Open 8:00am to 6:00pm
Monday to Friday
Guardian Childcare & Education
Forrest
- Leading programs where children aged six-weeks to six years learn and discover through play.
- Highly experienced Educators and degree-qualified Teachers support children to grow and thrive.
- Safe, secure environments that support children’s social and emotional development.
- High quality two-year preschool program, that prepares children for school with the benefits of long daycare. Plus get up to $1,329 in fee support for 3yr olds on top of the Childcare Subsidy to help with the cost of preschool.
Book a tour today to see the Centre for yourself & have all your questions answered.
HOURS
Mon to Fri 8:00am to 6:00pm
ADDRESS
25 National Circuit Forrest, ACT, 2603
SPACES AVAILABLE NOW ACROSS ROOMS
Welcome to our Centre
Guardian Childcare & Education Forrest is one of six incredible Guardian centres in the ACT that provide high-quality education and care for Canberra families. A true home-away-from-home, the child care Centre boasts exciting, resource-rich environments for children to explore and learn about the world around them through play-based experiences.
Read More
Meet our Centre Manager
Lauren
"I believe in advancing our profession through advocacy and innovation to support our educators to deliver high quality education to our youngest citizens. Through focusing on inclusion, innovation and sustainability we can build a better future alongside our children for our children."
Where children are supported to be brave, curious, and bold in their learning, for the best possible start to life.
Rhythm of the Day
With endless possibilities, there’s never a dull moment at Guardian and no two days are the same. Here’s what a day at Guardian might look like.
With endless possibilities, there’s never a dull moment and no two days are the same.
Handover time with children, families and our friendly Educators. There's a chance for conversation to share what's important for the day/what's happened the night before at home.
Breakfast time where families are welcome to stay and enjoy breakfast with the children.
As children are arriving and families are coming and going, there's an opportunity for play as well as family grouping, open-plan play and multi-age grouping.
There's an opportunity for children to come together and enjoy morning tea.
Following morning tea, the planned experiences continue. This includes both indoor and outdoor programs.
There's an opportunity for children to come together for lunch. With an open-door policy, families are able to join the centre for meals and excursion if they wish.
For children who want to, or need to, there's an opportunity to sleep, rest or relax. For children who don't need to rest, there are planned experiences, which are more likely to be outdoors.
Children come together for afternoon tea in small groups or with siblings (they can also rest and play together, too). This time also presents an opportunity to reflect on the day.
As families arrive to pick up children, there's an opportunity to speak to Educators and share information about the day.
Some centres offer early tea or light snack at the end of the day, which they can grab as they leave the centre. We’re mindful of how routines vary at home, so if throughout the day, we notice children look tired, food will be provided.
What's included in the Guardian Experience
From nutritious meals and engaging learning programs —it’s all covered in your daily rate. No hidden extras, just peace of mind for you and a great day for your child.
Hat, wetbag and sunscreen
5 meals per day
All incursions and excursions
Nappies and wipes
Storypark parenting app
Long day care hours year around
Helpful Information
Opening Hours
What to Bring
What we Provide
- Nappies and wipes
- Bed linen
- Guardian hat
- SPF 50+ sunscreen
- All nutritious meals and snacks
What to Bring
- Water bottle
- Spare change of clothing, labelled
- Soft toy or comfort blanket for nap time
- Baby's bottles for formula or breastmilk
Our Educators
Our team of Educators are committed and passionate about ensuring your child will be safe, nurtured and cared for every day. At Guardian, children are encouraged to engage in interest-led play that creates learning and meaningful experiences.
Our Educators seek to optimise diverse learning opportunities and implement the Curriculum as framed by the Early Years Learning Framework.
You and Your Child
All Guardian Centres provide a Centre-to-Family communication platform so families can maintain contact with their children’s experiences through photos, stories and learning outcomes.
Our Centres use Storypark and each family is provided with a secure login to access on their computers, mobiles or apps.
Learn More About Our Centre
Guardian Childcare & Education Forrest is a welcoming environment for Canberra families in and around Forrest. The location is great for families in the surrounding suburbs of Deakin, Ainslie, Barton, Manuka, Griffith, O’Connor and Turner.
We are passionate about creating a safe and stimulating environment for children to explore and grow. Our dedicated team of university-qualified Teachers and Educators will work together with you to create the best learning experiences possible for your child.
At Guardian Childcare & Education Forrest we strive to provide the highest quality of education and care for your children. Our innovative teaching methods are designed to help our young learners develop their skills in a safe, fun and stimulating environment. We believe that early years learning should be creative and fun.
Our Educators and Teachers are warm and welcoming and are experienced in providing children with a safe, secure environment to grow and develop freely in their first few years. Our Centre features multiple spacious rooms filled with beautiful colours and natural lights. There are plenty of fun and stimulating materials around the Centre to keep the children engaged and to inspire them to explore their childcare environment.
