The Christchurch Civic Creche Case
	News Reports Index
	1992
	The Evening Post September 4 1992 Child care centre closed abruptly NZPA The Christchurch Civic Child .Care Centre has been abruptly closed after the Ministry of Education withdrew its operating licence. The decision yesterday, which follows a police briefing with Ministry officials, has left 13 staff redundant. Staff learned of the decision from city manager John Gray, who visited the centre at closing time yesterday. The decision to close the centre vas supported by Mr Gray, who was also briefed by the police. The Ministry said it revoked the licence because it believed the centre no longer complied with the Early Childhood Regulations. The decision follows a glowing report on the centre's management last November by the Education Review Office. This report was presented to the council in March. The Ministry's South Island field manager Michael Deaker said he moved to suspend the licence yesterday morning after being briefed by the police in the previous 72 hours. He would not comment on whether the briefing related to a police inquiry into sexual abuse at the centre. A former employee at the centre has been charged with sexual offences against children, aged two to four, at the centre between November 1988 and March 1991. He was remanded last month to a pre-depositions hearing on October 5. Mr Deaker said the council was legally entitled to make "representations" on the decision, should it have wanted to keep the centre open. However, Mr Gray had said none would be forthcoming. Mr Deaker said yesterday: "The suspension was notified to the city management this morning. They promptly responded by saying they had no deputations to make, so I took the next step to cancel that licence. It will be published in the Education Gazette in due course." Detectives had indicated that suspending the licence was the most appropriate thing to do, he said. The interests of the children were paramount." Last night council staff were contacting the 50 to 60 parents with children at the centre. Parents have been sent a list of alternative child care centres. Most children are regular as opposed to drop-in users. The Local Government Officers' Union was considering its options last night for challenging the Ministry's decision. Its secretary Peter Lawson said the Ministry should be held to account. The decision had yet to be explained to staff, many of whom were distraught. After speaking to Mr Lawson last night Mr Gray formally withdrew the notices of redundancy issued earlier. Instead he has placed staff on two weeks' paid leave. Redeployment options were to be considered at a meeting of council staff and the union today. Parents said they were aghast at the decision to close and angry about the lack of notice. One parent said the only explanation given for the sudden closing was that the Ministry had withdrawn the licence. Two parents said they thought the decision was politically motivated by the council, - which in last year's budget round tried to have the centre closed. The head of the centre's management committee, Mr Simon Fraser, said parents would seek the .Ministry's explanation for the move. Parents were "tremendously upset" about the decision, and would seek the council's support in having the licence reinstated, he said. He had not been alerted to any recent police concerns about the centre,' he said.