Parents in shock as creche is shut down overnight

http://www.mychildcare.ie/news16102009_1.asp

Parents in shock as creche is shut down overnight

DISTRAUGHT parents arrived at a creche early yesterday morning only to find a note on the door saying it was closed because of "unforeseen circumstances".
The families, who had paid childcare fees and deposits in advance at the Angel Academy in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, are now seeking to recoup an estimated €24,000 from the owners of the business who could not be contacted last night.
Among the parents who turned up was Trish Doherty, who had planned to drop her four-year-old daughter Holly at the creche yesterday before work.
Trish and her husband Jim joined a group of confused parents outside the Angel Academy. They had all found a brief notice on the window stating the creche was closed.
"We arrived at the creche to find the car park full of cars and my husband said: 'What's going on here?' The place was in darkness. There was just a note up saying it was closed due to unforeseen circumstances until further notice," said Mrs Doherty. Around 20 families had to then make last-minute childcare arrangements as an alternative. They expressed shock as they told of how the locks on the premises had been changed during the time the children were collected on Thursday evening and yesterday morning. Personal belongings for the children remained inside the building. Meanwhile, three staff members were told of the closure by text message on Thursday evening. Some of the parents also received this text.
Employee Kathleen Killeen said she was owed about €2,000 in back-pay for September, adding that parents had paid €24,000 in advance deposits and fees.
"The parents pay a deposit and a month in advance. Parents had paid for service in October," she said.
Fees
The creche is owned by sisters Tanya and Natasha Lucas. Neither returned calls from the Irish Independent last night.
Ms Doherty -- who works full-time, as does her husband -- said she spoke to one parent who had to bring his child to work with him as he had no alternative when he found the creche shut. Ms Doherty had paid €580 in fees for five hours a day for the care of her child until the end of the month.
"It was a great little creche. Now we are going to have to set up a whole now routine for her and a whole new creche," she said. "Holly doesn't know what is going on."
By Shane Hickey of the Irish Independent

http://www.mychildcare.ie/news16102009_1.asp