Eleven Edge Early Learning childcare centres are closing after administrators were unable to find buyers for them, giving affected families roughly 48 hours notice. The Queensland sites scheduled for closure are at Cannon Hill, Kelvin Grove, Milton, Morayfield East, South Brisbane, Strathpine Railway Ave and West End Jane St, while the ACT centre closing is at Ngunnawal and the three South Australian centres are at Oaklands Park, Plympton and Royal Park.
Some parents only learned of the closures when they arrived to drop off children, with the centres set to shut by late. An email seen by ABC News advised parents at one centre that its closure would take effect on 14 October.
A number of parents received no written or text notification and only became aware upon bringing their children in. Christopher Sommers, a parent who learned of the closure when he arrived to drop off his four-year-old daughter, told ABC News the situation was devastating and that two days was not enough time to reorganise a child's care arrangements.
Edge Early Learning went into voluntary administration in August after tough trading conditions in the childcare sector. Administrator KordaMentha found buyers for 53 centres across Queensland and South Australia.
Goodstart Early Learning, a not-for-profit provider, is set to acquire 31 of the sold centres, making it the largest single buyer in the process. Prior to the administration, the group ran around 70 centres spread across Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.
KordaMentha said that despite an urgent sales process, the 11 remaining centres could not attract buyers and were not viable to continue operating. David Johnstone, a KordaMentha administrator, acknowledged the disruption the closures would cause for staff and for families who now need to arrange alternative childcare, ABC News reported. A spokesman said families at closing centres were being notified in writing and directed to nearby facilities where places may be available.
Families at the 11 closing centres need to find alternative childcare at short notice. Those who had paid fees in advance would be refunded by the end of October.
Reporting: Yahoo Finance, ABC News
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
