Chatterbox Early Learning & Child Care - Dutton Park

Our children started attending this centre when it was still called Chatterbox. Back then, it was a wonderful experience, but after the centre... Our children started attending this centre when it was still called Chatterbox. Back then, it was a wonderful experience, but after the centre was sold to a real estate company based in Maroochydore QLD, it rebranded to Una. The glowing reviews you see now are mostly from the Chatterbox days, when the centre was genuinely great. Unfortunately, the new management has not lived up to the expectations set by its predecessor. Despite claiming to be family-owned, the reality is that Una operates more like a corporate entity focused on profit, rather than on the well-being of the children or families. The price increases alone are a clear indication of this shift, with fees rising first on 08 July 2004, and again most recently on 27 January 2025. And yet, the service has reduced in quality. One of the most concerning issues was the change in the food policy. The centre originally had a cook on-site, but Una outsourced meals to a catering company no parent seemed happy with, particularly because of the unhealthy ingredients they used and the Google reviews flagging that catering company. Even more frustrating, they made this change without informing parents, which I believe is a violation of Regulation 172 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. For months, we paid for meals that were supposedly cooked at the centre, per our enrolment agreement, but these were just outsourced. Initially, they said it was a two-week trial, but by the end of November 2024, there was still no cook. Despite the ongoing problems, Una raised prices from $157 to $166 per day in January 2025. It wasn’t until just recently—10 February 2025—that they finally hired a cook. Even so, they continued using the catering service for one more week, ignoring the parents' months-long objections. This was a huge issue for many families, and many ended up leaving because of it. Communication has also been a major problem. There’s been little to no updates or transparency about what’s going on, especially under the leadership of Una Dutton Park's director, Charmaine. I understand she left the centre by 04 February 2025, but the entire period from when Una took over in 2024, right up until her departure, was a constant source of frustration for parents. It felt like the centre was being run terribly, while prices kept going up. Management also tends to gaslight you when you raise issues with them. It's been horrible. While the educators at Una Dutton Park are still great, and we’re grateful for their care, the overall experience at Una has been incredibly disappointing. I sincerely hope they can turn things around, but at the moment, it feels like we’re being taken advantage of as parents. Read more