A Melton South childcare centre has come under fire after an unannounced visit from the Victorian Early Childhood Regulator Authority (VECRA) revealed multiple breaches of national law and regulations relating to the transportation of children.
Happy Children and Early Learning Centre was slapped with an emergency action notice after a visit from VECRA’s authorised officers on Friday 20 February revealed a child was to be transported to school in an educator’s vehicle without written authorisation.
VECRA’s authorised officers identified the centre had made multiple, serious breaches under the national laws and regulations around the safe transportation of children during the visit, including breaches against authorisation for a service to transport children, a breach of policies and procedures to be followed, and offences relating to failing to protect children from harm and hazards.
Interim early childhood regulator Adam Fennessy said the service had put the safety and wellbeing of children at risk.
“This service put the wellbeing and safety of children at risk due to a failure to follow requirements that are designed to ensure the safe transportation of children by early childhood services,” he said.
Under the emergency action notice, Happy Children and Early Learning Centre has been prevented from transporting children until evidence is submitted to VECRA showing all risk assessments and authorisations required under the national laws and regulations are in place.
The childcare centre’s staff are also required to undertake training to ensure they are aware of and understand the service’s safe transportation policy.
Evidence is required to be submitted back to VECRA within 14 days of the notice, where the childcare centre’s failure to comply with the notice could lead to prosecution, a maximum penalty of $20,400 for an individual or a $103,200 fine in any other case.
“It’s critical that where early childhood services are transporting children either on an excursion or more regularly that it’s done safely under the law with full risk assessments and authorisations undertaken,” Mr Fennesy said.
