Australian childcare centre to close after 126 confirmed breaches — ABC News Australia

In Bathurst, Australia, the Jenny's Kindergarten and Early Learning Centre childcare centre will permanently close on 13 October due to prolonged non-compliance and risks to children's safety. The New South Wales Early Learning Commission revoked the facility's operating licence and gave its operator, C & J Corporation Pty Ltd, two weeks to cease operations.

Breaches and inspections

As ABC News Australia reports, since opening in 2014, the facility has been visited 14 times by authorised inspectors. During this period, the regulator took 41 enforcement actions and confirmed 126 breaches.

In March 2025, the regulator launched an investigation after three children left the centre and a passer-by saw them near a road. The commission stated that it had no current evidence of a specific incident in which a child suffered direct harm. At the same time, the regulator expressed concern about the level of risk to children due to the operator's prolonged non-compliance.

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Reasons for closure

In August, the operator was fined 9,240 Australian dollars for breaches related to the condition of the premises, unsafe furniture and equipment, as well as exposed electrical wires. The regulator also noted that children were not protected from sharp and pointed objects in garden beds, and that one employee had a personal device with them.

Commissioner Daryl Currie said that the safety and wellbeing of children are the regulator's highest priority. According to him, the operator had been provided with support and opportunities to remedy the shortcomings, but continued non-compliance led to the revocation of the licence.

Until the final closure, the regulator will continue conducting unannounced visits and inspections. Families affected by the closure will be offered assistance in finding alternative safe childcare.