Parents panic over childcare after Newport Kindergarten announces it will close at short notice
More than 50 children will have to find new childcare places after a kindy announced it was closing to make way for a huge housing development on the northern beaches.
Manly
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Parents have been left stranded after they were given just a month’s notice that their children’s kindy will close to make way for a huge $20 million housing development.
The announcement has left staff at Newport Kindergarten on Queens Pde, Newport, “bawling their eyes out” after learning they will lose their jobs.
The 980 sqm site was sold to The Stable Group in August, along with five neighbouring properties for a combined total of $12.4m.
The kindergarten owners Amber Bernauer and David Williams, a former Manly Sea Eagles player known as ‘The Wolfman’, leased the property which catered for around 50 children.
They were told several weeks ago the lease would not be renewed.
A letter went out to parents on November 20.
A DA awaiting approval by Northern Beaches Council reveals plans to knock all six properties down and replace them with 18 three-bed properties and 43 car parking spaces.
Meanwhile, mum Sam Sealey, 38, said working parents had lost a vital service and had been left scrabbling around trying to find childcare for January with little success.
“This is the only long day care centre in Newport,” she said.
“I’ve only been able to find places offering two days each and both were the same days and they were in Warriewood and Mona Vale.
“I’ve had to take time off work to try and sort childcare.”
Ms Sealey, a full-time TV line producer, settled her children into Newport Kindergarten with plans to send them to Newport Public School.
She said her daughter Peyton, 5, will start Newport Public in February, meaning she had been left trying to find just one month of childcare for her.
Her other daughter Annabel, three, needed five days a week long day care, but every kindy has a waiting list.
Ms Sealey, of Mona Vale, said everyone was upset and parents also felt sorry for the staff.
“The staff have been bawling their eyes out,” she said.
Single mum Brooke Logan 50, of Newport, said luckily her daughter Olympia, 5, was due to start school next year.
But she knew of other mums who were panicking and struggling to find centres which offered five days of care in the one spot.
In a letter to parents on November 20 the owners of the kindy, Amber Bernauer and David Williams said it was “with deep regret” they had to inform all families that due to circumstances beyond their control they will be forced to close the doors permanently from December 25.
“We were informed a few weeks ago that the building we lease had been sold to another company,” they wrote
“Unfortunately, late last week we were given notice of the termination of our lease so the new owner could utilise the site as a display unit for its real estate development.
“Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we have been unable to secure an extension of the lease.”
Ms Bernauer. who is also a solicitor and works for a child care brokerage service called Childcare Concepts, said that a large majority of the staff have scored new roles at local centres and they were working with families to help secure them new placements elsewhere.