Victoria closes 55 Family Day Care services to conduct compliance review 

The Victorian Department of Education has issued emergency notices, electing to temporarily close more than 55 Bambini Family Day Care (FDC) locations to conduct compliance and sleep risk assessments following the death of a baby last month.

Before continuing to engage with this piece readers of The Sector should be aware that it discusses the death of a child whilst in FDC late last month. 

Just over half of the services impacted by the emergency notices have been assessed and have since been reopened, with the remaining services awaiting inspection, with a view to reopening once assessed. 

The death of the child which sparked the closures occurred on 19 February, at an FDC residence on Balinga Drive, Skye, at approximately 2pm. 

“As a precaution, Victoria’s early childhood regulator has issued an Emergency Action Notice to Bambini Child Care requiring the service to complete sleep and rest risk assessments, check compliance with sleeping arrangements, and stop providing family day care until deemed compliant,” a Department spokesperson communicated with local news source The Herald Sun.

“The regulator is working with Bambini to assess and confirm compliance at its FDC residences as quickly as possible,” they added.

Victorian Police have confirmed the death was non-suspicious and that the matter has been referred to the coroner. It’s understood the case has also been referred to WorkSafe for further investigation.

Read the original coverage of this story here.