Child care: ABC’s four in doubt

Jessica Benton
HUNDREDS of families could be left without child care after receivers named four Geelong ABC Learning Centres at risk of closing.
Receiver McGrathNicol said the branches at Grovedale, Leopold, Newcomb and Waurn Ponds were on a list of almost 400 Australian ABC centres “under review”.
McGrathNicol’s Chris Honey said the “ongoing” review process was no guarantee the centres would shut down. But he acknowledged the likely strain on parents and staff.
“Uncertainty will remain for parents and staff in centres that are still under review,” Mr Honey said.
“The strong emphasis is just because these centres are under review does not necessarily mean they will close.”
Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union national secretary Louise Tarrant was less optimistic about the future of the centres under review.
“The receivers’ announcement that some 400 centres have a questionable viability potentially condemns these centres to a death sentence,” she said
“This is catastrophic for all those affected – workers, children, parents and the broader community.”
The region’s seven remaining ABC centres have a brighter outlook.
The centres at Drysdale, Geelong, Lara, Geelong East, Torquay, two at Newtown and a second Grovedale facility in Pioneer Road were on the receivers’ list of ABC businesses to stay open.
Mr Honey said about two thirds of ABC centres around Australia would remain open.
ABC Learning Centres, the nation’s largest child care provider, went into receivership earlier this month with debts of more than $1 billion.