Avondale Heights childcare centre closes abruptly

The company operating Avondale Heights Childcare and Early Learning Centre has entered liquidation following a resolution by its members, forcing the Melbourne service to close and leaving families and educators with almost no notice.

A notice published through the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirms that Belotte Pty Ltd, ACN 064 669 754, is in liquidation and a liquidator has been appointed to wind up the company's affairs.

Belotte operated Avondale Heights Childcare and Early Learning Centre as trustee for the Williams Family Trust. The service ceased operating at the close of business on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.

Families were reportedly notified by text message and email at approximately 6:40 pm that the centre would not reopen the following morning. The closure is understood to have affected approximately 70 children and 25 employees.

The ASIC notice was issued under paragraph 491(2)(b) of the Corporations Act 2001 and regulation 5.5.01 of the Corporations Regulations 2001.

These provisions relate to a voluntary winding up following a resolution by the company's members. They do not indicate that the liquidation resulted from a creditor-initiated court application or a court winding-up order.

ASIC explains that a creditors' voluntary liquidation generally occurs when a company resolves by special resolution to be wound up and appoints a liquidator. This differs from a court liquidation, in which a creditor or another eligible party applies to a court for a winding-up order.

The appointment transfers control of the company from its directors to the liquidator, who is responsible for identifying and realising assets, reviewing the company's financial affairs and distributing any available funds to creditors in accordance with the law.

The total amount owed to creditors has not been publicly disclosed.

In correspondence sent to families, SSB Advisory said a contract had been entered into for the sale of the childcare business, but the intended purchaser had been unable to settle the transaction.

The directors had reportedly been personally funding the centre's operations for an extended period but were no longer able to continue doing so.

“I regret to advise that, as a consequence of the liquidation, the company is no longer in a position to continue operating the business known as Avondale Heights Childcare & Early Learning Centre,” the correspondence said.

Families were advised that their children's enrolments would cease from the close of business on 25 August. The liquidator apologised for the distress and inconvenience caused by the need to arrange alternative care at short notice.

The timing of the announcement intensified the disruption for families, many of whom had collected their children that afternoon without any indication that the service would not reopen.

ABC News reported that parents were left trying to secure alternative childcare before the following working day. Some also raised questions about retrieving children's belongings from the locked centre and stopping scheduled fee payments.

Employees were also reportedly unaware of the impending closure when families collected their children on Tuesday afternoon.

Parents who spoke publicly following the announcement described being blindsided by the closure while also praising the centre's educators and the care they had provided.

Avondale Heights Childcare and Early Learning Centre operated from 63–67 Canning Street in Melbourne's north-west and was approved to provide centre-based long day care for up to 120 children.

The service's Starting Blocks record identifies Belotte Pty Ltd ATF Williams Family Trust as the approved provider, operating the service since February 2012.

The centre held an overall rating of Meeting National Quality Standard, most recently confirmed in February 2026 following a regulatory visit in January.

Starting Blocks recorded no conditions on the service approval and no enforcement actions against the service during the previous two years.

The service offered long day care and a funded kindergarten program and described itself as independently owned and operated.

The liquidator will now assess Belotte's assets and liabilities, notify creditors, examine the company's books and records and investigate its financial affairs.

The process may also include reviewing transactions entered into before the liquidation and determining whether any matters require further investigation or recovery action. The fact that these reviews form part of a liquidator's statutory role does not, by itself, indicate wrongdoing by the company's directors or other parties.

Unlike voluntary administration, which can provide an opportunity to restructure or sell a business while it continues operating, Belotte has entered liquidation and the Avondale Heights service has closed. No transition to another approved provider has been announced.

Families must now secure alternative early education and care, while affected employees will await further information about their employment entitlements and the liquidation process.