Guardian Childcare & Education Abbotsford

  • Proud winner of the GOLD Family Choice Award 2025. As determined by our existing families rating their experience of our Centre via Family Satisfaction Survey and independent Google Reviews. Click here for more detail
  • We know you want the best for your child. At Guardian Abbotsford 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.
  • Choose us, and watch your child explore, learn, and thrive with confidence, guided by passionate Educators and strong family connection.
  • Don’t miss out! Come and see for yourself not just our beautiful spaces, and incredible team, but the amazing sense of community we share. The leading childcare in the area.

Book a tour today to see what makes our Centre special & have all your questions answered

Abbotsford Map Image

HOURS

Mon to Fri 7:00am to 6:30pm

ADDRESS

3 Flockhart Street Abbotsford, VIC, 3067

SPACES AVAILABLE NOW ACROSS ROOMS

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Check out our fantastic indoor and outdoor learning spaces your child will enjoy

Welcome to our Centre

Welcome to Guardian Childcare & Education Abbotsford! Our spacious, bright and welcoming childcare and long day care centre in Abbotsford provides leading learning programs in a nurturing environment for children aged six weeks to six years.

Our long day care in Abbotsford is ideally located for families in surrounding suburbs near Kew, Richmond, Collingwood, East Melbourne, Fitzroy, Hawthorn and Cremorne.

Our 120 place centre includes a rooftop garden where children engage in our Gardening and Sustainability program, mud play, sandpit play and other outdoor exploration. Located close to Victoria Street, the centre has easy access to public transport.

Our Abbotsford childcare centre offers:

  • 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, rooftop garden, mud play and exciting play structures
  • On-site Chef providing fresh snacks and meals daily
  • Nappies, SPF 50+ sunscreen, high-quality formula and bed linen provided
  • Extended hours of care each weekday from 7.00am to 6.30pm

Supported through a passionate and dedicated team, our day care in Abbotsford is an inclusive learning environment; a personalised approach ensures each child is supported to be bold, creative, and curious in their learning journey.

The Victorian Government offers funding to provide families up to 15 hours of Free Kindergarten a week, in addition to the Childcare Subsidy. The funding offsets the fees for three and four-year-old children that are part of the centre’s long day care Kindergarten program. Families will save up to $2,101 a year for children aged three-years-old and above in eligible long day cares in 2025. Ask us for more information when you visit our Centre.

As part of our unique Visible Learning Program, families have the chance to gain an in-depth understanding of their child’s learning. Easily accessible for families, our Learning Exchange Display provides the opportunity for our Teachers and Educators to share with you any updates on their progress every day. You will also have the chance to share with us your own personal goals and visions for us to implement, having direct input in your child’s educational journey!

Families will also be given access to our family communication app Storypark, where we will share with you any significant updates in your child’s day, as well as any other important updates that happen in the centre – ensuring that you’re always connected, even when you’re not here.

If you’re looking to begin the adventure and want to explore, book a tour and meet our team at Guardian childcare in Abbotsford today!

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Abbotsford Centre Manager Image

Meet our Centre Manager Zainab and team

"Each Child Matters. We are passionate about building trusting relationships and providing calm, attentive, responsive and respectful interactions to create the foundation for children to develop a safe and secure sense of belonging, a confident sense of being and becoming independent, capable, curious learners."

Our Flying Start to School program provides a specialised 2-year curriculum for children aged 3 to 5. Our unique program has two stages - Becoming Me for 3 year olds and Being Me for 4 year olds. Using developmental milestones and continuous monitoring of your child’s progress, this program is designed to make sure your child gets a flying start to school. Read more HERE

Flying start to school

Where children are supported to be brave, curious, and bold in their learning, for the best possible start to life.

