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Council Moves to Ensure ABC Childcare Centre Doors Stay OpenLast modified: March 10, 2009 - 4:30 PM
THE ABC Child Care Centre in Scone will remain open if an offer by the Upper Hunter Shire Council to keep operating under council management is accepted. Council has been monitoring the demise of the ABC Learning Centres and the implication of this for families with children enrolled at the ABC centre in Scone. In the wake of the collapse of the ABC Group, the federal government provided funding for the 241 centres deemed unviable to enable them to continue to March 31. The 241 unviable centres have been transferred to ABC2 Group but will need to be transferred to new ownership or closed by that date. Upper Hunter Shire Council Mayor Michael Johnsen said there was already a waiting list and huge demand for other child care services in the area and the closure of ABC Learning in Scone would impact negatively on local working families. "It would also mean the loss of six local jobs to the town and the subsequent flow-on losses to other Scone businesses," Cr Johnsen added. He said Council had been involved in preliminary discussions with the Receivers in an effort to obtain sufficient details of the operations of the Scone centre and to determine whether the centre was going to attract an external party to continue the operations of the centre. With no apparent details of any other party Council has now submitted a binding offer to keep the centre open under Council's management. It is expected that the results of the offer will be known in the next few days. The bid is to take over the leased facilities and will include the current staff being transferred to Council's employment and negotiating a new lease of the building, which is not included in the current sale of ABC2 assets. "Council is concerned about the negative impact of the loss of the childcare facility to the communities of Scone and Aberdeen and the surrounding areas,' Cr Johnsen said. "Council wishes to reassure the community, the staff and parents to await developments prior to considering alternate arrangements as it will be essential to retain all current enrolments for the future viability of the service." Council will endeavour to maintain the service of the long day care centre in Scone; however, the final outcome will be subject to successful negotiations with both the ABC2 Receivers and the owners of the property. Contact details |
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© 2008 Upper Hunter Shire Council |
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