General News
5 May, 2026
Childcare closure shock: Community Kids Horsham to close
A LOCAL child care centre, Community Kids Horsham, is set to close, as the facility is one of about 40 services across Australia run by G8 Education, an early childhood education and care provider suspending its operations in about 10 per cent of its centres.
Chief executive and managing director, Pejman Okhovat, said the decision reflected the responsibility of one of Australia’s largest ECEC providers to adapt to a changing operating environment, with the safety, rights and best interests of children as the paramount consideration.
“We have a responsibility to operate sustainably and responsibly, in a way that delivers the best possible outcomes for families and supports children to grow, thrive and learn in safe and supportive environments,” he said.
“Our immediate focus remains on supporting families to transition to one of our nearby centres and redeploying team members, where possible.”
He said the decision to suspend services at impacted centres was not taken lightly and reflected a range of operational considerations.
With about 40 children affected by the closure, another child care centre in Horsham said they had fielded enquiries from about 19 families and two staff over the weekend.
Bright Steps Academy acting director Lara Bowman said they were doing what they could to help.
“We provided an open day for them,” she said.
“I had my operational manager come down and one of the founders of the company. They came down and we opened up the centre and did a little tour for all the families that wanted to come through.”
She said she felt for the parents involved.
“They were pretty devastated, obviously,” Ms Bowman said.
“A very sudden and very sad situation, but they were really hopeful, which was nice.”
Asked about the scale of help they could provide, Ms Bowman said she had been working very closely with her management to fast track not just help for parents but potentially hiring some of the staff.
“I've been working very closely with my management,” she said.
“We're looking at where we have available spots and who we can get in as soon as possible.
“We’ve already welcomed a number of children from the affected centre, many of whom know each other, which helps ease the transition. We are doing everything we can to support families, while maintaining our strong focus on child safety and high-quality care.
“We also helped support the staff that will be losing their jobs, so we had a couple of them come in yesterday, just a little sit down and chat, get to know them and do some interviews with them in the next couple of weeks.”
Bright Steps Academy marketing lead, Rachael Tucker said recruitment would continue to be a priority, and they were happy for families to still get in touch and book a tour through the Natimuk Road facility.
Horsham Rural City Council said they were aware of the closure and hoped the families and staff would be able to find solutions to the “disappointing news”.
“Council has no direct involvement in the delivery or operation of childcare across the region, however we are aware that the providers in the region are working together to identify opportunities to accommodate those families affected and we stand ready to support them as need arises.”
G8 Education said in a statement, impacted centres will suspend operations following a managed transition period, with “all affected families and team members will be provided with specific timing and support directly”.
“We understand this is a significant change,” the statement said.
“We are prioritising continuity of care, learning and support for all children during the transition period.
“We are committed to working closely with each impacted family to transition care to nearby centres on or before the suspension commences and remain committed to making the transition as smooth and supportive as possible, and to ensure your child continues to feel safe, settled and supported in their early learning journey.”