Australian Government - MyChild.gov.auABC Learning Questions and Answers
ABC1
What is happening to the ABC1 centres?
On 9 December 2009 the Receivers for ABC Learning Limited, McGrathNicol, announced that GoodStart is the preferred purchaser for the majority of the remaining ABC1 child care centres.
GoodStart is a consortium of not-for-profit entities including Social Ventures Australia, Mission Australia, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and the Benevolent Society. Together, these organisations have committed to providing the highest quality, socially inclusive, accessible and affordable child and early childhood education for Australia’s children.
It is anticipated that sale agreements will be finalised and contracts exchanged in either December 2009 or January 2010. The completion of the sale and the transfer of the centres to their new owner/s is anticipated to be early in the new year.
I am an employee of an ABC1 centre - what does this mean for me?
GoodStart has committed to looking after existing staff currently working in these centres, and particularly those who accept continued employment with them. All the accrued entitlements of these workers will be acknowledged by GoodStart, and their service with ABC Learning will be recognised for all purposes, including long service leave and redundancy benefits.
If you resign or are terminated from your employment, you may be eligible for assistance under the Federal Government General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS). For more information on the GEERS, please visit the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relation’s (DEEWR) website.
If you have any questions about the management and operation of these centres, please contact the ABC1 Receiver’s hotline on 1800 222 543 between 9:00am and 6:30pm (AEDT).
For regular updates on ABC1 centres, please visit www.childcare.com.au or contact your local centre.
My child is in an ABC1 centre – what does this mean for me?
The sale of the ABC1 centres to GoodStart removes the uncertainty about their future operation. Continuity of care for your child is now more certain.
Your current child care arrangements will continue as usual while GoodStart finalises all details of the sale and finalises the appropriate licences and approvals to operate the centre.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is working with state and territory government licensing authorities to prepare for the transfer of the child care licenses in the new year, with the aim of ensuring that the sale process is as seamless as possible.
ABC2
What happened to the ABC2 centres?
The future of all ABC2 Group centres has now been resolved. 236 successfully transferred to new operators, including 21 Department of Defence centres. Regrettably, suitable buyers could not be found for 22 centres. Families affected by these closures were given information to assist them to locate alternative care.
General
Where can I find information on workplace relations matters?
If you have any questions about your pay, working conditions or other workplace relations matters, please contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 between 8:00am to 6:00pm local time, Monday to Friday, or visit Fair Work online at www.fairwork.gov.au.
For questions about the management and operation of ABC centres, please contact the Receivers hotline on 1800 222 543 between 9:00am and 6:30pm (AEDT).
Where can I find more information about child care services in my area?
The mychild.gov.au website contains a searchable database which you can use to locate and access street view of child care benefit approved services in your local area. In many cases you will be able to find the services’ vacancy and fee information.
Alternatively, you can contact the Australian Government’s Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305 between 8:00am and 9:00pm (AEDT) Monday through to Friday.
If I move to a new centre, can I still access my child care payments?
Yes, as long as the centre is Child Care Benefit approved, families will still be eligible to receive their Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate payments. If you want to change providers, please contact your new child care provider and the Family Assistance Office, who will let you know what you need to do.
Where can I find more information about my child care payments?
You can contact the Family Assistance Office (FAO) on 13 61 50. The FAO operates between 8:00am and 8:00pm (local time) Monday to Friday.
For information on the types of financial assistance available to help cover the cost of your child care please search this website.
Where can I find the latest information on ABC Learning?
All ABC Learning announcements can be found here.