Empower Early Learning Centre Orchard Hills

I regret to say that my experience with Empower did not meet my expectations. I approached them with sincere concerns about my child's... I regret to say that my experience with Empower did not meet my expectations. I approached them with sincere concerns about my child's challenging behaviour, hoping for support and guidance. Within a few months, I was advised to seek professional assistance, which I promptly did. However, due to waitlists, this process took some time. During this period, my child's hours at the centre were significantly reduced, and he was frequently sent home after only 3-4 hours, sometimes even less. Once we secured occupational therapy, which included fortnightly sessions, and additional assessments with a psychologist, we also collaborated with Lifestart. They conducted meetings with Empower and provided recommendations to better support my child. Our occupational therapist attended meetings and site visits at Empower, offering multiple strategies to address the issues. One key piece of advice was that sending my child home was counterproductive, especially during his crucial final year before primary school. My child even expressed that he saw being sent home as a reward, saying, "I be naughty at Empower and then I get to go home." Despite these professional recommendations, the practice of sending him home persisted, yet I was still charged full fees. Although a few days' fees were waived, the number of times my child was sent home became too numerous to count. Additionally, I was concerned to overhear a staff member discussing my child's situation and the professional assistance we were receiving with another parent. I believe this was a breach of confidentiality, and it added to my overall dissatisfaction with the centre’s handling of the situation. The final straw came when my child was sent home yet again, just two days after the birth of our newest family member. At such a vulnerable time, I could no longer handle the stress and decided to pull him out of the centre entirely. As a business owner, I am fortunate to have some flexibility, but I recognize that many employers would not tolerate the frequent need to leave work unexpectedly to pick up a child from daycare, which is precisely why childcare is necessary. Overall, I felt let down by Empower. Despite following their advice and seeking professional help, the recommended actions were not consistently implemented on their end. Read more

Amy Clark

Aug, 2024

Fantastic centre with beautiful staff... Great communication which I love. It’s a breath of fresh air when you come across a centre like this. Fantastic centre with beautiful staff... Great communication which I love. It’s a breath of fresh air when you come across a centre like this.

Imren Ozcu

Aug, 2024