Sydney Childcare Center Shut Down After 12 Years of Failed Standards

ROSEHILL: A Sydney childcare provider has become the first to be permanently shuttered under a stringent new regulatory crackdown after failing to meet national standards for over 12 years.

The Fun2Learn center in Rosehill officially closed its doors on Friday following the discovery of dozens of safety and operational breaches. The closure affects 37 local families who were notified of the department’s decision in mid-December.

Acting Early Learning Minister Courtney Houssos stated that the intervention was necessary to protect the community’s youngest members.

“This shouldn’t come as a shock for the center when they have failed to meet the standards for 12 years,” Minister Houssos said. “We are rebuilding trust so parents know their children are in a safe, quality environment.”

Authorities identified 41 distinct breaches since 2023. Among the most alarming findings were:

An emergency exit door was allegedly found padlocked shut.

Unlabeled chemicals were found within reach in children’s bathrooms.

A lack of appropriate care plans for children with severe allergies.

Consultants were found working without verified Working With Children Checks (WWCC).

Poor general hygiene and children observed playing with dangerous objects.

The owner of Fun2Learn expressed deep distress over the closure, insisting she would never intentionally put a child at risk. She claimed the center was in the middle of a “continuous improvement program” mandated by the department before the final closure order was issued.

Fun2Learn is the first high-profile closure under the state’s new “tougher regulations” era. However, the scale of the crackdown is significant: between July and September last year alone, 22 other centers across the state were closed for various breaches.

The Department of Education has committed to assisting the 37 displaced families in finding alternative care, despite a tightening childcare market in Sydney’s west.