A childcare centre in Western Sydney has been ordered to shut its doors permanently, becoming the first forced closure in a major regulatory crackdown on unsafe operators. The move has left dozens of local families without care just days before the new week.
A History of Ignored Warnings
The Rosehill-based centre, Fun2Learn, is accused of repeatedly ignoring official warnings spanning more than a decade, with authorities alleging it consistently failed to meet the required national standards for child safety. The New South Wales Education Department confirmed it had conducted 18 separate checks over the past 12 years, documenting a litany of concerns.
Nathan Kuka, a parent who lives directly opposite the centre, shared his family's distressing experience. He recounted an incident where his son suffered a significant facial injury while at the facility. "He got like a big injury on his face and they just brushed it off," Mr Kuka stated. Following this and other issues, the family refused to leave either of their children in the care of owner Lisa Thai.
"There were a few safety issues and every time we tried to talk to her, she would change the subject," Mr Kuka explained, highlighting a breakdown in communication and trust.
Systemic Failures and 41 Recent Breaches
The department's final investigation was damning. Since the beginning of 2023 alone, regulators recorded 41 serious breaches of safety standards at Fun2Learn. The catalogue of failures included:
- Dangerous chemicals left unlabelled and accessible.
- An inadequate educator-to-child ratio, compromising supervision.
- Failure to verify working-with-children checks for staff.
A spokesperson for the Education Department was unequivocal, stating the closure should not have been a surprise. "This shouldn’t come as a shock for the centre when they have failed to meet the standards," the spokesperson said. "We make no apologies for cracking down on providers who are not meeting child safety standards."
Families Left Scrambling for Solutions
The immediate consequence of the sudden shutdown is that 37 families have been left without childcare arrangements. The department has notified affected families and says it is actively working to find alternative placements.
However, officials have warned that they cannot guarantee a spot in the same local area, which adds significant logistical strain for working parents. "We will work with families to find a place. We can’t guarantee exactly where that will be," the department spokesperson acknowledged.
The forced closure of Fun2Learn signals a new, tougher stance from education authorities, who are now actively pursuing operators that persistently fail to comply with safety regulations designed to protect Australia's youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
