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Brega van Vugt
01:28 04 Mar 24
Our daughter has been going to Apple Blossoms for the last year and we have had a really positive experience.She has developed close relationships with the educators and centre director, Natsumi, who is excellent and very thorough. It is a very loving, caring environment, which we didn't feel as much when looking at other centres in the area. We like that it is a bit smaller so that all of the educators and children all get to know each other well. We have only good things to say about Apple Blossoms South Melbourne!
Gayathri Manokaran
00:16 23 Feb 24
Hands-down, the best childcare centre in South Melbourne! We have been sending our older boy here for about 2 years and our younger child just started about five months ago! I love that it is a smaller centre so it feels like home away from home. The educators are so caring, professional, patient, loving and kind. There is even a beautiful natural outdoor space, with its own resident bunny and occasionally chickens. Tina and Natsumi, the current centre manager are so helpful, kind and efficient! And the educators, Vanitha, Erin, Lauren, Tara ... just to name a few, they are brilliant. They make the extra effort not just to care for but to teach our kids and my youngest is currently learning colours, numbers and shapes from them! Morning drop-offs are a breeze thanks to the confidence and trust I have in the staff at this centre!
Marita Tillerås
06:38 19 Feb 24
Apple blossom is not just a daycare, it’s a family. My kids have been through all the rooms, from the nursery to kinder and I couldn’t be happier with the staff and the support we’re getting. We’ve tackled various challenges throughout the year and the staff are always very helpful and knowledgeable, not to mention very proactive. I’m definitely going to miss the AB team and environment once my kids are both school age.
Py 08
22:53 15 Feb 24
My 2 years old daughter just started going to apple blossom a month ago. But she seems to love this centre! She has been going to another childcare and she still refuses to go in sometimes. But with apple blossom, just she just joined but always smooth to settle and everytime she comes home she says I wanna go there again!The biggest reason why I decided to send her to this place is their food. I care about my daughters diet a lot, they offer all suger/gluten/dairy free food, I’ve never seen any other places like that.I can see educators do care about what’s best for kids, I really like the way they talk to kids.Hope she can have more days to attend soon and make more friends ☺️
Ana A
04:11 31 Jan 24
This is a great kindergarten, with lovely and helping staff where our child and us parents feel welcomed and cared for. The outdoor space is great and offers various activities for children to spend time and explore. I highly recommend! ✨
Lexie Keller Sheard
03:28 08 Oct 23
This is an excellent childcare centre. I wouldn't consider sending my child to any other private centre in this area. Apple Blossoms works hard to include and care for each individual child. Tina the manager is so responsive to parent concerns and the social-emotional learning curriculum is integrated at every stage of learning, from sensitive nappy changing to planned activities. My daughter has grown leaps and bounds in her language, friendships, and artistic endeavours since being at Apple Blossoms and, most importantly to us as parents, she is happy and loved. We are so grateful for how her educators have worked with us to meet her unique needs and now she is so happy to go and even sometimes asks to play there on her days off. We would recommend this centre to anyone. ☀️🌈❤️
kristel mae castaneda
09:11 07 Mar 23
My daughter enjoys and loves going to childcare. It was a difficult transition for first time parents like us but the educators in nursery and toddler and Tina (director) helped us a lot. We love how Tina posts a lot of announcements and reminders to Storypark. The educators are amazing and caring. They are also detailed with the routine reports and the highlight for us is the weekly activity reports. It is just so nice to read and get updated about our daughter's learnings and improvement. We really like this place. The learnings does not just focus on academics but also an incorporation of lots of play and emotions which is imperative to development.
Jordyne Haggie
00:47 10 Feb 23
Apple Blossoms Daycare is truly an amazing place for children. I am so glad I made the decision to move my children from their previous daycare center to Apple Blossoms. Every room, from the nursery to the toddler room and kinder room, is filled with caring and dedicated staff who consistently go above and beyond to ensure the best possible experience for the children. Tina at the front desk deserves a special mention for her exceptional service. Thank you, Apple Blossoms, for all that you do.
