Childcare licence to be pulled

The Ministry of Education is moving to terminate the licence of a Lower Hutt childcare centre following an investigation into the centre.

Stuff revealed last December that staff at the Hutt Hospital Childcare Centre had been stood down while an investigation was carried out into accusations children were mistreated.

The centre has been closed since December 18 last year when its licence was suspended.

Ministry of Education deputy secretary of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the ministry had ‘‘initiated the process for cancelling the service’s licence’’. That meant it would be closed permanently.

The centre is on Hutt Hospital land but not affiliated with the hospital.

An independent investigator found evidence of breaches in the centre’s Child Protection Policy and the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulation, Casey said.

The ministry received a complaint about the centre last November and further complaints followed.

In February Stuff reported a mother, who did not want to be identified, said all but one staff member at the centre had been named in the accusations.

Casey said a new management committee had worked with the ministry to respond to the allegations.

The Teaching Council is now investigating.