Kidlywinks Childcare Centre

“Seven of my very special grandchildren attended Kidlywinks, beginning as young as three months old and staying right through until they were ready for school. It is a small and homely centre, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children are truly seen as individuals. There was always plenty of opportunity for one-to-one learning, which I particularly value as a former teacher. The staff, from the teachers through to management, were passionate, dedicated, and always had an open-door policy, making them lovely to deal with and wonderfully supportive of both children and families. Even now, if I am nearby, I always pop in to say hello, as it still feels like part of our family.”

“I would not recommend Kidlywinks Childcare in Upper Hutt. In the past two years, the centre has had four Ministry of Education investigations and has had to operate on a provisional license due to injuries to children and poor management practices. My experience confirmed serious concerns with senior staff oversight, safety, and overall care standards. Parents should be aware before enrolling their children this daycare has shown repeated failures in providing a safe and nurturing environment.”

“Don’t use this childcare centre. If you get into debt they will turf your child out on A Friday and you’ll be stuck for Monday even if you just managed to clear the debt. Have since gotten word from 2 other childcare centres that the way the went about things had them baffled. Everyone gets into debt sometimes, even more than once. But how they kicked our child out with no notice was just rotten especially after we had just came into money to clear the debt and money going forward so no more missed payments. It’s tough out there and the way NZ is going and how many struggling families there are out there, struggling working families. Also if you are going to send your child there, expect them to be cold and wet all of the time and sick. I saw another review that said the same thing. One day my wife turned up on miserable cold day and our child was in a singlet and no shoes and socks and was wet. No doubt I’ll get a polite reply to justify their actions where I see no justification. Just a childcare centre focused on Money.”

“We love Kidlywinks. Our daughter has been going since she was 10 months old and she has had a great learning experience so far. With a fully integrated space (0-5 not separated) she has been able to form close bonds and learn with children her own age as well as from those that are older than her. The Kaiako have all been amazing, taking a genuine interest in each child. We enjoy being able to talk to all of them about our daughter. The activities she gets to participate in are always carefully designed with the kids development and interests in mind. She loves year round outdoor play and we enjoy the pictures/videos of her jumping in puddles, exploring the environment in her wet weather gear. Definitely recommend taking a look if you're after a caring family friendly daycare.”

“Our daughter has been attending since she was 10months old & we have had the best experience with kidlywinks & all staff. Our child has never cried on drop off or had trouble with naps. This small facility has given our wee one a true sense of belonging & she has flourished so much. I love how all teaches greet her and all students on arrival. I couldn’t recommend kidlywinks enough to any parent looking for a safe, warm, welcoming whanau feel. I hope any future children of ours also get to experience kidlywinks & the team.”