Open 6:30am to 6:30pm
Monday to Friday
Guardian Childcare & Education
Preston
- Newly renovated centre with stunning indoor and outdoor spaces that feel like a home away from home. Your child won’t want to leave!
- Our experienced and passionate Educators are dedicated to helping children learn and grow in a welcoming and supportive environment. We are so proud of them and the amazing centre they have created.
- We know you want the best for your child. At Guardian Preston we are proud of our quality learning, incredible resources, and the care and attention we provide each child. You have to come and see us.
Book a tour today to see what makes our Centre special & have all your questions answered

Our centre has been recognised as ‘Exceeding’ the National Quality Standard. This is the highest rating you can receive from a regulatory authority assessment and we are proud to deliver an exceptional service to the children and families who attend our centre.

HOURS
Mon to Fri 6:30am to 6:30pm
ADDRESS
418 Murray Road Preston, VIC, 3072
SPACES AVAILABLE NOW ACROSS ROOMS
Check out our fantastic indoor and outdoor learning spaces your child will enjoy











Welcome to our Centre
Welcome to Guardian Childcare & Education Preston our recently refurbished spacious and inviting centre, with childhood education programs focused on play-based learning. Our Preston day care and child care centre provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for children aged six weeks to six years of age, supporting them to discover the world in a safe and secure way.
- Quality learning programs such as Joy of Reading, Cooking and Sustainability
- Engaging indoor learning spaces full of quality educational resources
- Expansive outdoor play spaces with a sandpit, bike track and veggie garden
- On-site Chef providing fresh snacks and meals daily
- Highly experienced Educators and degree-qualified Teachers
- Nappies, SPF 50+ sunscreen, a hat and bed linen provided
- Extended hours of care each weekday from 6:30am to 6:30pm
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.
More about Guardian Preston 
Guardian Childcare & Education Preston is located in a heritage listed mansion, with original Victorian era frontage and an updated interior. We often receive feedback that our beautiful old building feels home-like, which helps to support children settling into the service. Outside we have generous spaces for each age group. Our babies enjoy an undercover decking space and sandpit oasis in their yard. For the kinder children, a large U-shaped yard houses a tanbark climbing space, sand pit, mud pit, water tanks and edible gardens.
The doors are open in each room throughout the year regardless of weather, and the children are encouraged to move between the indoor and outdoor environments. This allows them to experience different spaces, promoting a sense of community between neighbouring rooms and encouraging socialisation and exploration.
Each day we provide the children with breakfast, morning tea, a cooked lunch, afternoon tea, and an evening snack. The meals contain a variety of flavours, colours and textures, encouraging the children to try new things from a young age. Many different cultures are reflected in our meals, and our seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables provide nutrition and great taste.
Our child care centre is very active in the local community and hold a number of family and community events each year, from family meet and greet evenings and centre open days to family social nights, play days in the park, and visits to the local school and nursing home. We welcome families to contribute their ideas, skills, hobbies and interests to our programs. Not only does this help to bridge the gap between home and child care, but it also supports the children’s confidence, independence and relationships.
Our educators work very closely with families, ensuring that communication is open at all tims. We are always available to talk about your child’s progress, achievements and learning at the centre, and can touch base with you during the day for reassurance that your child is in safe and capable hands.
Guardian Preston has a fully-funded Kindergarten Program run by degree qualified teachers. Our focus in the kinder program is developing the children’s social and emotional readiness; as well as teaching them important life skills. Our kinder programs incorporate a school readiness program that aids in the transition from kinder to school.
At Guardian Preston your child will be in environment designed to inspire curiosity, foster creativity and support discovery. Their early learning will be facilitated by educators and a curriculum that supports them in developing the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
A love of learning. Confidence. Curiosity. Guardian Preston is a place for early learning where children can thrive. At Guardian Preston we:
- Believe early learning should be fun. Through play, a child’s curiosity and imagination come alive as they explore and understand their world at their own pace.
- Put children at the centre of their growth. Play-based experiences and structured learning support the development of language, literacy and numeracy skills as part of the Altona North Kindergarten Program.
- Make sure you love coming to Guardian as much as your children. You’ll meet a team of educators passionate about your child’s learning and development at every age and stage.
We have a large team who together have created a wonderful community with our families and children over the years. This makes our childcare centre feel like home when you arrive, with laughter and constant chit chats with families a point of pride for us.
Children are provided with a wide range of resources and materials to inspire their learning and development. We focus on real-world, ‘open-ended’ materials that encourage creativity, problem-solving and physical development. This type of play launches children into an environment where the learning opportunities are endless.
We’re also dedicated to health and wellbeing at Guardian Preston. The health, safety and wellbeing of our people – big and small – is always our highest priority. We know parents are busy, so our policies – whilst grounded in safety – also consider life’s practicalities.
In addition, educating children about the importance of healthy eating and wellbeing is an important part of early childhood development. We believe in providing a positive eating environment that reflects dietary requirements, cultural and family values, and promotes lifelong learning for children.
Areas that this Centre services 
Guardian Preston services a number of local areas, including: Coburg, Heidelberg, Bellfield, Thornbury, Northcote, Regent and Reservoir.
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.

Our Flying Start to School kindergarten program is lead by degree qualified Teachers in a long day care setting. Our specialist two-year program is committed to supporting your child as they prepare for big school. We focus on nurturing their confidence, making friends and social emotional growth while also supporting their abilities in reading, writing, counting, and thinking skills. Whether it’s building with blocks, practicing their first letters, or learning to share with friends, every experience is carefully designed to support your child’s development.

Our Centre is a recipient of funding as part of the VIC Government’s Free Kinder Program. Eligible children aged three years and above will receive up to $2101 in additional subsidies to reduce your out-of-pocket fees. Ask for more details when you tour the centre.
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.
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 experiences teach numeracy by counting ingredients, and weighing and measuring quantities and volume, while managing these tasks supports independence and confidence.
Learning languages through Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) supports brain development and social skills and creates opportunities to celebrate cultural diversity.
Reading aloud to children each day inspires imagination and supports thinking. Books with rhythm, rhyme and word patterns make stories more playful and memorable.
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.