A childcare centre in western Sydney, plagued by years of safety failures, has been forced to close its doors permanently, becoming a landmark test of New South Wales' tougher enforcement regime for early learning services.
Years of Warnings Ignored
The Fun2Learn childcare centre in Rosehill was ordered to shut last Friday following a 12-year history of non-compliance with national standards. The NSW Department of Education made 18 visits to the facility over that period, offering support and issuing repeated warnings, but the centre consistently failed to improve.
Among the serious breaches documented were padlocked fire exits, unlabelled chemicals stored in children's bathrooms, and a lack of proper care plans for children with severe allergies. Acting NSW Early Learning Commissioner Daryl Currie stated that the service had shown it could not, or would not, lift its standards to an acceptable level.
'Unacceptable Risk' to Children
Mr Currie emphasised that the commission does not cancel licences lightly, but declared that Fun2Learn posed an 'unacceptable risk' to the children in its care. He stressed that the regulator is now prepared to act even where a major incident has not yet occurred, if a provider consistently fails to address safety concerns.
'We will not hesitate to take action against providers who place children at risk by consistently failing to address safety and quality concerns,' Currie said. He confirmed the commission had lost confidence in the provider's ability to deliver the expected level of early childhood education and care.
Owner's Defence and Wider Crackdown
Centre owner and director Lisa Thai told the Sydney Morning Herald she was devastated by the closure, insisting she had worked with the department and that past breaches had been addressed. She described the chemical issue as a 'one-off' from 2018 and questioned why her service was shut down while others with more serious failures remained open.
However, the shutdown signals a new era of stricter oversight. Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos warned the government is ready to intervene where providers fall short, stating 'Parents deserve to know that their children are being left in safe hands.'
The closure comes as part of sweeping reforms, with hundreds of other NSW childcare centres under scrutiny and more enforcement actions anticipated in the coming weeks.
