23 July 2024

ANU bows to pressure on childcare centre plans after 'pulling the rug' from under hundreds of families

| James Coleman
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Australian National University.

The university announced plans to terminate the leases of four on-campus childcare centres earlier this year, throwing families into a spin. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Two of the existing childcare centres at the Australian National University (ANU) are being given first dibs on operating brand-new facilities, after heavy lobbying from parents, staff members and Federal politicians.

On 12 June, the ANU announced plans to demolish several heritage cottages in the Acton Conservation Precinct and terminate the leases of the four childcare centres inside. These include the University Preschool and Child Care Centre (UPCCC), Acton Early Child Care, Cubby House on Campus and Heritage Early Childhood Centre, with a combined total of 85 staff members and more than 200 enrolments.

The ANU said it had spent $1 million on 240 repair jobs to the cottages over the past year, including removing asbestos and lead paint, which had disrupted the “provision of high-quality childcare”.

Meanwhile, it had spent about $8 million on two new purpose-built buildings nearby. These would become home to two new childcare providers from January 2025.

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“Due to the age of these buildings and the ongoing work required to remediate hail damage and ensure the buildings meet our high standards, the university has explored options to help us provide the best, uninterrupted childcare services for ANU families in the future,” ANU CEO Christopher Price wrote to families and staff members in a letter.

The news left parents with children, either enrolled or on 18-month to two-year waitlists, stunned.

“Finding good childcare is hard enough, and without warning, ANU is pulling the rug from underneath hundreds of families – their own staff, too,” a staff member told Region.

“Where else are people supposed to apply for? … I have been on the UPCCC waitlist since I was 10 weeks pregnant to try and get a spot. Now there is no certainty I can get in anywhere else,” said another.

childcare educators and children at Parliament House

Parents, staff and children from the ANU’s four childcare centres arranged a protest in early July. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.

The Parent Community of UPCCC formed protests and launched an online petition, arguing any commercial tender process would “disadvantage our beloved smaller, parent-led, not-for-profit centres”.

“We urge that ANU prioritise the continuity of high-quality care and learning that children are currently receiving across the four centres,” the petition read.

As of today (23 July), it had attracted 5273 signatures.

Canberra senators David Pocock, Katy Gallagher and Alicia Payne – along with ACT Early Childhood Development Minister Yvette Berry – then added federal pressure when they joined a protest on the lawns of Parliament House earlier this month.

The ANU’s goal was to reach an agreement by 23 July, but the politicians argued it should allow more time for the four childcare centres to draft tender proposals.

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An update from ANU Interim CEO Jonathan Churchill on 10 July said the ANU had held “multiple meetings and positive conversations with all the community providers” on draft proposals.

The latest update is a joint statement from all four existing childcare providers and the ANU, released on 23 July.

It reveals the ANU has entered into “exclusive conversations” with UPCCC and Heritage about the continued running of on-campus childcare.

The university has knocked back proposals by the Acton Early Childhood Centre (AECC) and Cubby House centres as “not feasible” but promises to delay the tender process while it remains in talks with UPCCC and Heritage.

Federal politicians with children

ACT and federal politicians weighed in on the issue surrounding the ANU and the community childcare providers. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.

“ANU has received proposals from the UPCCC and Heritage to deliver high-quality childcare in two brand-new facilities on the university’s campus from January 2025,” the statement reads.

“Both proposals have also received letters of support from Acton Early Childhood Centre (AECC) and Cubby House on Campus.”

The ANU conducted tours of the new facilities for families on 18 and 19 July and plans to hold further tours on 24 and 26 July.

A spokesperson told Region the university wasn’t in a position to comment on when the process would be complete, but families in the four current centres would be informed “as soon as the final terms of the agreements with UPCCC and Heritage are reached”.

It’s understood both proposals include a commitment for staff from AECC and Cubby to be offered roles with UPCCC and Heritage.

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Agree with Fiona here. This article makes it sound like ANU is now doing right by families, but as a family caught up in this, that simply isn’t true. The ANU promised continuity of care for the families using these facilities and that was an empty promise. How can the two smaller facilities survive until the end of the year when staff will need to look elsewhere for employment? The University now has said they cannot guarantee spots for all current enrolments. The timescale is unrealistic and unfair.

ANU has made a small concession-dealing with two of the excellent childcare centres. They haven’t really answered questions about other options for long-term remediation for the heritage buildings ( which they’re obliged to look after). They’ve reduced the number of children who can attend. The new buildings don’t have the well designed outdoor spaces that the old ones do. ANU could do much better than this.

You have to laugh at Katy Gallagher getting involved in this. It was on her watch that the ACT was landed with a vast debt to get rid of the Mr Fluffy houses, even though it was the Federal Government of the time that allowed the importation and distribution of a known carcinogen. As usual, Katy wants the people of the ACT to carry the economic and emotional burden of a decision made by the Federal Government. The ANU is governed by an act of Federal Parliament – not the ACT.

Lead paint and asbestos have been known hazards for decades, so why weren’t these issues addressed before?

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