Quality childcare in Forrestdale a free tour checklist. 5 warning signs a centre is cutting corners.
Most childcare centres look alike on a first visit. What matters is what happens behind the scenes: who cares for your child, how safe and settled the rooms feel, and how openly the centre talks to you. Here are the warning signs to watch for, a free checklist for your tours, and the evidence behind Everwood’s own quality.
- Meeting NQS in all 7 areas
- Rated May 2026
- Free tour checklist (PDF)
Why this matters
Not all childcare centres are created equal.
At first glance, many centres look similar. What happens behind the scenes matters most: staffing, safety, daily routines and communication can make a lasting difference to your child’s wellbeing and development.
The warning signs below are things any parent can spot on a tour or check online. One sign on its own doesn’t prove a centre is poor, but two or three together are worth a closer look. Use them to:
- Know what good care looks like
- Identify red flags early
- Ask informed questions on every tour
5 warning signs
What are the signs a childcare centre is cutting corners?
Nobody can tell you its quality rating
Approved centres are rated against the National Quality Standard (NQS), and ratings are published on ACECQA’s register. A new centre may not be rated yet, but staff should still be able to tell you where it stands. If they’re vague, look it up yourself.
You can’t meet the people who would care for your child
Babies and toddlers need familiar adults and secure relationships. If educators can’t tell you about the children in their room, or the faces seem to change each week, ask how long the team has been together.
Answers about ratios are vague
In WA, the required educator-to-child ratios are 1:4 from birth to 24 months, 1:5 from over 24 months to under 36 months, and 1:10 from 36 months to preschool age. A centre should answer this clearly, including how rooms are staffed at drop-off and pick-up.
You won’t hear much about your child’s day
Ask how you’ll get updates, how often and who to call. If the answers are vague, ask to see an example of a daily update.
The tour is rushed and questions are brushed off
A tour should leave time to see the spaces your child will use, including the rooms, sleep area and outdoor play space, and to ask anything. Rushed answers are a reason to look closer.
Free download
Your free childcare centre tour checklist, for every centre you visit.
To make centre visits easier, Everwood has created a simple, practical checklist you can take with you when touring any childcare centre.
It’s a direct download with no sign-up. Print it or save it to your phone before your first tour.
- Know exactly what to look for
- Ask the right questions
- Compare centres with confidence
- Avoid common mistakes parents make
How Everwood measures up
What does Meeting NQS mean? The national standard, met in every area.
The National Quality Standard (NQS) is the national benchmark for early childhood education and care. In May 2026, Everwood was rated Meeting NQS in all seven quality areas.
The seven areas cover the learning programme, children’s health and safety, the physical environment, staffing, relationships with children, partnerships with families and the community, and governance and leadership. The rating is public, so you don’t have to take our word for it.
See Everwood’s rating on the ACECQA register
Why families choose Everwood
A centre built on trust, transparency and care.
At Everwood, we welcome questions and encourage parents to look closely, because quality care should never be hidden.
Qualified, caring educators
Issy is Everwood’s owner-operator, a qualified teacher and mum. Our team includes degree-qualified early childhood teachers, diploma-qualified educators and Certificate III educators.
What makes Everwood differentSafe and nurturing environment
Purpose-built rooms and outdoor spaces designed for exploration, nap times kept in step with home, and allergies recorded at enrolment and catered for by our kitchen.
Clear communication
Photos and updates through the Xplor and Earlyworks apps, and educators who are just a chat, text or email away.
High standards
Meeting NQS in all seven quality areas, fresh meals cooked every day by our on-site chef, and qualified speech pathologists who visit every week.
See the difference for yourself.
Bring the checklist on a 30-minute tour at 30 Anstey Road, Forrestdale, for clear answers, visible care and no guesswork.
Questions parents ask
Childcare quality, your questions answered.
How do I check a childcare centre’s quality rating?
Search for the centre on ACECQA’s national register, which shows each approved service’s overall National Quality Standard rating and its rating in all seven quality areas. Here is Everwood’s entry on the ACECQA register.
What does Meeting NQS mean?
Meeting NQS means a service has been assessed against the National Quality Standard and meets it. From lowest to highest, the rating levels are Significant Improvement Required, Working Towards NQS, Meeting NQS, Exceeding NQS and Excellent. Everwood was rated Meeting NQS in all seven quality areas in May 2026.
What are the educator-to-child ratios in WA?
WA’s minimum educator-to-child ratios are 1:4 from birth to 24 months, 1:5 over 24 months and under 36 months, and 1:10 from 36 months to preschool age. See ACECQA’s ratio table.
Is the tour checklist free?
Yes, Everwood’s tour checklist is a free PDF download with no sign-up, and you can use it at any centre you tour. Download the tour checklist.
What should I ask on a childcare tour?
Ask who would care for your child, how rooms are staffed through the day, how you’ll hear about your child’s day, what meals are served and what you’ll pay after the Child Care Subsidy. Our guide to the 5 things to check when touring a childcare centre has a full list.
How far is Everwood from Harrisdale and Armadale?
Everwood is at 30 Anstey Road, Forrestdale, about 6 minutes’ drive from Harrisdale and 9 from Armadale, with Piara Waters about 5 minutes away (Google Maps, outside peak hour).
Find us
Just off Armadale Road.
30 Anstey Road, Forrestdale WA 6112
Everwood is on Anstey Road, just north of Armadale Road, with parking on site. Most families are 5 to 9 minutes away.
Drive times to Everwood
- Piara Waters: about 5 min
- Harrisdale: about 6 min
- Haynes: about 7 min
- Seville Grove: about 7 min
- Banjup: about 7 min
- Treeby: about 8 min
- Hilbert: about 8 min
- Champion Lakes: about 8 min
- Armadale: about 9 min
- Southern River: about 9 min
- Canning Vale: about 9 min
- Kelmscott: about 12 min
- Byford: about 15 min
Drive times: Google Maps, outside peak traffic. On-site parking.
Get directions ↗Come and see for yourself
Book your Everwood tour.
Choose a day and time, then add your details once. Tours take about 30 minutes: walk through the rooms, meet our educators, and ask anything.