General News
22 February, 2024
Childcare Centre fined $23,000 for administrative negligence
Oakhaul Pty Ltd has been fined for failing to keep Little Champions Childcare at Oakey in a safe and clean condition between November 2020 and May 2022. New management says they have cleaned up the service and are looking towards the future.
The Department of Education has welcomed the fine of $23,000 imposed on Oakhaul Pty Ltd in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court last week, following multiple instances of breaches of the National Law and National Regulations at Little Champions Child Care between 17 November 2020 and 5 May 2022.
The Department, as Regulatory Authority for early childhood education and care services in Queensland, took legal action against Oakhaul Pty Ltd, as the approved provider, for failing to ensure the service premises and equipment were safe, clean and in good repair; failing to ensure emergency and evacuation plans and instructions were displayed; and failing to ensure every reasonable precaution was taken to protect children from harm and hazard.
In addition to the above, the approved provider was prosecuted for breaches relating to the transportation of children, fencing, the inadequacy of its educational program, and failing to comply with a compliance notice and the conditions of its service approval.
The approved provider pleaded guilty to a total of 16 charges.
“The $23,000 penalty reflects the seriousness and number of offences over an extended period of time,” a department spokesperson said.
In deciding the defendant’s sentence, Magistrate Mark Howden divided the offences into the following categories: those relating to safety offences; failures to comply with the service approval offences; and failures to comply with compliance notices offences.
The Magistrate imposed a fine of $8,500 relating to safety offences, $12,000 for failures to comply with the service approval offences and $2,500 for failing to comply with compliance notices offences.
“This prosecution sends a clear message to all early childhood providers regarding the importance of compliance with their legislative obligations not only to provide a safe environment for children and ensure they are protected from harm, but also to provide quality educational programming for all children,” the spokesperson said.
Where providers fail to take adequate steps to ensure the health, safety and education outcomes of children, the Regulatory Authority will not hesitate to take robust and appropriate action.
“These charges are from a few years ago and have been dragged out for this long in Court,” new centre directors Therese James and Patricia Darlington said in a statement.
“Little Champions Child Care has been working closely with the Department of Education and Care to ensure the Centre meets all obligations in relation to the National Quality Standards.
“Everything at the Centre is (now) fully compliant.
“With a new centre director taking over the centre in July 2022, the centre has gone from strength to strength.
“The centre is continuously improving its practices in all areas, not just health and safety.
“At no point did the charges result from a child being harmed.
“Most charges were related to administration errors.
“Children’s safety and education is at the forefront of what we do at Little Champions.
“We have an amazing team at Little Champions who are all qualified and many are studying to further their qualifications.
“Our staff are all very passionate about child care.
“The families in our community are very fortunate to have such amazing people to develop and nurture their children with early education.”
