If you’re searching for child care in Ashmore and want a place where your child is genuinely known, trusted and nurtured, Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure Ashmore stands apart.
For our family, it became more than a child care centre — it became a second home. 

Enrolling your child in childcare is an emotional decision - I know that firsthand

Enrolling your child in childcare is no easy decision. You are trusting people outside your family to care for your child when you can’t be there yourself.

When my son was seven months old, I returned to work after maternity leave. Like many families, I chose a childcare centre close to home. On paper, it ticked all the boxes. But emotionally, something didn’t sit right.

The rooms felt quiet. The days felt repetitive.

What didn't feel right at our first child care centre

Like many families navigating the first year of child care, we faced illness early on. I know now that this is a normal part of children building their immune systems, but at the time — as a first-time mum returning to work — it was emotionally heavy.

What stayed with me most wasn’t the illness itself, but how the experience made me feel about where my child was spending his days. The centre felt functional and well-run, but it lacked warmth and heart. It felt more like a facility than a homely learning space — somewhere children were cared for, rather than truly nurtured.

That realisation sharpened my awareness of how deeply the environment, routines and relationships around my child mattered to me — not just for his development, but for his sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Realising we needed a different kind of child care

As the months went on, I became more aware of the everyday rhythms of my son’s days.

He spent long periods contained rather than exploring. Movement was limited. Curiosity wasn’t always encouraged. Illness aside, I could see that the environment itself wasn’t aligned with the kind of early childhood education I wanted for him.

I knew I didn’t want perfect child care.
I wanted thoughtful child care.

A place where my child was trusted to explore, move, and be an active participant in his own day.

By the end of the year, I knew we needed to make a change.

Finding the difference at Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure Ashmore

When my son moved to Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure Ashmore, the change was almost immediate — and deeply reassuring.

Within a couple of weeks:

• He was excited to see his educators - who already felt like home
• He moved freely and confidently through his environment
• His curiosity blossomed
• His growing independence was impossible to miss.

For the first time, child care didn’t feel like something we were enduring.

It felt like somewhere he belonged.

The small, intentional moments that define Sanctuary Ashmore

Mealtimes that feel like family

One of the first things I noticed at Sanctuary Ashmore was mealtimes that demonstrated gratitude and respect.

Children:

• Sit together at a properly set table
• Wait patiently with folded “turtle hands”
• Sing a gentle ‘please and thank you’ song
• Serve themselves and clean up afterwards.

These rituals may seem small, but they quietly teach patience, respect and independence — every single day.

Fresh food, prepared with care

Food was another major shift for us.

At Sanctuary Ashmore:

• Meals are cooked fresh on site each day
• An on-site chef prepares balanced, home-style food
• Children's voices are listened to at end of season chef menu reflections
• Children grow fruit and vegetables in the centre garden
• What they grow is often used in the kitchen.
  
  

It mirrors the rhythms of home — and children respond to that sense of care and consistency.

Why the classroom environment mattered more than I realised

Another difference I hadn’t fully anticipated was the learning environment itself.

Unlike our previous centre, it was clear that real thought, planning and child psychology had gone into shaping each classroom around the children who 'live' in the space each day.

The rooms didn’t feel clinical or generic.

They felt lived in. Warm. Calm.

There was a thoughtful blend of:

• Recycled, home-style furniture like dressing tables, bookshelves and dining tables
• Purpose-built early learning furniture that supported independence and safety

Greenery softened the spaces. Items hung gently from the ceilings. Fairy lights, rugs, and learning journeys filled the rooms with warmth and meaning.

The environment quietly invited children to slow down, engage deeply and feel at home.

The contrast I couldn't unsee

At our previous centre, the environment felt very different.

The layout was basic and open, with:

• A single rug in the centre
• A couple of boxes of toys
• Smaller indoor spaces
• A much smaller outdoor yard.
  
  

There wasn’t anything wrong with it — but it felt functional rather than intentional. Like the space existed to be managed, rather than designed to nurture curiosity.

Once I experienced Sanctuary Ashmore, that contrast became impossible to ignore.

A child care centre in Ashmore where educators truly stay

What truly anchors Sanctuary Ashmore is its people.

While educators naturally move on and new team members join, there is a strong, stable core team who:

• Know each child deeply
• Communicate openly with families
• Support one another.

You can see from Sanctuary's owners that educators are encouraged to grow, upskill and follow pathways that matter to them — and that stability flows directly to the children.

Watching my child grow within Sanctuary Ashmore

As my son moved through rooms, the values stayed consistent.

He learned to:

• Care for his belongings
• Make his bed before rest time
• Take responsibility for shared spaces.

Cultural diversity was woven naturally into his days through language, music and shared experiences. At home, he would sing songs in Japanese and proudly explain what they meant.

Now, at kindergarten age, he is:

• Confident and independent
• Curious and full of questions
• Comfortable exploring tools, nature and problem-solving
• Developing literacy, maths and science through play.
  
  

So often, he doesn’t even realise he’s learning — because it feels joyful and meaningful.

A final word to Ashmore families

If you’re standing where I once stood — unsure, emotional and wanting the very best for your child — I understand.

For our family, choosing Sanctuary Ashmore changed everything. I’m deeply grateful for the educators who have helped care for and guide my child with intention, patience and heart while I’ve gone to work each day.

A note from the author

Written by a Sanctuary parent and Gold Coast mum, who also works at Sanctuary Head Office. This is my authentic and personal experience as a parent at Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure Ashmore.

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