Care, then cruelty

Kelly Duncan says staff and parents are still confused as to why nothing was done to save their Yarra Glen childcare centre. Picture: Kath Gannaway

By Kath Gannaway
CHILD care assistant Kelly Duncan was a lonely figure last week as she packed away for the last time the playroom at the Neighbourhood Early Learning Centre in Yarra Glen.
The centre, in Steels Creek Road, was previously part of the collapsed ABC Learning and one of 14 centres advised in mid-December that would close. The 31 December closing date was extended, but on Monday (19 January) the centre closed its doors.
Ms Duncan said she found it hard to believe that the centre wasn’t part of ABC. Frank Zullo, the man who took over ownership from ABC, is a former brother-in-law of ABC owner Eddy Groves, but for Ms Duncan, the recent marriage of NELC’s former chief executive to Mr Groves is a connection she says nobody saw coming.
Ms Duncan said she was angry and disappointed that the same opportunities given to the 241 ABC centres deemed unviable by the receivers, including government funding to remain open until 31 March, were not made available to NELC.
Yarra Glen parent Amber Lavery said she held out until the last minute, also expecting a reprieve.
“I kept thinking something would happen to keep it open, but nothing did,” she told The Mail.
She said the handling of the closure by NELC had caused much stress for staff and parents.
“The way it was handled, not to find out until just before Christmas, then finding out it was ABC, but not ABC enough to qualify for the government funding was just terrible,” she said.
Both Ms Duncan and Ms Lavery said that although centre staff and parents were led to believe there was no connection with ABC, there were some confusing signs.
“Whenever I spoke to Centrelink, the provider number for NELC was still entered as ABC Yarra Glen,” Ms Lavery said.
Ms Lavery whose children are one and three, said she was lucky to find suitable childcare at the last minute.
“They say there are plenty of places around but it’s places that are right for your children’s individual needs that is the issue,” she said.
In the meantime, Yarra Glen Childcare Centre has been working with its clients to make as many places available to former NELC clients.
YGCC director Clare Bowen said some initial misinformation had been given to parents indicating that there were no places available on Thursdays.
“We have limited spaces on Thursday and are working around that,” she said.
Ms Bowen said parents who are still looking for childcare in Yarra Glen should talk to them about what options are available.