Katherine Bell
00:51 03 Jan 23
Our 2.5 year old son has attended Apple Blossoms for the last 18 months and we have truly had the best experience.The team work so hard to ensure a wonderful environment for the children to learn, with fun engaging activities to do every single day. Our son loved coming into daycare. It was always a fun and welcomingenvironment.The communication from Tina the Centre Director is first class (even more impressive given the challenges of operating within the last couple of COVID years). She is warm, caring and leads the team beautifully. She knows every child’s name and takes true interest in their lives.The outside area in both the nursery but particularly the toddler/kinder area is incredible and a real highlight for a city centre.The Apple Blossoms team have been a true extension of our family and the only reason we are departing is due to a change in where we live.I would highly recommend ABs to anyone looking for a caring, welcoming and well run Daycare centre in the South Melbourne region.
Julia Cameron
23:10 18 Oct 21
My 4 year old and 14 month old have both been at Apple Blossoms since they were both 8 months old. It has been like a second home to them. We've just moved out of the area and sadly we've had to move the kids to new daycare centers and I am grieving! The kids have received such wonderful, nurturing care during their time at Apple Blossoms. The program for the kinder kids are varied, thoughtful and exciting with a real focus on letting the kids develop their imagination and skills through play. The outdoor area is large and full of activities and trees. The nursery is a warm, calm space for babies to develop and my little one has loved her time there. The Centre provides excellent, regular updates though Storypark and I know a lot of effort goes into preparing the updates. The educators - Laura, Nick, Kirsty, Natsumi, Jasmine, Vanitha, Erin, Carrie, Isyanee - are all wonderful and they all helped both of our babies grow and flourish. Tina, the director, is professional, warm, loving and has instilled her very high standards throughout the Centre. I don't have a bad word to say about Apple Blossoms - and any negative reviews on Google would have been well before Tina's time and the arrival of the current staff, so you can disregard them. As soon as we are back in the area we will be straight back to Apple Blossoms.
Anna
09:09 09 Oct 19
My child had attended this place for almost a year and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The only reason we didn't get out sooner is lack of childcare availability in the area. Regular violation of the children-to-staff ratios - so many times I had to stay with my child, being late for work, because the nursery room had 15 kids and 3 carers. The centre used to have temporary agency staff during drop off, so the babies in the nursery didn't get a chance to get attached to their carers. Over the 10 months that my child has been here we've seen 4 nursery room leaders, 5 (not a typo) centre directors and I've lost count how many new carers. When the carers resigned, we were often notified on their last day, if at all. When my child was still learning to walk, one of the carers has left him to walk down a wooden staircase unassisted. This resulted in my child falling down, getting a concussion and grazing the skin off a half of his nose. As far as I was made aware, there was no change in policies or procedures as a result of this.Most carers in the toddler room can barely speak English. They would call me during the day to say that my child fell down and hit his head and they had trouble explaining how it happened, having to ask other staff to continue the conversation. It was very hard to get a summary of how the day went during the pick up for this reason as well.I have voiced my concerns several times to the centre directors, the area manager and one of the owners, but always received the same promises that they'd hire new staff very soon and it'll all change for the better. The reality is that unfortunately it only got gradually worse with time.If you are considering this place, I suggest asking how many directors they had in the past year and how many carers had left.
Michelle Doyle
04:22 09 Sep 19
We have had our 14 month old son at Apple Blossom's for 5 weeks now and we couldn't be happier! The staff are always friendly and attentive to the parents and child's needs and requests. It has a beautiful natural feel and the food menu is very impressive and nutritious. Our little guy is developing quickly and we see him acquiring new skills everyday which we largely attribute to the care and encouragement he receives at Apple Blossoms. The outdoor area in the nursery is really lovely, with waterplay and a little sand pit and a sun/rain cover to protect the little one's from all types of weather. The outdoor area for older kids is absolutely lovely, with beautiful trees and waterplay and chooks! Our son will adore this when he is old enough. We felt very supported and confident with the orientation process. Whenever we call to check on our son it is never any trouble and the staff are always happy to give us the time. Thank you guys, great job!!! Michelle
Cathy Tan
04:43 05 Sep 19
My bub was enrolled in a different centre but was v disappointed at.many things I observed from my bub's first orientation in the last centre. I brought my bub for her first orientation here and she stayed for lunch and explored the nursery room for 3 hrs on her own. No dramas. She loved the space and the lil outdoor space with the sandpit especially. She was comfortable with the staff too. Staff are v caring and concerned for her and me. The director was amazing! Very hands on very concerned for families. This centre is willing to work with families and their needs. The most amazing natural outdoor space near the city. If you're living in an apartment in the city and are looking for a different centre which values nature, sustainability and nutrition, this centre is a great centre to have a look at. Definitely not your average centre. A must visit, if you're scouting for good centres to place your little one in compared to all the modern plastic, no outdoor centres.
