Edge Early Learning collapse forces sudden closure of 11 centres across Queensland, SA and ACT
Hundreds of families are racing to find childcare after a collapsed provider suddenly shut multiple centres across the country.
Parents across two states and the ACT are scrambling to lock in childcare after 11 Edge Early Learning centres were ordered to close within 48 hours, leaving many families with almost no time to rearrange work and home life.
The sudden shutdown is the latest blow from the collapse of the Edge Early Learning group, which entered voluntary administration in August.
While most of the network has now been sold off, 11 centres were unable to find buyers and were deemed no longer viable.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.For many parents, the news came with little warning.
Some only found out on Tuesday morning that their child’s centre would shut by late Wednesday, setting off a rush to find new places, juggle school drop-offs and manage jobs at short notice.
The closures affect seven centres in Queensland, three in South Australia and one in the ACT.
The Queensland sites are at Cannon Hill, Kelvin Grove, Milton, Morayfield East, South Brisbane, Strathpine Railway Ave and West End Jane St.
The ACT centre is at Ngunnawal.
In South Australia, the affected centres are Oaklands Park, Plympton and Royal Park.
Administrators from KordaMentha had been running an urgent sales process after Edge went into voluntary administration in late August.
That effort helped prevent a far wider collapse, with 53 centres in Queensland and South Australia securing new owners.
Not-for-profit provider Goodstart Early Learning has moved to acquire 31 of those centres, making it the biggest buyer in the sale process. The remaining 11 sites could not be sold.
A spokesman for KordaMentha said families from the affected centres were being contacted in writing and given information about nearby services where there was some capacity for enrolments.
KordaMentha administrator David Johnstone acknowledged the upheaval facing families and workers caught up in the closures.
He told the ABC said there would be an “impact that the closure of the 11 centres will have on staff as well as families and carers who now need to make alternate childcare arrangements”.
Before entering administration, the Edge Early Learning group operated about 70 centres across Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.
The wider sale process has also included a separate package involving Montessori centres in South Australia, while Arena told investors that “three experienced operators” would acquire five Queensland properties.
Originally published as Edge Early Learning collapse forces sudden closure of 11 centres across Queensland, SA and ACT