We are dedicated to providing proper nutrition to children, and our on-site cook prepares fresh meals daily to ensure each child has the opportunity to develop positive healthy eating habits. Our Educators empower each child to become active in the food preparation process, and many of the children help select ingredients, ask our cook questions and learn about the various nutrients in each meal.
Our family communication app, Storypark, provides our Educators and families with an opportunity to develop genuine reciprocal relationships. We regularly share images, videos, and messages about your child’s progress throughout the day, keeping you informed about your child’s growth, development and learning. We encourage families to use the Storypark app to develop ideas for continuing the learning at home.
For children aged three and four years, we have an amazing kindergarten program that runs with our long day care to help prepare them for their upcoming transitions into formal schooling. Our three-year-old program emphasises developing some of the social and communication skills that the children will use as they gain more independence. We encourage development in these areas through group play and some slightly more structured activities.
In four-year-old kindergarten, children further develop their communication, social and emotional skills, and they also begin exploring some numbers, shapes and phonics. We encourage children to practice reading simple sounds and words on their own, and we empower them through the learning process that comes with this. Through developing skills in these areas, children can feel more ready and confident as they begin their first year of primary school.
Guardian Forrest aims to provide children with a wide variety of experiences and learning opportunities, so we offer many different teaching programs throughout the week to help foster growth and development. Children are encouraged to interact with our on-site chef and engage in the cooking process themselves. They may choose to select some fresh ingredients to include in their meal, or they might like to practice serving up their food on their own.
Sustainability is another focus at our Centre, and we empower children to develop an understanding of recycling and other sustainable practices while developing a genuine passion and care for looking after our planet. Our Out & About program encourages children to spend more time playing outdoors in the fresh air and natural sunlight. We have a beautiful, spacious outdoor environment for the children to explore and practice engaging their imaginations and creativity.
We develop each child’s literacy and numeracy skills to help them feel confident and prepared during the challenging leap into primary school. Our program supports the needs and routines of each of our families, and we ensure each child’s cultural background is supported and encouraged.
As part of our unique Visible Learning Program, families will be able to gain an understanding of their child’s education. Our Learning Exchange Display will provide the opportunity for our Teachers and Educators to share updates on your child’s progress. It will also be a chance for you to have direct input into your child’s learning!
Why not come and meet the team and have a look around our childcare Centre today? We’d love to show you why Guardian Forrest is the perfect learning environment for your child. At Guardian, we believe that together, we can create life-long learners.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Our Learning Programs
Learning should be fun! Learning through play encourages children to explore and understand their world at their own pace. It helps build their knowledge, develop confidence, and embrace curiosity.
Learning should be fun! Learning through play allows children to build their knowledge, develop confidence, and embrace curiosity.
Kindergarten/Preschool Program
Our specialist two-year kindergarten/preschool program is led by degree qualified Teachers in a long day care setting. Children explore and understand their world in an environment of safety and security. It’s where they develop the foundational literacy and numeracy skills to thrive.
Out and about
Through excursions, children are supported to expand their world, to get to know their community, and have a sense of belonging. Their learning thrives when they feel safe, welcome, and that they belong.
STEM
Children discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through age-appropriate activities that are designed to foster curiosity and develop foundational skills like problem-solving and creativity.
Cooking
Cooking experiences teach numeracy by counting ingredients, and weighing and measuring quantities and volume, while managing these tasks supports independence and confidence.
Ella Language
Learning languages through Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) supports brain development and social skills and creates opportunities to celebrate cultural diversity.
Joy of Reading
Reading aloud to children each day inspires imagination and supports thinking. Books with rhythm, rhyme and word patterns make stories more playful and memorable.
Sustainability
From growing veggies and foraging in the garden for that day’s meal ingredients to learning about recycling, children learn about being part of a community, connecting to their environment and understanding their impact on the world.
Zaka H.
11:14 02 Oct 24
This centre is under new management and our two kids are thriving. The educators are responsive and attentive and there is a very personalised approach to their interactions with each of the children.
Briege W.
08:16 04 Jul 24
Since Lauren and Ayla were appointed as the Guardian Forrest management team four months ago, the care and education throughout the center has improved tenfold.When I walk into the centre, it is apparent that they have been tirelessly working behind the scenes to recruit quality educators, review and improve room cleanliness and functional layouts, centre and room communications for parents, hygiene practices and educational experiences for the children. Furthermore, when Brendon, the chef, is in the kitchen, there is a beautiful aroma wafting throughout.Guardian have also demonstrated their commitment to quality education by investing back into the centre, with upgrades both internally and externally, especially with the resources for the children to play with - they definitely have taken into account the interests of the children.My son absolutely loves going to Guardian Forrest and I have complete trust in the leadership of Lauren, Ayla and the quality of care in his room.
Maria K.
