Arabic version: إغلاق ستة مراكز رعاية أطفال تابعة لإيدج في جنوب أستراليا
According to ABC News, six Edge Early Learning centres in South Australia will permanently close on Friday after administrators were unable to secure a buyer. The affected services are two centres at Angle Vale and one each at Flagstaff Hill, Mount Barker, Seacombe Heights and Port Augusta.
Edge Early Learning entered voluntary administration in August. Administrators KordaMentha said it had conducted an extensive sale campaign but received no acceptable offers that could secure the services’ ongoing operation. Goodstart Early Learning had initially planned to acquire the six centres as part of a proposal to buy 31 centres nationally, but decided against doing so during due diligence, KordaMentha said.
Families were notified by letter on Wednesday, giving some as little as 48 hours’ notice. The letter seen by ABC News advised families to collect belongings before the final day of care, said advance fee payments would be refunded and provided details of an alternative enrolment option. The closures follow 11 other Edge centre closures across Queensland, South Australia and the ACT last month, including Oaklands Park, Plympton and Royal Park in South Australia.
Parents told ABC News they were scrambling to find alternative care. In Port Augusta, the council-operated Port Augusta Child Care Centre was identified as an alternative, but Port Augusta City Council chief executive John Banks said it was at capacity. He said the council was encouraging interested families to join its waitlist and was working to increase availability over coming weeks.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he would seek urgent information from the federal government. He said private childcare operators were the federal government’s responsibility.
