Arabic version: الجهة المنظمة توقف مركز رعاية أطفال في كانبيرا بسبب حادث طبي
A Belconnen-area childcare centre has been ordered to shut immediately after regulators determined staff response to a medical episode was unacceptable.
According to ABC News, the Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA) issued a notice requiring Edge Early Learning in Higgins to close, and parents were notified by email on Thursday night.
The incident occurred on 26 June when a child experienced an unexpected medical episode; the centre’s CEO, Chris Chambers, said the child is OK. Chambers told families educators were suspended once the senior team became aware of the incident, one staff member has been terminated and other educators are under investigation.
Edge Early Learning had previously informed families the Higgins site would close “for the next few months” with operations to be consolidated into its other Canberra centres at Charnwood and Ngunnawal. CECA’s suspension notice requires the centre to remain closed until August 13, and the regulator has been investigating a range of issues that arose from the incident.
Mr Chambers apologised to families, saying the temporary closure followed a review of the centre’s operating arrangements and: “We are sorry.” He also said CECA had required the centre to close immediately, which meant some families may not have access to care for a period of time.
ACT Early Childhood Minister Yvette Berry said she was not aware of the details of the case but described it as a “serious medical incident” and that “parents and families will be feeling a range of emotions”. “On this occasion, they will feel let down and will have some serious concerns about the safety of their children,” she said.
One parent, Hannah (who requested her last name be withheld), said it was “quite jarring for parents” that the reason for the immediate closure differed from the earlier explanation about operational and staffing issues. She said she had already made alternative care arrangements and chosen not to enrol her son at another Edge site.
The ABC has not been able to verify the details of the medical episode that triggered the closure and has contacted Edge Early Learning and CECA for comment. Edge Early Learning runs other centres in Canberra and the Higgins site has a documented history of compliance and child safety issues, according to the reporting.
What happens next: the investigation into the other educators is expected to be completed next week, and the centre must remain suspended until August 13.
Related sections: General | Australia/استراليا | Australian Capital Territory | Social/إجتماعية
