Family day care provider and educators suspended for significant breaches that risked children’s safety

The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA) has suspended the approval of family day care service provider Ignite Minds Pty Ltd and four educators due to serious breaches of the National Law and National Regulations which created risks to the safety of children.

This action follows a blitz across 30 residences operated by the provider where VECRA’s authorised officers directly observed evidence of harms and hazards that posed serious risks to the safety and wellbeing of children.

Ignite Minds must immediately close all 65 family day care residences it operates for a period of 90-days while it addresses the serious issues identified by VECRA. Ignite Minds operates family day care services in residences across metropolitan Melbourne as well as Bendigo, Shepparton and Elphinstone in regional Victoria.

VECRA is also taking action to suspend four individual educators who provide education and care as part of Ignite Minds’ family day care service as they individually pose a risk to children's safety.

VECRA, as part of its Joint Compliance and Monitoring Program in conjunction with the Australian Government Department of Education, conducted a targeted compliance blitz, Operation Flint, over three days. The blitz encompassed visiting 30 family day care residences forming part of Ignite Minds’ family day care service to assess regulatory compliance.

As part of the operation, an Emergency Action Notice (EAN) was issued due to unsafe sleep practices when a 5-month old child was observed sleeping in a cot with items that posed an immediate risk to their safety and wellbeing.

The Notice ordered the approved provider to immediately cease education and care at that residence until steps were taken to ensure the safety of children.

At the conclusion of the operation, VECRA considered evidence and information collected during the blitz, including multiple harms and hazards observed across multiple family day care residences.

VECRA has determined that it would not be in the best interests of children being educated and cared for by the service for it to continue to operate until there are significant service-wide improvements considering the inadequate supervision and care provided by the service.

Some of the breaches and issues observed during inspections across the 30 residences included:

• Unsafe sleep practices, including placing a child in a cot with unsafe items, which failed to comply with Red Nose Safe Sleep practices.
• Inadequate supervision, including children exiting a property unsupervised and a child falling from a high chair.
• Unsafe environments, including unsecured areas with dangers and hazards present such as poisons and chemicals, beehives and inadequate fencing.
• Inadequate care of children with medical conditions, including required health plans and medications not on site.

The National Law and National Regulations set clear and specific standards about the safety and quality expected of family day care services, including requirements in relation to the qualifications and training of educators, adequate supervision, protection of children from harm and hazards, the safety of the service premises and safe sleep requirements.

The Victorian early childhood regulator had previously raised concerns about fencing, safe sleep and strangulation risks with the provider, and had taken enforcement actions, but the concerns remain unresolved and were considered in VECRA’s decision to suspend the ability of Ignite Minds to continue to provide the service.

Quotes attributable to Wendy Steendam, Victorian Early Childhood Regulator:

“Immediately suspending a provider is a decision which impacts the childcare arrangements of parents and caregivers, but we make this decision because we know they wouldn’t want us to compromise on safety.”

“It was clear to VECRA that this provider has failed the children and families who rely on its services, as well as the educators who worked for it."

“When families entrust their children to an early childhood education and care service, they expect that they will be safe and not exposed to hazards and dangers.”

“Family day care providers are on notice. You must ensure your educators and their residences are compliant, and you must provide appropriate governance and leadership to your staff. If you don’t, we will act.”

Background

Family day care services in Victoria are a type of education and care service where qualified educators provide education and care for small groups of children (typically from birth to 12 years old) inside the educator's own private home.

Ignite Minds Pty Ltd has been directed to provide written notice to the parents and carers of all children enrolled with its family day care educators, advising them of the decision to suspend service approval and indicating that the service will no longer be able to provide education and care services during the suspension period.

If families require assistance in finding alternative education and care, the following resources are available.

• The Starting Blocks website: Early Childhood Education & Care | StartingBlocks.gov.au
• Care For Kids website: Care for Kids | Compare & Review Child Care Near You | CareforKids.com.au

Media contact: vecra.media@education.vic.gov.au