Young kids at risk from failings in Victorian childcare centres

Shocking failures at childcare centres have been uncovered, with some exposing kids to potential hazards. Check the standards at your centre.

Children have been left unsupervised, exposed to potential hazards and not given food and drink at Victorian childcare services.

Three childcare services have been issued with enforcement notices by state regulators — one emergency action notice warning of immediate risk to children.

Another provider has been suspended after being charged with fraud in connection with a $1m childcare rort.

Since 2018, more than one Victorian childcare provider a week has been shut down or censured by the state government for serious failings in its care of children.

Children have escaped from childcare, been disciplined inappropriately, cared for by unapproved adults, denied their dignity, housed in unsafe premises and exposed to harm.

The latest services include Nile Family Day Care in Truganina, which was issued with a compliance notice in January for failing to have enough registered educators; properly supervise children; ensure all adults had a working with children check; and for potential hazards in six of its residences.

The service is still open but its operators declined to speak to the Herald Sun.

The second is Prime Family Day Care and Consulting Services, which was suspended in January.

The operator, Ola Ouda and her partner Amjad Shehada, were named by the Australian Federal Police last November in connection with a $15m family daycare rort. The service was accused of receiving funds for children that didn’t exist.

The third is Heatherton Christian College Outside School Hours Program, which was issued with an emergency notice for not keeping track of the children attending, not providing an educational program, for not offering food regularly and for not having qualified educators looking after children.

Andrew Paterson, chief executive of Family Day Care Australia, said “breaches brought against any service is testament to the fact that the regulatory authority is fulfilling its function and that the system is robust and effective”.