21-05-2025
Childcare centre chaos as cops race to the scene and parents are urged to pick up their kids
A childcare centre was thrown into chaos after staff protested outside the building and cops were called to the scene with parents threatening to remove their kids.
Orchard Early Learning Centre in Bradbury, southwest Sydney, had terminated seven employees' contracts on Friday after they refused to attend urgent training.
Two colleagues resigned on the same day and some of the group proceeded to protest outside the building.
'There was a bunch of the staff outside along with police, and no parents were being called,' mother Nicole Lea told The Daily Telegraph.
Ms Lea, whose toddler is enrolled at the centre, shared warnings on social media for parents to collect their children because of the reduced staff and police presence.
Another mother, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said she was considering pulling her kid out of the centre for good.
The childcare centre said it has continued to meet staff ratios, but added that members from Austral and Kirrawee services were deployed to offer further support.
NSW Police said officers were called to prevent a breach of the peace as the protest unfolded.
'A small group of protestors were in the carpark of the premises and were requested to leave, which they complied (with),' a spokeswoman said.
The group firing followed ABC's 7.30 investigation into alleged staff misconduct at Affinity Education, which has no affiliation with Orchard Early Learning centre.
It revealed a shocking video from 2023 of a NSW childcare worker slapping a crying baby in the face.
Affinity CEO Tim Hickey said the 'safety, wellbeing, and development of every child' must be the first priority.
Orchard is a separate company but the former director of its Bradbury centre previously worked at an Affinity centre investigated by ABC and brought staff members to Orchard.
As a result, management organised urgent meetings for those employees to clarify any knowledge about the incident and restate child protection protocols.
'The urgency and topic of child protection was explained to staff,' a statement from Orchard said.
'The meeting was then rescheduled twice to accommodate staff, but on both occasions staff declined to attend and communicate with management.'
'As a result, Orchard took the decision to terminate the employment of the group,' it said.
Two additional staff members then tendered their resignations.
Orchard has not accused staff of any wrongdoing in relation to those incidents, nor does this publication suggest they knew of them.
The centre said it was a decision 'not taken lightly' and was unrelated to any connection between staff and the Affinity incident.
