A small centre thatknows every single child
Pumpkin Long Day Care - Matraville Childcare Care Since 2008
Pumpkin isn't a chain, and we're not trying to become one. We're one centre, in one suburb, run by people who are here every day and that's exactly the point.
Our story
Eighteen years in the same neighbourhood
Pumpkin Long Day Care has been part of Matraville for over 18 years. In that time we've cared for children whose older siblings once sat in the same rooms and watched a child we cared for grow up and bring their own family back to us.
We're a small, independently run centre. That word "independent" matters more than it sounds. It means the person who decides how this centre is run is the same person walking the floor with the children every day. Decisions get made here, by people who know your child's name.
"One centre, one drop-off, from their first year to their first day of school."
Children come to us as babies and leave us ready for Kindergarten, moving through three rooms under one roof. The educator who settled your baby in the Nursery is still a familiar face when they're a confident four-year-old in Preschool. That continuity is hard to build in a big centre, and it's the thing families tell us they value most.
We built our hours around working families on purpose from 7:30am to 6:30pm, a full 11-hour day. A 9 to 5 in the city doesn't fit around a centre that closes at 5:30. We didn't want any Matraville parent making a career decision because of a pickup time.
We built our hours around working families on purpose from 7:30am to 6:30pm, a full 11-hour day. A 9 to 5 in the city doesn't fit around a centre that closes at 5:30. We didn't want any Matraville parent making a career decision because of a pickup time.
18+
Years in Matraville
0
Enforcement actions
11hrs
Open every weekday
What we believe
The things we won't compromise on
Every centre says it cares. Here's what that actually looks like in practice at Pumpkin and the specific choices we make, day in and day out.
Every child is known
Not "the toddler in the blue shirt" — known. Which songs they love, how they say goodbye, who their best friend is this week. A child who feels known feels safe, and a safe child is ready to learn. This is only possible because we're small, and we intend to stay that way.
An open door, genuinely
You don't need an appointment to see Pumpkin, and you don't need a reason. Walk in during opening hours and see a normal day — not a staged one. Parents who feel welcome to drop in are parents who never have to wonder what happens after they leave.
Always on ratio
The legal educator-to-child ratio is a minimum, not a target. The place centres cut corners is the edges of the day — early mornings, late pickups, staff breaks, sick days. We don't stretch, ever. Enough adults, every room, every hour.
Nothing to hide
Our rating, our compliance history, our record — all of it is public, and we'll point you straight at it. We'd rather you checked us properly than took our word for anything. Trust that can't be verified isn't worth much.
Meet Our Director
Elly Tjanterik
Director & Early Childhood Teacher
Hello, I'm Miss Elly. I've spent over 17 years working with young children, and I still get the same feeling every morning when they come through our door.
Every child is different and they can tell when you really know them. Which songs they love, how they like to say goodbye at drop-off, who their best friend is this week.
A child who feels safe is a child who's ready to learn, make friends, and grow. So that's what we do at Pumpkin. We take the time to know your child properly. Their interests, their strengths, their stories. And then we build their days around who they actually are.
WHY PARENTS TRUST US
Things you can verify yourself
Your peace of mind comes first. You can easily double-check all of our regulatory records and ratings on the government website before you sign anything.
Meeting NQS
Pumpkin is independently assessed against the National Quality Standard the same government framework every childcare centre in Australia is measured by. You don't have to take our word for it.
See our ACECQA rating →
Always on ratio
Every room at Pumpkin stays within the required educator-to-child ratio, every single day, no stretching on busy mornings. It means your child always has enough adults around them: enough eyes, enough hands, enough attention. Learn more what actually "on ratio" actually means for your child.
Clean record
Pumpkin has had zero enforcement actions from the national regulator in the past 18 years. Compliance visits happen, and we welcome them, our most recent was February 2026. A clean record isn't something we say about ourselves; it's what the regulator's own register shows.
See our Startingblocks record →
Come see for yourself
The best way to understand Pumpkin is to stand in it.
Walk in any weekday, or book a time and Miss Elly will show you around herself.