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Winnie
As of April 30, 2025, Google has removed all reviews and ratings from Google Business Profiles for general education schools, including most K–12 institutions. Schools will no longer display star ratings on Google Maps or Search, and new reviews can’t be submitted.
For education providers and partners who relied on Google reviews as a source of parent feedback, this marks an important shift in how families discover and evaluate schools online.
While reviews may no longer live on Google, they remain one of the most powerful ways families learn about education programs.
What Changed
Google’s update removes the ability for families to view or leave reviews on listings categorized as general education schools.
That means:
- Existing reviews are no longer visible
- New reviews cannot be submitted
- Star ratings have been removed from Google Maps and Search
The change does not affect all education providers. Childcare programs, preschools, and other early education providers can still receive reviews on Google.
But the bigger takeaway is that Google is no longer the primary place where school reviews live.
Why Reviews Still Matter for Schools and Providers
Even with this change, reviews remain one of the most important signals families rely on when choosing a program.
For parents researching schools or childcare, hearing directly from other families provides insight that websites and brochures can’t.
Parent reviews help answer questions like:
- What is the school community really like?
- How do teachers communicate with families?
- What makes this program stand out?
In other words, reviews function as modern word-of-mouth. And families will continue to look for them when deciding where to enroll.
What This Means for Schools and Early Education Providers
Google’s policy change doesn’t eliminate reviews, it simply shifts where families leave them.
Increasingly, parents are sharing their experiences on platforms designed specifically for childcare and early education discovery.
For many families, that place is Winnie.
Parents use Winnie every day to search for childcare programs, preschools, and early learning providers. Reviews on Winnie come directly from families navigating the same decisions as other parents, which makes them especially helpful when evaluating programs.
How Easy It Is for Parents to Leave a Review on Winnie
One of the reasons reviews continue to grow on Winnie is that the process is simple for families.
Parents can leave a review directly from a provider’s Winnie page in just a few steps. The process only takes a few minutes and allows families to rate their experience and share a short description of what stood out about the program.
Because many parents are already using Winnie to search for childcare options, adding a review often feels like a natural way to help other families.
Providers can also improve their visibility by optimizing their Winnie Pro page and keeping program details, photos, and parent reviews up to date.
What Providers Should Do Next
With Google reviews no longer available for many schools, now is a good time for providers to focus on collecting parent feedback in places where families are actively searching for childcare.
Encouraging parents to leave reviews on Winnie helps prospective families understand what makes your program unique. Parent feedback provides real insight into the experiences families care about most, like communication, classroom environment, and community.
How Providers Can Invite Parents to Leave Reviews on Winnie
Winnie makes it simple for providers to collect parent reviews directly from families in their community.
Providers can invite parents to leave a review by sharing a custom review link from their Winnie dashboard. The process only takes a few steps:
1. Go to the Manage Reviews section
In the Winnie provider dashboard, navigate to Manage Reviews to view existing feedback and access tools for requesting new reviews.
2. Invite parents by email
Providers can enter one or more parent email addresses and send review invitations directly through Winnie.
3. Share the custom review link
Winnie also generates a custom link that can be copied and shared anywhere you communicate with families, such as email newsletters, parent apps, enrollment follow-ups, or end-of-year messages.
4. Respond to reviews
Providers can respond to both positive and negative reviews from their Winnie dashboard. Responding helps show families that your program values feedback and engagement.
All reviews on Winnie are moderated to ensure they meet quality standards and remain helpful for families searching for childcare.
