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Goodstart Early Learning pulls out of Junee after long period of financial burden
Freya Lucas
May 23, 2024
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Goodstart Early Learning has announced that it will no longer operate its 44 place service in the New South Wales regional community of Junee.
Melinda Harrington, Goodstart’s State Manager for NSW South and ACT, said the provider has worked for many years to keep the centre open but could not carry the financial burden any longer.The broader Goodstart Early Learning team is working with other providers in the area to manage the transition of the service to a new provider, as well as identifying opportunities with other early learning options in the community which include a larger early childhood service and local preschool.
Following a refurbishment of the property, a new operator will offer early learning services from the site also.
“We are doing all we can to ensure the disruption is minimised as much as possible by working with other providers to help our families find a place for their children,” Ms Harrington said.
“Our Junee centre is small and much loved and we have worked over many years to find ways to ensure it pays its way.”
“Goodstart is a social enterprise which means we are not-for-profit but that our organisation is run on business principles to provide services on at least a break-even basis,” she continued.
“Like many other providers of early learning and care, we’ve had to make tough decisions in order to keep ourselves financially sustainable, as first COVID, then the cost-of-living crisis and a severe workforce shortage have taken their toll.”
Ms Harrington expressed her sincere gratitude to Centre Director Elizabeth Robbie and her team for the amazing job they have done to keep the centre open despite on-going financial and staffing challenges.
15 staff will be impacted by the closure.
The final day of operation for the service will be Friday, 28th June 2024, and Goodstart is working with employees of the Junee service to identify other employment opportunities within its network.
“Please be assured this decision has not been made lightly, and we understand the implications for our families,” Ms Harrington said.
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