Parents have withdrawn a number of children from a south Canberra child-care centre alleging management ignored warnings of a staff member using verbal and
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physical discipline on children.
Parents at the centre have told the Sunday Canberra Times they have moved their children to other centres in protest and sought police intervention.
ACT Policing confirmed it was investigating an allegation against a staff member, but could not comment further.
Neither the staff member, who is still working at the centre, nor the child-care centre can be named.
The same centre is also believed to be one of two education and care services working with the ACT Government to remedy issues of non-compliance.
The centre's owners declined a request for
comment.
Parents claim at least 12 children have sought alternative child-care services since the employee under investigation joined the boutique centre mid-year.
However, one of the parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, puts that figure at more than double, that more than half of the children enrolled at the centre
have been withdrawn.
The same parent said staff members had also left as a result of mismanagement.
The parent said the decision to relocate her kids was not taken lightly.
''I've been floored with how it's been handled by the centre, dismissing everyone's concerns,'' the parent said.
''It's not easy to get another child-care spot ... [so moving your children] is not something you do lightly.
''We were always happy [with the centre], all the parents were friendly with each other and the staff ... even though things weren't perfect, it was a nice place to be [but] then it turned toxic and even the kids picked up on it.''
The ACT Community Services Directorate said a pending national approach to enforcing child-care standards would make it easier to deal with issues of non-compliance.
The Education and Care Services National Law Bill, which is set to come into effect in 2012, will provide regulatory authorities with a broad range of options in dealing with non-compliance, including the power to remove children from a care service if they are in immediate danger.