Centre in Bathurst ordered to close after 126 confirmed breaches

The NSW Early Learning Commission has cancelled the operator’s provider approval, citing persistent non-compliance and child safety risks. The service is scheduled to close permanently on 13 October.

Jenny’s Kindergarten and Early Learning Centre in Bathurst will permanently close on 13 October 2026 following the NSW Early Learning Commission’s decision to cancel the provider approval of C & J Corporation Pty Ltd.

The Commission’s statement, published on 30 September, records 126 confirmed breaches, 41 compliance actions and 14 authorised-officer visits since the service opened in 2014.

The regulator says unresolved issues persisted despite its work with the provider to improve quality. Its announcement identifies concerns involving environmental hazards, staff possession of a personal device and inadequate excursion risk assessments. 

The decision follows earlier scrutiny of supervision at the service. 

The ABC also reports that the provider received a $9,240 fine in August for breaches involving unsafe furniture and equipment and exposed electrical cords. 

The figures describe different aspects of the regulatory history. Visits, compliance actions and confirmed breaches are not interchangeable measures, and the published statement does not provide a complete chronological breakdown of every breach.

It also does not identify the legislative provision used for cancellation or detail any review proceedings. Those matters should not be inferred from the announcement.

The Commission says it has no current evidence of a specific incident causing direct harm to a child, but considers the continuing risks unacceptable.

It will conduct unannounced visits and compliance checks until closure. Families have been notified and offered assistance to find alternative care. 

That distinction between risk and harm matters. A regulatory response can concern conditions that expose children to danger, even where an injury has not been established. Equally, identifying a hazardous condition does not justify reporting that a child was injured unless evidence supports that conclusion.

For the sector, the case raises a broader question about how repeated concerns are addressed: what evidence shows that corrective action has become sustained practice?

Quality Area 7 of the National Quality Standard places risk management within service governance. ACECQA’s accompanying guidance describes effective evaluation, clear responsibilities, administrative systems and ongoing self-review as foundations for quality, child safe services. 

These expectations provide context for considering compliance beyond the immediate correction of a problem.

Removing a hazardous object may resolve that particular concern. Understanding how it entered the environment, whether routine checks identified it and who verifies subsequent conditions involves a wider management response.

Similarly, revising a policy establishes what a service intends to do. Observations, staff discussions and follow-up checks can help establish whether the revised arrangements are understood and used consistently.

These are general implications for governance, rather than findings about individual employees at the Bathurst service.

ACECQA’s active supervision guidance connects adequate supervision with protecting children from harm and hazards under Quality Area 2. 

For service teams, this creates a practical connection between environmental safety and educator positioning. An environment may require different supervision arrangements during arrivals, departures, transitions or excursions.

Reviewing those moments can help leaders understand whether written arrangements reflect what actually happens when children and adults move through the service.

The Bathurst cancellation brings attention to the importance of following improvement over time. The relevant question extends beyond whether an action was completed to whether the underlying risk remains controlled.

Families seeking alternative care can visit Starting Blocks or contact the Commission on 1800 619 113 or [email protected].