ABCs to stay open

Alex de Vos
HUNDREDS of families can breathe a sigh of relief after receivers for ABC Learning Centres announced the three Geelong child care centres facing closure would remain open.
This week’s announcement follows months of uncertainty over the future of ABC centres and guarantees employment for 1800 child care workers across the country.
Court-appointed receiver Stephen Parbery said on Wednesday the recovery firm had found buyers for the majority of the 241 centres under their control, including the branches at Leopold, Newcomb and Waurn Ponds.
NutureOne will take over Newcomb, Sewells Childrens Services has bought Leopold and Learning and Education Australia will assume ownership at Waurn Ponds.
“This is an excellent outcome, particularly as all of these centres were assessed by the ABC receiver McGrathNicol as not being viable under the ABC Learning Business Model,” Mr Parbery said.
A McGrathNicol spokesperson told the Independent the region’s eight remaining ABC centres had “bright future”.
The spokesperson said the centres at Drysdale, Geelong, Lara, East Geelong, Torquay, Newtown and Grovedale would stay open and operate “under a new, restructured ABC group”.
“These centres continue to trade well and we remain confident they have a bright future,” the spokesperson said.
“No sale process is under way and our focus is on re-investing in the centres, purchasing new toys and equipment and giving centre directors a more active role.”
Before the announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard pledged Government help for the parents of children to secure alternative childcare facilities.
The Government helped parents of children at 55 centres closed in December find services for their kids.
At its peak, ABC Learning ran more than 1000 child care centres.
ABC Learning Centres, the nation’s largest child care provider, went into receivership earlier this month with debts of more than $1 billion.