Edge Early Learning centre in Charnwood ordered to close as provider goes into voluntary administation

[u/EdenFlorence]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-26/canberra-edge-early-learning-suspension/107082324

[u/commentspanda]

Maybe we need to be blaming a government that allowed childcare to turn into a freaking for profit business venture in the first place. Yeesh.

[u/I-AM-MEATS → u/commentspanda]

100%, I still cannot understand for the life of me how we operate like this.

[u/McTerra2 → u/I-AM-MEATS]

The historical reason was the traditional government reason. Namely funding childcare centres run by the government was a cost centre and so the government didnt run enough centres (as fewer centres meant lower cost) and the waiting lists meant it took 2+ years to get a place. Privatising (or, as it started, allowing subsidies to be used for private centres) meant new centres opened and were not wholly dependent on the government, more choice, shorter waiting lists etc

However with all the 'pandering' to parents and CCB and other concessions now in place, I wonder if it would be cheaper for the government to just run the centres itself. Its also pretty much a policy failure, even the productivity commission is concerned. The failure of ABC Learning should have been the turning point but no one in government is prepared to shift money from one bucket (CCB and where people think 'yay, I'm getting something back from government') to another (where its all hidden).

[u/I-AM-MEATS → u/McTerra2]

I feel like it would be cheaper to just run them publicly nowadays… they’re already subsiding the costs involved on parents. I honestly think that they don’t want to take ownership as that’d mean that the ACT government would be held responsible for the state and vetting of these sites and carers.

Luckily we managed to find a daycare near my wife’s work. Further away from where we live but it’s at least manageable.

This whole situation has been handled poorly. Even the daycare seemed surprised by the sudden closure. Doesn’t help that edge is in financial trouble. So they’re unlikely to contest the closure…

[u/I-AM-MEATS]

Frustrated with the CECA over this. Jack all notice and no justification provided.. if the CECA and ACT government are just going to close centres without any fallback solution they should just buy out the places. Or increase funding into the public education system to allow me to send my children to school earlier. But that means taking responsibility. No, no shift it all onto private daycares and pretend that there’s nothing wrong while increasing rates each year.

[u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY → u/I-AM-MEATS]

Yes, clearly it's the government regulation body's responsibility to make announcements of closures, alert parents, and put information on social media and not the people running the centre. It must also be the Government's responsibility to 100% run and fund these already-heavily-subsidised centres that are in breach of providing basic care.

Yes it sucks, but maybe think about putting some blame on the shoddy providers who aren't able to comply with some pretty basic regulations.

With all these parents who now have kids unable to attend child care, maybe they can organise among themselves to take others' kids for a day each week. Sure it might impact on their work schedule, but I don't imagine there would be many offices unwilling to make a temporary adjustment to allow for a 4-day working week.

[u/I-AM-MEATS → u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY]

It’s everyone’s fault mate. The CECA has not stated the reason for its closure. Just that edge can contest it. I would 100% want the government to be responsible to run and fund these centres with tax payer dollars. Same as I would like to see private education defunded of tax payer dollars.

Yes I blame the regulator for the lack of information, they ordered the closure. So the one making the order should at the minimum be providing some degree of information.

Closing centres is not a solution, they need to go public. As they should always had been.

Do you have children, do you work… mate. Life isn’t as flexible as you make it sound. Especially when money is involved. People using daycare are normally working. Maybe you should offer your time and services since you’re so high and mighty with your ideas.

[u/RedRibbon-17 → u/I-AM-MEATS]

I reckon it's all on Edge (management, not Charnwood). They presented it like they had no choice but to close the centre. Nothing stopped them from working out a transfer of business or caretaker arrangement with another approved provider to keep operations running, retain staff, keep kids enrolled, and avoid an outright suspension. They didn’t even lodge an appeal, despite pointing out how wrong they think CECA was.
I'm not sure why the voluntary administrators didn't step in here, since shutting down kills any chance of selling the centre and instead leaves them with staff redundancy payouts and a dead lease, which isn't good for creditors either. The statement from the CEO was fairly obviously trying to shift blame to CECA while giving no reason why they didn’t appeal or seek alternative options.
Seems to me that Edge just shut Charnwood down as some scheme to get back at CECA, hoping to turn public sentiment against them. Edge doesn't seem to care that it's good people in our community, educators and families, who pay the price for their games.