Parents of a childcare centre facing closure say they’ve been kept in the dark about debts totalling $70,000.
The 42 families with children enrolled at the not-for-profit Keilor Downs Childcare Centre (KDCC) were told last fortnight that the centre faced immediate closure. Some parents and staff have since lobbied council to keep the centre afloat.
One parent, who contacted Star Weekly last week, said the centre’s financial woes had been news to him.
“My daughter has been attending the child care centre for the last eight months and, in this time, we have not heard anything from the centre regarding their financial difficulties,” he said.
“Then, suddenly, there is a huge campaign to save the centre when there has been no mention of any difficulties prior to this.”
“The centre has not been managed effectively,” he said.
“It’s a parent-run centre yet parents haven’t been informed.”
The man, who did not want to be named, said he would have happily helped save the centre, as would other parents.
KDCC co-ordinator Anne said staff are as frustrated as parents and are doing everything in their power to help.
At a meeting with parents last Monday centre management vowed to keep parents updated.
“It was all sprung on me as well,” Anne said. “We are doing the best we can to look at rebuilding the centre.”
St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman, Brimbank council and the Brimbank Preschool Association are also involved.
