The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW has sent a legal letter to Channel 7 News broadcast insisting an immediate public apology and retraction after learning the news broadcaster's reason for including A Little Rei of Sunshine Childcare Centre as one of three services (among reportedly dozens more) who put their children at risk.
“Channel 7 News' Chief of Staff Megan Miller has advised that A Little Rei of Sunshine Childcare Centre was included in their news broadcast as a general overlay simply because they have not been re-assessed and re-rated since 2013, based on NSW Government records received by Channel 7 under a Freedom of Information request," said ACA NSW CEO Chiang Lim.
A Little Rei of Sunshine Childcare Centre confirmed that they have not been re-assessed or re-rated by the NSW Government since 2013 when they bought that centre, nor has the NSW Government sought to re-assess or re-rate it since 2013, and nor have they been informed of any serious breaches of regulations, let alone putting children in harm's way.
The Federal Government provides funding to and obliges the NSW Government to assess and rate up to 15% of the entire sector each year. This means the NSW Government could take up to 6.67 years before it returns to re-assess and re-rate the same service unless the NSW Government puts extra resources or that there is an urgency to re-assess the service due to risk factors.
“In addition to the legal letter to Channel 7 News, ACA NSW has lodged a formal complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority citing that Channel 7 News has breached the industry Code of Practice on the basis of the gross lack of accuracy and fairness of their news reporting," said Mr Lim.
Moreover, ACA NSW will be seeking the urgent clarification from the NSW Minister of Early Childhood Education, the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC, and the Federal Minister for Education, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, whether a service like A Little Rei of Sunshine Childcare Centre and others like them who have been on Working Towards for years and have yet to be re-assessed and re-rated should be concerned about being accused of serious allegations of wrong-doing when no such evidences exist.