Reviews from Google

5.0
(25)
Ash C
Ash C
21:11 07 May 25
My almost 2 year old attends this daycare and she not only loves coming here but has excelled leaps and bounds across multiple areas.The teachers are all lovely, and really personable and management really makes you feel like your child is in the best possible care. My 5 month will also be enrolled here soon and I can't wait to see her grow and enjoy it too!
Arthur O.
Arthur O.
11:44 07 May 25
Fantastic enviroment for children to develop, my daughter attended from 18 months old and she loves going. She has had caring educators, the team is fantastic. Would fully recommend. They are also very flexible and accommodating with extra days.
Rachel M
Rachel M
09:38 06 May 25
As a new mum it was daunting to select a childcare and trust them to take care of my 10mth old baby, I am so happy we chose this childcare, I felt so supported during orientation, it wasn’t rushed or forced, they’re so understanding the transition is hard and they took the time to get know me and my baby and build a relationship with both of us to set us both up for when the time came to being apart for the day. My son has adjusted so well, he is so happy & thriving , I love in the morning the educators are so smily , warm and loving towards all the babies and the parents. There is a variety of food , they’re always doing fun activities and I love the storypark updates to see what he has been up to for the day. The educators truely are fantastic. I love knowing my baby is in good hands and he is looked after so well, Thankyou
Toni A.
Toni A.
03:23 15 Apr 25
Have had a very good experience with Guardian childcare. My daughter is 2 and loves going everyday, she loves all of the staff and the facilities are great. Even on Saturdays she asks can she go! Anytime we've had an issue it gets sorted immediately and we couldn't be happier.
Sam B.
Sam B.
09:31 04 Apr 25
We’ve had a great experience with our first child here. Really great educators. Lovely spaces. Great flexibility and communication with home. Really well run.
Lauren B.
Lauren B.
08:45 01 Apr 25
Great childcare centre. The staff are lovely, enthusiastic and patient. Our son really struggled at first with separation anxiety and the team were patient and flexible with him. He now loves it and waves me goodbye! They also do swap days if your regular day falls on a public holiday which is such a win! Would definitely recommend.
Samantha B.
Samantha B.
02:06 06 Feb 24
The staff and teachers are so lovely, I know my son is in safe hands! They do heaps of activities to keep the children engaged. Lots of outdoor play. My son comes home exhausted but happy!
Michael J.
Michael J.
08:44 23 Dec 23
Outstanding daycare! Loved the open spaces between the rooms which provided plenty of fresh air and the ability for children to play outside no matter the weather. The whole team are very friendly and caring. They looked after our two boys so well and we were sad to leave. They also have plenty of extra days and allow you to swap public holidays - something many others don’t offer. Highly recommended!
Ryan C.
Ryan C.
21:09 17 Nov 23
My son loves attending. He has close relationships with his teachers and educators. During the orientation process everyone supported my son and me through this settling in stage. All the educators were happy and introduced themselves and Management was friendly and made this process easy for my family.
Furry T.
Furry T.
10:53 11 Aug 23
Amazing facilities, program and wonderful educators.We walked into this centre and was welcome by the centre manager with a very warm welcoming.Our son is thriving and it’s been two weeks in the three year old kinder room.Thank you to the dedicated staff for going above and beyond for our little guys first two weeks. The daily updates of his learning help make the day easier knowing he is loved and cared for.Thank you Bec and the team.
Jemma M.
Jemma M.
09:01 19 May 23
My son attended Guardian from 20 months to just before his 4th birthday. The centre was amazing for our family, always caring and supportive. We saw our son really begin to flourish in his social skills quite fast, despite spending a large chunk of time in lockdown from a young age and being an only child. Thanks to Guardian, he has developed in to an amazing young man, who shows amazing kindness and care with others (and is a bit of a whizz at puzzles!). I couldn't recommend this centre any higher!
Danielle B.
Danielle B.
02:56 19 Oct 22
Fantastic, dedicated and consistent staff who are wonderful with the children and help create a warm, welcoming environment.
Daniel M.
Daniel M.
23:43 12 Jul 22
We sent our son to Guardian Abbotsford for about 9 months (only changed centres because we've bought a house far away). It is a fantastic centre with wonderful staff. For nervous first timers sending their small child to childcare it was great comfort to know he know he was being cared for by such dedicated educators. We can only hope our next centre is as good!
Emma W.
Emma W.
11:27 15 Jun 22
A wonderfully supportive centre. The level of communication and care is above and beyond.Handled all the challenges that Covid presented with honesty and clear instructions.Well done! We are so glad that Guardian is apart of Grace's weekly routine.
Luisa F.
Luisa F.
09:10 26 Oct 21
