Adelaide Childcare Centre Shut Down After Shocking Claims of Unsupervised Children – Parents Left Reeling as Minister Vows to ‘Send a Message’ to Sector
- Edge Early Learning Centre in Plympton ordered to close for two weeks after claims children were left unsupervised
- Education Minister Blair Boyer says ‘poor supervision of children’ has been identified on multiple occasions, vowing to take action
- Parents express outrage and disappointment, with one mother revealing her 14-month-old son ‘won’t be going back’ to the centre
Parents are reeling after an Adelaide childcare centre was shut down following shocking claims of unsupervised children. Edge Early Learning Centre in Plympton has been ordered to close for two weeks after the Education Standards Board (ESB) issued an emergency action notice.
The centre’s CEO, **Annie Bryce**, confirmed the closure in a letter to parents, stating that ‘no child has been harmed’ but acknowledging that a teacher on placement had left two children unsupervised for approximately two minutes. Ms Bryce attributed the incident to a ‘failure to notify the ESB’ as per the centre’s policy.
Education Minister **Blair Boyer** told ABC Radio Adelaide that the centre had been brought to the attention of the board prior to this incident, citing ‘issues around supervision of children’ that had not been rectified. ‘Poor supervision of children… has been identified on more than one occasion,’ he said.
Mr Boyer vowed to ‘send a message’ to the sector, stating that ‘if you aren’t doing the right thing, we’re going to take action’. He acknowledged that the closure would ‘really inconvenience’ approximately 60 families but emphasized that ‘we are not going to agree to a situation where we are putting the convenience of families above the safety of their children’.
Parents expressed outrage and disappointment at the news, with **Krystil Ellis** stating that the closure was the second time in term three that she and her partner had experienced a disruption to their children’s care. ‘Both our children and students need stability,’ she said.
Another mother, **Sophie**, revealed that her 14-month-old son ‘won’t be going back’ to the centre. ‘It’s really disappointing,’ she said.
The centre has offered temporary placements for children at three of its other sites, and CEO **Annie Bryce** assured parents that ‘the safety and wellbeing of children is always our highest priority’. The centre will reopen on October 7.