MP SUPPORTS ABANDONED LOCAL ABC CHILDCARE CENTRE
09-July-2009
The closure of the ABC Early Learning centre at Barnawartha means local families have been forced to find alternative care for their children. Sophie Mirabella MP, Federal Member for Indi and Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare has thrown her support behind local parents’ bid to find a solution to the closure of the Barnawartha centre.
Mrs Mirabella met with families from Barnawartha ABC Early Learning centre on Saturday 4 July, to discuss their child care options after the centre was forced to close.
“After the government’s broken promise that local families would not be left without access to childcare I met with concerned local mums last Saturday to find a way forward,” Mrs Mirabella said.
The Barnawartha ABC Early Learning centre was forced to close on Monday because the Rudd Government appointed administrator has failed to find a buyer for the local childcare centre leaving many local families in the lurch.
“The Rudd Government has bungled the sale process from the very beginning,” Mrs Mirabella said.
The Barnawartha ABC Learning centre is one of 19 ABC centres to close after the company collapsed late last year. The Rudd Government appointed its own Childcare Taskforce to manage the sale and handover of the centres to new owners, promising that families wouldn’t be left without access to child care.
“After meeting with local parents, I undertook to contact Council to be part of the solution. I have also contacted the administrators PPB as well as the current property owners Austock,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“I have been informed that the owners are in the process of putting the property on the market soon,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“This takes us a step forward in at least finding out the status of the building, so that any interested parties know that they will be in a position to potentially acquire the building,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“It would be great if we could find a solution to the closure of the childcare centre in Barnawartha that will mean parents won’t have to travel to get their children to day care,” Mrs Mirabella said.