Ministry’s eyes on Angels

Education bosses have increased monitoring at the Auckland daycare centre where Aldrich Viju died last year “to ensure it operates safely” while an investigation continues into the incident.

In an Official Information Act response to the Herald on Sunday, the Ministry of Education said it had placed Takapuna’s Angels Childcare on a provisional licence while Worksafe New Zealand investigated Aldrich’s death.

The 4-year-old died on November 18 at the centre’s playground.

“In any one year there is a small group, less than 1 per cent, that we have serious concerns about,” the ministry’s Susan Howan said.

“We increase the frequency of checks, or put them on a provisional licence, or we’ll suspend their licence.”

Aldrich’s death was not the first time Angels Childcare Takapuna had come to the ministry’s attention. In September 2015, a child was burned with a hot cup of tea.

The ministry said the response to the accident was appropriate.

Angels Centre manager Bryan McCloughan did not respond to a request for comment about the Official Information Act release.

In an interview after Aldrich’s death McCloughan said the centre stood by its safety practices, and pointed to police finding that the incident was a terrible accident.