2 days ago
Victorian childcare regulator 'monitoring' provider at centre of NSW allegations
Victoria's minister for children says the state's childcare regulator is "actively monitoring" provider Affinity Education after allegations against it, including a child being hit by a staff member, were aired in NSW parliament.
Appearing at a Victorian parliamentary hearing on Tuesday night, Lizzie Blandthorn told a parliamentary enquiry that she and other state ministers wanted to talk to the new federal minister responsible for early childhood education, Jess Walsh, about whether the current national regulatory system needs overhauling.
Ms Blandthorn told the hearing it would be "inappropriate" to comment on current investigations.
"Victoria's regulatory authority and other regulatory authorities are actively monitoring … Affinity education services and investigating incidents in services and will take action where required," she said.
Affinity is one of Australia's biggest for-profit childcare chains with 250 centres across the country and 52 in Victoria. It operates under the brands including Papilio, Milestones and Kids Academy.
Last month, a 7.30 investigation gained access to regulatory documents tabled in NSW parliament that revealed allegations by the state's childcare regulator that Affinity educators obstructed an investigation into a staff member who repeatedly slapped a baby.
Other allegations against Affinity contained in the documents included serving expired food, hygiene breaches, a staff member using a child to mop up vomit and incidents of children being dragged around by their arms.
More than 1,700 regulatory breaches were recorded against Affinity between 2021 and 2024, an average of more than one a day.
The allegations tabled in NSW state parliament relate only to that state.
In a statement to the ABC, Affinity chief executive Tim Hickey apologised to parents and said the company had a "zero-tolerance approach to any form of child harm and will dismiss employees found to be in breach of this safeguard, as well as engage with external agencies up to and including police where required".
"We will strengthen the trust families have in us by continuing to act with integrity and our ongoing investment in the quality of our centres and people, at the same time as continuing to work closely with regulators to improve standards," he said.
During the Victorian parliamentary hearing on Tuesday night, Greens MP Aiv Puglielli asked Ms Blandthorn about another troubled for-profit childcare group, Genius, which has seven centres in Victoria.
Genius is currently in administration and the fate of its centres up in the air after failing to pay its financier, Gold Coast-based Finexia.
"Given widespread complaints that staff were not getting paid, there was legal [action] from creditors due to millions of dollars, why was Genius and its owner Mr Darren Misquitta allowed to keep trading?" Mr Puglielli asked.
Ms Blandthorn said that the state had "a role in regulation at some level but obviously insolvency and employment matters are in the Commonwealth jurisdiction".
"Failure to pay wages or [rent] are not in themselves though offences under the national law, which we as a regulator have responsibility for," she said.
"I would say though that our government is keen to continue to work with the Commonwealth and the states and territories to look at the adequacy of national law and regulations when it comes to that.
"And just last week I had a conversation with the new federal minister and I also pointed out to her that it was a matter that a number of us want to have a conversation with her about at our upcoming education minister's meeting as well."
The acting secretary of the Education Department, Tony Bates, said that the department lacked "powers to do broad-ranging financial searches".
"The person did meet the requirements at the time of getting the initial approval as a provider," he said.
"It's a very complex situation where there are company structures operating across multiple states.
"I can say the Victorian regulator is working closely with interstate regulators to try and get a unified picture."