22:26 08 Apr 24
We moved our 2yo to Forrest and I cannot speak highly enough of the team here. Lucy and Sam have changed our kiddo's life and I don't know what we would do without them. They really show our kid love and we're so grateful to have them. He loves going to daycare, the attention, the space, the food are all awesome. He had stopped napping and was always upset at his old daycare, at Forrest he is napping for 2 hours! and has started napping again at home thanks to Forrest! He is a calm, happy bubs. You can really see they invest in the kids, there's always deliveries of new toys and science/arts activties. I've seen their meals myself as there's some days we dropoff late, and its beautiful healthy food, they are lucky kids. We get daily posts online to see what our kiddos are up to, Lucy's always found some interesting new activity for them to try. The premises is really secure, parking is easy and I've always got a spot and nice to get a coffee right next door after drop off :P We've had two kids at a few different daycares and this one is by far the best we've been to.
Michaela S.
01:47 26 Mar 24
We have been going to Guardian Forrest for going on 2 months and it’s clear that my children are having amazing days are well cared for each dayThey come home each day and tell me awesome stories about the day they had and are always exhausted with the amount of fun they have had.I wish I could say thank you more to all of the educators for taking such good care of my babies! :)
Joanne O.
01:25 20 Nov 23
I have nothing but praise for Guardian Forrest. We have been coming to the centre for a couple of years after relocating from another city. Tayla and her team have helped settle my baby girl into the centre beautifully. She has grown into such a smart, confident and caring child with a love of learning, all fostered by the love, comfort and incredible learning experiences provided by the exceptional teachers at Guardian. Every activity has a purpose, though my child is just having fun. The communication from the centre is incredible, I always know what my child has been up to each day so it’s great for us to talk about at home. Tayla and her team always make time to chat to us, and if there are any concerns we might have Tayla and the team always move quickly to help out support into place. It makes me sad that this is our last year here, I feel like the centre is another home and the educators are part of our family. Thank you to the entire team at Guardian, and Tayla for her incredible leadership for making the centre into what it is today. My little girl has had the best fun with you all. I highly recommend Guardian Forrest to anyone considering exceptional care for their children.
Alison N.
09:35 21 Sep 23
A wonderful centre with excellent caring educators and staff. Would highly recommend the centre.
Singh D.
02:24 19 Sep 23
Kiara
22:43 28 Mar 23
This daycare is absolutely amazing, and I wouldn't have any hesitations recommending to other parents. My 5-month-old is absolutely spoiled by the Nursery staff every day. Guardian Childcare Forrest makes going back to work full-time so much easier. Knowing that my son is so well cared for gives me peace of mind and that's priceless. A huge thank you to all the staff in the Nursery and front desk; you have made the transition so seamless. It's been a wonderful experience to date!
Immie M.
23:48 16 Feb 23
My son is thriving under the care of Taylor and the whole team. They work hard to keep on top of his complex medical needs, he feels loved and welcomed and I have no doubt every kid in the centre feels the same. Could not recommend this place highly enough.
Leah C.
22:11 16 Feb 23
Guardian is a fantastic centre and I wouldn't hesitate to send my child here. The centre is clean and well-maintained, which put me at ease knowing that my children are in a safe and healthy environment.What I appreciate most about this daycare is the holistic approach they take to their curriculum. They not only focus on the academic development of the children but also on their social and emotional growth. The activities and games they play are not only fun but also help build important life skills like teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving.Tayla and the team are also just wonderful people. They have a genuine passion for what they do, and it shows in the way they interact with the children. They are patient, kind, and always willing to answer any questions or concerns that I have.Overall, I would recommend this daycare to anyone looking for a fantastic childcare experience. Tayla and the team go above and beyond to create a warm, nurturing, and enriching environment for the children in their care.
Farah T.
01:33 21 Nov 22
fan T.
22:50 23 Aug 22
Kids very enjoyed
Jit P.
08:14 07 Aug 22
My wife work’s at guardian and she comes home with a positive vibe from workplace.I thank the supportive team of Forrest.Good place to work.
casey M.
03:06 28 Jun 22
Simon S.
10:39 04 Apr 22
Julia L.
22:44 09 Dec 19
Highly recommend this daycare for so many reasons: it's clean, the great quality of activities/toys and most importantly the educators and staff which are all so wonderful and incredibly committed to the children. Our daughter feels very comfortable here and is always excited when Monday comes around :)
Warren M.
08:13 08 Dec 19
The benchmark for childcare in Canberra. The focus here is the children and this is evident. Staff do an outstanding job in keeping up with modern philosophies and truly love their job. You can tell that all the equipment is well thought out and caters for each child individually. For a large centre it definitely doesn't feel like it due to the open layout. If you want the best for your children you can't do better than Forrest. Oh and the food is amazing, healthy and fresh.
Bec J.
10:26 05 Dec 19
We have been really happy with Guardian Forrest. All the educators are such genuinely caring, lovely people. They really go out of their way to help the little ones feel at home and many of them have been around the whole time we have been there. They always have really engaging, creative and imaginative activities for the children and have created an environment which fosters adventure, fun and inquiry. It has a really nice community feel and even though we have moved further away we still send our girls there as we don't think we would find somewhere else as lovely.
Hashim P
01:18 06 Feb 24