We've been at this centre for 2 years now and our experience has been fabulous. The educators are amazing with the children. They really work incredibly hard to ensure the children have different learning experiences on a daily basis. The centre admin staff comunicate very effectively with the community and its also very much appreciated. Everyone is extremely friendly and the overall experience has made me proud that my son enjoys going there.
Trinity S.
Trinity S.
11:05 21 Oct 21
Florence and C.
Florence and C.
21:26 25 Feb 21
Our boys have been at Guardian since 8 months (1 is currently in Prep and the other still in care) I can not fault the team. They have been professional, responsive and super resilient. They have been incredibly supportive and so helpful during drop off as my son had a difficult time readjusting going back to care. I highly recommend Guardian, meet the educators and see the centre.
Yasmeen A.
Yasmeen A.
02:06 18 Feb 21
My daughter went to guardian abbotsford for 2,5 yrs. In those years she turned from a shy little toddler into a talktive little lady with a wild imagination. She loved it, the educators and management are amazing, helpful and professional. I cant recommend them enough.
Katherine H.
Katherine H.
09:39 22 Dec 20
Today was my daughter’s last day at this centre and I’m writing this review to show my appreciation. From the first day, the educators and other team members have shown so much care, compassion and dedication. It’s a very close knit community that I expect is hard to find elsewhere. It certainly reassured me about leaving my little girl each day.
Anthony S.
Anthony S.
03:31 21 Sep 20
My daughter has been attending this centre since she was 5 months old, and we have had such a positive experience. They understood how difficult it was to leave a baby with near strangers, but made us feel comfortable with the decision through constant communication and daily updates. The educators are wonderful, and she has developed amazing relationships with them and the other children. We receive daily updates which include photos, and it's clear to see how much she's grown and developed over the last 18 months with them. Couldn't recommend more highly!
Eva X.
Eva X.
01:30 13 Dec 19
Our experience with Explorers Abbostford has been really good. My son is with them for 8 months since 1 year old and it's really sad to say goodbye because I am taking maternity leave soon, have to change him to a childcare close to our home. But after back to work, will definitely send him back to this center. The room leader, teachers and management team all really good and friendly. My son loves being part of the big family and he build a strong relationship with teachers and kids here.
JT
JT
05:30 19 Oct 19
Our experience with Explorers Abbostford has been really good. In the last two year and half, teachers always provide daily photo and reports about our son and the activities of the day, they have been very supportive with our son in order to reinforce his confidence, to explore new skills and to integrate with other kids and make friends. We really appreciate the multi cultural environment of Explorers and their Reggio Emilia approach which fits very well with the personality of our son. We are very happy with the staff, teachers work very hard, taking care of kids is not an easy task, however, they still manage to have an smile at the end of the day and comment how our son did during the day. Many thanks Explorers.Access to the facilities is controlled by several security systems, there is plenty of car park accessed by remote control in a garage, and kids can play outside in safe environment, there is a newsletter every week with the different information and there is an app to access the photos of your kid.
Aneesh N.
Aneesh N.
04:03 15 Oct 19
Kylie S.
Kylie S.
06:22 14 Oct 19
Finding a great child care centre is a challenge for all parents. When I returned to work part time we were planning to send our son to a large centre close to our home, but didn't proceed at the last minute because we were not confident in the staff. A friend from my mother's group suggested we look at Explorers. Wow. We were instantly hooked. The small numbers of children on each level and grouping children by age gave us such confidence to leave our 1 year old in their care. He has now been there for 18 months and loves it. The skills and confidence that he continues to gain in his language and social development always impresses us. We were so happy with Explorers that our second child has attended since 6 months of age. It's particularly difficult to leave a young baby with strangers, but we knew the staff and were confident in their care. All the staff have all been amazing - room teachers, management, administration. We couldn't ask for a better child care centre for our kids.
Beatrice T.
Beatrice T.
06:36 21 Feb 23
Edit: Management has changed since and many educators have left, will need to give it awhile to see how things pick up again.- -We have had 2 children come through this centre and could not speak highly enough of the care and attention that every educator has shown us in the last 5 years. Both my children have built very strong bonds with the educators they have had each year. Admin staff are very responsive and helpful, we have had no communication issues whatsoever in our time here.We always recommend Guardian Abbotsford to new families who move into the neighbourhood. Keep up the good work team!
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Rhythm of the Day

We know children (and families) like routine. Whilst no two days of learning are ever the same - here's what a day at Guardian might look like.

