Childcare shockwaves

CHILDCARE staff, parents and children are distraught after being told last week their Doveton centre will be shut down after Christmas.
Connections Uniting Care (Connections), which owns Doveton Uniting Childcare and Kindergarten, sent a letter to parents on 1 December informing them they were closing the centre on 22 December.
It stated “Connections has grappled with the need to make significant improvements to the site without affecting existing services, but, unfortunately, none of these alternatives have proved viable.”
Parent Mary-Anne Howe said she was “in shock” and “disgusted” that the parents and staff were given short notice of the closure.
Ms Howe moved from Doveton to Narre Warren but said she preferred to send her children to Doveton Uniting Childcare and Kindergarten as it was the only place she trusted.
The mother of eight had six children attend the centre in the past, her son Luke, 3 currently attends it and daughter Isabelle, 8 months, was supposed to be attending next year.
“The news came out of the blue. I only trusted my children with this centre because they are like family. Now I feel grief. It’s like we have lost a family member,” Ms Howe said.
“The staff were in tears. Everyone is in disbelief of the situation.
“In three weeks, how do the staff members find a new job, how do parents find placement for their children?”
Parent Lesley Blackney said she had recently filled out the forms to ensure her son would be back at the centre next year and was shocked to find out it would be closed.
Ms Blackney praised the staff for their work and was apprehensive about putting her child in someone else’s care.
She said her son was currently undergoing tests to see if he had autism and said it was the staff which alerted her.
“The staff are marvellous. They discovered something was wrong and took the time to deal with his problem. They are like part of the family,” Ms Blackney said.
“I just got my son settled into day care and he’s happy. He has got used to the people and the workers and knew the kinder teacher and he is looking forward to going to kinder.
“It won’t hit him until after Christmas that he won’t be able to go to the centre.”
Ms Blackney said she believed the centre was being shut down because a new college was being built in Autumn Place.
The Connections letter stated that opportunities for high quality care and education would be available at the Autumn Place site.
The letter also stated that Connections would provide assistance and support to families and staff affected by the closure.
Staff at the centre did not comment.