JavaScript is required

Family day care provider suspended for not complying

Media release

Published:
Friday 10 July 2026 at 2:05 pm

The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA) has immediately suspended the approval of Gabow Family Day Care Pty Ltd for a litany of compliance issues which created immediate risk to the safety of children.

This means Gabow Family Day Care must immediately close the 44 family day care residences it operates in Victoria for the 90-day suspension period, while it works to rectify the issues.

The National Law sets clear standards about the safety and quality expected for family day care, including requirements for qualification and training of educators, the safety of premises and ensuring that other people residing in the home have been checked and confirmed to be suitable to be around children. VECRA found Gabow Family Day Care had fallen short of these standards across many of the family day care premises that it was responsible for.

This is the first time VECRA has used its powers to immediately suspend a family day care provider since it was established on 1 January 2026. Gabow operates family day care across 15 outer Melbourne suburbs including Hoppers Crossing, Epping, Lalor, Craigieburn, Mooroolbark and Werribee.

In May 2026, inspections were carried out by VECRA’s authorised officers in partnership with the Australian Government of Education under the Joint Compliance and Monitoring Program, targeting risks to government funding and to quality and safety. Expansion to joint compliance work was agreed by Education Ministers in August 2025 to strengthen child safety and quality in early childhood education and care.

An Emergency Action Notice was issued to Gabow on 11 June 2026 after VECRA established four of its educators did not hold the required qualifications. Those educators were required to cease educating and caring for children until appropriately qualified.

After assessing all evidence and information collected from the inspections, a further 23 breaches of National Law and National Regulations were identified. Gabow held ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with these obligations such as ensuring the safety of residences, fencing and furniture, storage of hazardous materials, training of staff and authorisation of transport activities.

As a result of the number and wide range of failings, VECRA determined it would not be in the best interests of children being educated and cared for by the service for it to continue to operate. VECRA has now immediately suspended the ability of Gabow to operate its services for a period of 90 days.

Quotes attributable to Wendy Steendam, Victorian Early Childhood Regulator:

”Everyone expects providers to follow the National Legislation. When VECRA finds a provider is not meeting requirements we will take swift action to ensure children are kept safe."

“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 Gabow has failed the children and families who rely on its services, as well as the educators who worked for it."

“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 take action.”

Background

Family Day Care in Victoria is a registered form of childcare 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.

Gabow has been directed to provide written notice to the parents and carers of all children enrolled with its family day 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.

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

Early childhood

Updated

Back to top