care service with loving and dedicated staff. My daughter came here on a casual basis and everyone showed us the utmost support. Alex and Tracy have been so engaging and helpful. Mrs Renata, Julie, Amanda and all the rest of the educators are also very welcoming and caring. Will definitely recommend to others.

We had a very unpleasant experience with Journey Early Learning Gumdale (Jr Toddler room). After months on the waitlist we were excited to get a place, but it quickly went downhill. No one contacted us to arrange orientation—I had to chase it myself, and when I called the staff were rude and uninterested. During orientation there was no effort to get to know us or our child, which made us feel uneasy about leaving her there. We just sat there for 1 hour and walked out. We also noticed the educator board wasn’t updated, raising concerns about staff turnover. When we decided not to proceed, the only quick response we got was an exit form from the center manager, we had no other communication with her whatsoever as she never responded to any other e mails. Even our bond refund, promised within a month, took almost 2 months and repeated follow-ups. Our advice? don’t be swayed by the glossy tours, always do a few stay & play sessions to see the real picture.

This centre is amazing! Lisa and Fiona are always so warm welcoming to all families and children at Journey Gumdale. They have a large team of educators who goes above and beyond for the children. There yards and foods for the children are just fantastic.

Toddler room staff are constantly changing and are inconsistent with thier procedures. No incident reports, staph infection from wound at the centre, late to change nappy resulting in a massive rash & missing clothes. When asking staff about these issues we were always told ' i wasnt here when that happened' or ' I only work here 3 days a week sorry'. No accountablity from staff at all. This and other issues mounted and caused us to change centres. Poor management of toddler room, did not trust the staff with my boy. Head office were informed, and there was no follow up 07.08.25 - no one has contacted me. Your reply is a lie.

In January 2025, this centre neglected to change my child’s nappy for the entire day - approximately 6 hours. She was wearing the same nappy I put on her that morning when I picked her up - saturated and soiled. I emailed them regarding this and never received any correspondence or acknowledgement. About a month later, my nephew who was also enrolled at the centre was picked up wearing the same nappy he had been dropped off wearing that morning, approximately 8 hours in the same nappy. Also saturated, soiled, and disintegrating. Edit 18/2 - No one has contacted me, despite the reply below. I have also contacted “Journey HQ” who have also neglected to respond to my complaint. Edit 15/3 - Still nothing from the centre or their “HQ”. Edit 7/7 - Still no correspondence from the centre or their head office.

Journey isn't just a childcare centre it is "The Village". Journey have supported my son and I every step of the way through 3 different classes with warmth, kindness and dedication. They have truly gone above and beyond when I was sick after the birth of my second child. Ensuring my son was well looked after but also providing support to me and my family. We will be forever grateful to the staff and Kate! My son has only flourished and grown since attending and I can honestly say I always feel he is in safe hands.