Early Smiles Childcare and Learning Centre is a small, purpose-designed early learning centre at 7 Ainwick Road in Flat Bush, East Auckland. It has been part of the community since 2012 and takes children from three months to five years. The centre has three age-specific rooms: pēpi, toddler and preschool. It is licensed by the Ministry of Education, and it has an ERO report that families can read on the website.
Every teacher is qualified, registered and police-vetted, and staff hold First Aid certificates. The centre says its adult-to-child ratios are 1:4 for under-twos and 1:8 for over-twos, which it describes as better than the Ministry minimum. The website says the centre welcomes families of all backgrounds and keeps things calm and unhurried. Parents who have written about it say their children settled quickly, that the teachers are caring, and that the centre is clean, tidy and well stocked with toys. Some parents have kept their children there after moving house. For parents who want a small centre with close teacher relationships, the low ratios and the qualified team are the main points the centre describes.