Emma Kinrade
05:55 06 Apr 18
Not your "everyday" child care centre. If you are looking for somewhere that has a fantastic nutrition policy and amazing outdoor play spaces then this centre is for you! A must see
Nat Hautavanija
05:45 03 Oct 17
Our son who is now 2.5 years old has been joining Apple Blossoms in South Melbourne since May. We are very happy with the centre and all the staff. Most of the time he looks forward to school and doesn't want to go home when I pick him up. Sarah, Lynette and rest of the team are doing a great job in keeping children happy, healthy, and guiding social interactions among the children in the right direction. Staff are warm, attentive, and nature-loving people that you can see from activities they do with children. The centre has natural light-filled indoor rooms and a fabulous outdoor space that children actually get to use it everyday, even in winter.
As soon as you hit the Yes! button, one of our qualified carers will be in contact to arrange a visit for you.
How to Choose the Best Child Care Center for You!
The time has come: you’re ready to find a child care center. Whether you’re going back to work or just looking for more support during the day, it’s important to find the right partner. You don’t want to trust the most precious member of your family to just anyone. But what should you look for? You know you want a high quality center, but how do you know if you’ve found it?
We’ve got you covered. This simple, six-step checklist will help you find the right preschool program for your child. We hope to meet you and your family soon!
Step #1. Write your child care wish list
Before you tour , take some time to think about what your family wants and needs in a child care center. Maybe you’re thinking about Kindergarten-readiness. Or maybe social and emotional development is more of a priority. You can even leave space for your questions, concerns, and fears. This is a big moment for your family, and whatever you’re feeling is 100% valid.
During the tour, this list can help you stay focused on what’s most important. You can even use it as a conversation guide! Make sure the staff at the center can answer your questions, or point you to resources that can.
Step #2. Keep an eye out for safety
Pay attention and ask lots of questions about the center’s safety rules and practices. For example, how will they make sure your child is accounted for throughout the day? Do they have clear policies to make sure only approved adults can come in? What’s the plan if there’s an emergency in the area?
The best child care centers pay attention to every detail big and small. You should be confident that your child is in the best hands, no matter what happens.
Step #3. Get on their level—literally!
A high quality early education classroom is built from the ground up with children in mind. So put yourself in their shoes! When you look around the classroom, imagine how it would look from their perspective. Are there plenty of books and toys within easy reach? Is there art hanging at kid-height, not just adult eye-level?
At this age, your child’s mind is growing faster than it ever will in their whole life! Every second of learning counts. That’s why you want to look for classrooms full of games, toys, and things to explore.
Step #4. Look for teachers who love what they do
Great teachers love what they do, and have a natural ability to connect with every child in their care. Is your center hiring the best? You can find out by watching them in action. Are they ready to get their hands dirty with crayons and glue sticks? Can they jump from reading a story to the whole class to helping a child find their lovie in a single bound?
The best early childhood teachers are natural born leaders. At Apple Blossoms, we find them using a tool we developed just for us by Gallup. Finding the best teachers is the best way to make sure children love going to school every day!
Step #5. Look for the accreditation seal of approval
You can think of accreditation as a big gold star in the world of early childhood education. When a center is accredited, you know they are meeting the highest standard of care and education. Accredited centers are evaluated by a trusted outside agency in everything from health and safety to teacher.
Step #6. Go with your gut (and your heart!)
Did you feel listened to and understood? Was the center warm and welcoming? Did it feel like the right place for your child to grow and thrive? If you’re not sure, go back for a second visit! The right center will want you to have everything you need to make the right decision.