Shock closure of Killara Children’s Centre leaves community reeling

Families in Wallan, a town 45 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD – were said to be shocked by the sudden announcement of the closure of Killara Children’s Centre over the weekend, which left many families without childcare, and staff with no jobs. 

The 82-place not-for-profit centre, which dropped from Exceeding the National Quality Standards in May 2013 to Working Towards the National Quality Standards in November 2018, charged $90 a day for long day care, and had operated in the community for more than 30 years, first opening in 1998. 

Reporting on the closure, local news source The North Central Review said the neighbouring council-operated site, Wallan Kindergarten, was not affected by the closure. 

Mitchell Shire Council, who own the building where Killara was housed, held a community meeting on 14 October for those affected by the sudden closure, with Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm reportedly saying council was saddened to hear of the centre’s closure.

“We recognise the huge impact this will have on staff, families and children who use the centre,” he told The North Central Review, adding that Council was willing to work with administrators for Killara to “hopefully secure an alternative provider in the short term”.

In addition to working with administrators, Mayor Chisholm told The North Central Review that the Council was “keen to explore options for the longer term so families and carers in Wallan can continue to access the services they need, particularly those who rely on the centre to get their children to and from the council-run kindergarten which operates next door”.

To read the original coverage of this story, as produced by The North Central Review, please see here.