Whilst no two days of learning are ever the same - here's what a day at Guardian might look like.

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

Hat, wetbag and sunscreen

5 meals per day

5 meals per day

All incursions and excursions

All incursions and excursions

Nappies, wipes and formula

Nappies and wipes

Storypark parenting app

Storypark parenting app

Long day care hours year around

Long day care hours year around

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Frequently asked questions

What should I bring, and what do you provide?

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

Who are the team that will be looking after my child?

Abbotsford Centre Manager Image

Zainab and team

Our Centre team, led by our experienced Centre Manager Zainab, prides themselves on creating a great sense of community for all families.

Each role in the Centre is designed to work together to help create a nurturing environment for every child in each of our learning spaces.

In our Nursery Room, the dedicated team has a special role in creating secure attachments, routines, and strong relationships. Unique to Guardian nurseries is our Baby Ambassador, who is your go-to person for you and your baby’s first 12 months with us. They will know every detail about your baby: how breast or bottle milk is managed, how they like to eat, their sleeping routines, the nappies they wear, and more. With babies as young as six weeks in the Centre, it’s the Baby Ambassador’s job to work with families and Educators to help make our Nursery feel just like home.

Our Educators across the age groups work together to create fun, stimulating, and age-appropriate experiences for every child in their care. They are dedicated, experienced professionals who are allocated to a specific room so they can get to know each child individually and support their learning and development.

As part of our 2-year Flying Start to School program, we have degree-qualified Teachers who use the latest teaching practices to help your child build essential practical and social skills, ensuring they’re ready for their next big adventure—school!

Each room has a Lead Educator or Teacher who is responsible for planning and implementing an effective ongoing cycle of planning, documentation, and evaluation of the room’s learning program.

At the core of the Centre is our Cook—make sure you check out their daily menu when you visit. They help make food part of the learning journey and love seeing how children respond to new and exciting flavours.

The team is supported by a strong Leadership Team, including an Assistant Centre Manager and an Educational Leader.

Every role at the Centre is as important as the next.

How will you share updates about my child’s day?

Great communication is vital in our collaborative partnerships with families at the Centre. We have a variety of different ways we communicate with you about your child’s learning and progress:


  1. Storypark app - Stay connected to your child's day with regular updates, including photos and learning insights

  2. Pick-up and drop-off updates – Our Educators will share highlights from their day, including experiences they enjoyed, mealtimes, and naps to support your evening routine.

  3. In-room learning exchange displays make our weekly learning plans easy to see so you know what your child will be learning.

  4. Centre Newsletters – Great for community connection and wider Centre and team updates.

  5. Development documentation and meetings for your individual child’s progress.


But remember our door is always open.

What are the main features of this Centre

Our Abbotsford childcare centre offers:

  • 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, rooftop garden, mud play and exciting play structures
  • On-site Chef providing fresh snacks and meals daily
  • Nappies, SPF 50+ sunscreen, high-quality formula and bed linen provided
  • Extended hours of care each weekday from 7.00am to 6.30pm
  • A spacious early learning Centre with modern, warm, and inviting learning and play areas that children will love.
  • 120 place centre includes a rooftop garden where children engage in our Gardening and Sustainability program, mud play, sandpit play and other outdoor exploration.
  • Located in Melbourne’s inner north, the Centre is convenient for families commuting into the CBD for work; one-hour free parking is available and close to multiple tram stops.
  • Multicultural team of Educators and Teachers who speak many different languages, to reflect the rich cultural diversity of the local community.

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 Program
Flying start to school

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.

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.

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What our families say about the centre

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