A kindergarten with mouldy mattresses, grimy tables and an unqualified teacher who smacked a special needs child has been shut down.
Busy Kids Kindergarten and Child Care Centre in Townsville was closed on Monday following a ruling by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In a decision published on Monday, the tribunal ruled the centre be closed for three months after a raft of serious safety and hygiene breaches were uncovered.
In addition to the filthy beds, the centre also had rotten fencing, a warm fridge, dodgy playground equipment and a first aid kit that was within reach of children.
Busy Kids Kindergarten (pictured) has been shut down after a raft of safety and hygiene breaches
A tribunal heard the Townsville child care centre had mouldy mattresses, grimy tables, rotten fencing and dodgy playground equipment
According to the decision, a staff member was fired in June last year after smacking a child with severe learning difficulties twice in a row on his nappy.
The child had been ‘pulling items off shelves and throwing things around the room in a very agitated state’ when he was hit by the ‘inexperienced’ staff member.
The staff member was later found to be unqualified to look after the ‘troubled and challenging child without significant, relevant training’ and was fired a month later.
Staff also failed to tell the child’s mother he had been smacked, instead claiming he had just been yelled at by the teacher – breaking the law in doing so.
The tribunal also claimed an incomplete and out-of-date first aid kit was in reach of kids. Photographs posted on the centre’s Facebook page appear to show the kit being used by children in a fake ‘Doctor Surgery’ area
In a decision published on Monday, the tribunal detailed an incident last year in which an inexperienced staff member hit a child with special needs. The teacher was fired a month later
In his decision, QCAT member Robert Olding said the smacking incident was a one-off event that on its own did not warrant the centre’s closure.
Mr Olding explained that the centre had voluntarily shut down for two months earlier this year to address a number of significant hygiene and safety breaches.
The centre was previously found to have unprotected power points and its first aid kit was incomplete with an out-of-date item.
Other breaches included a filthy nappy change area and broken air cooling vent.
But when departmental staff visited the centre in July for a ‘meet and greet’, they were met with the same ‘systemic’ breaches that had still not been fixed.
Busy Kids Kindergarten will open its doors again in January next year, provided it passes industry standards.
Busy Kids Kindergarten will open its doors again in January next year