On Friday, 24th October 2025, Jenny’s Kindergarten, Lane Cove North, was closed by the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority (“the Regulatory Authority”), and suspended operations with immediate effect. The Regulatory Authority sent parents and carers an email advising of the closure, and asked them to pick up their children immediately. This is the second Jenny’s Kindergarten to be shut down by the Regulatory Authority.
A spokesperson for the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority said the closure was “due to significant concerns related to children’s safety.”
“Children have been exposed to unacceptable risks, and we have taken immediate action to address those risks,” the spokesperson said.
“We acknowledge the challenge this presents for families; however, there is no greater priority than the safety of children.”
The Daily Telegraph reported the following: Inspectors from the NSW Department of Education attended Jenny’s Kindergarten, Lane Cove North, on Thursday and found children were inadequately supervised.
The NSW Department of Education refused to confirm whether the inspection took place or to provide any further comments.
Jenny’s Kindergarten Response to Closure
After the centre was closed, the registered provider sent an email to parents advising them that the shutdown was due to alleged safety and supervision issues at the centre. They stressed that there had been no serious injuries at the Centre and the Department is not alleging any sexual misconduct by staff or by anybody else.
The email to the families is set out below in full:
“Dear Families,
You will be aware that Jenny’s Kindergarten & Early Learning Lane Cove North has been ordered to close immediately, for up to six months.
We are sincerely sorry, and we know that this will be extremely inconvenient for you.
We are also aware that the closure may be causing you anxiety about whether your child may have been affected.
The alleged issues at the centre relate to safety and lack of supervision. We stress that there have not been any serious injuries at the Centre. There have not been any assaults, and the Department does not allege any type of sexual misconduct by staff or by anybody else.
We believe that the Centre has been providing excellent care and education for children. As I hope you know, the safety of children in our care is an absolute priority.
As soon as we became aware of the alleged lapses at the centre, we made the changes that the department drew our attention to. The Department, however, continued with the closure.
We will be appealing the closure to the Department of Education and to the relevant tribunal if necessary, and we are hoping that we will reopen once we resolve this issue with the Department through the appeals process.
We have always worked with the Department to ensure the highest standards of care and protection for every child enrolled in the Centre.
Our plan is to be completely transparent, and please be confident that we will keep you apprised of any relevant updates.
Yours respectfully
Josie Approved Provider”
Parents’ Response to the Closure
Below is a series of comments on In the Cove’s Facebook Page after we reported the shutdown.
Parent Marty
“Another brilliant piece of bureaucratic over-reach. As a parent of a child there, the only people who seem to be concerned are the pen pushers. Maybe a decision should be made in consultation with actual stakeholders. Prue Car MP surely parents deserve more information than a generic email from Edward Issa.”
Parent Saskia
“Absolutely devastated by this news, as a mum of two children who have been attending Jenny’s since 2018, I’m in shock at the way the department has handled this.
Firstly, for the poor children ripped out of their safe place with no warning, no goodbyes to their friends and educators is just plain cruel. The confusion and upset among the children is heartbreaking
The educators and Centre director have always gone above and beyond with everything for the kids. My current child adores his teachers and loves his time, extremely important to me especially as he suffers from Global Delay Development.
I absolutely agree with @marty comments, the way we were told was disgraceful, no respect to the families or their situations.
A computer generated email at 10am to vacate children from premises immediately poor graduating kids now have nothing before they start primary school next year, and parents have half a day to scramble to find local care by Monday!!!”
Parent Cassandra
“The whole thing is horrible! Have also been going to Jenny’s since 2019 and our experience has been nothing but wonderful. I’m so heartbroken for all the staff, children and fellow parents. Scrambling around today trying to find care for our kids has been tough. The lack of information as to why is so frustrating!”
Parent Laura
“To prove how much love we all had for this centre, these are the cards my 8 year old made for one of her Jennys teachers and director, she was devastated and wanted them to know how much they meant to her”
Background
In early October 2025, the mainstream media reported that multiple Jenny’s Kindergartens, including Lane Cove, were under investigation.
After Jenny’s Kindergarten Lane Cove was named as being investigated, In the Cove contacted both Jenny’s Kindergarten and the Department of Education.
We received the following response from the Centre Director.
“Thank you kindly for your email. We really appreciate you reaching out.
We can officially confirm that Jenny’s Kindergarten at Lane Cove North is not under investigation by the NSW Education Department’s Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority. Our centre is operating in compliance with all care, safety and regulatory standards.
Following disheartening media reports that claimed there was an investigation, I have spoken with the Department’s head coordinator for the compliance team, who officially confirmed there is no open investigation related to Lane Cove North.
It is devastating to say the very least that our reputation is at risk of being tarnished by this false accusation. We are, however, extremely grateful for the love and support from our beautiful families and my team of incredible teachers. They truly go above and beyond every single day for our children.
We realise that these misleading reports have caused concerns for the Lane Cove community, and hope that this official statement will help to reassure their hearts.
Please do not hesitate to reach out should you require any further clarification.
Thank you so much! ”
We contacted the NSW Department of Education and advised them of the above. They said a written response to our enquiries was being prepared and would be sent to us once approved.
We received the following response:
“We are investigating a matter at Jenny’s Kindergarten Lane Cove North.” Spokesperson, NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority:
Since receiving that response, we have been trying to contact the owners of Jenny’s Kindergarten to ascertain whether they were aware that Lane Cove was under investigation. Their website does not include any head office contact details or an ABN.
The NSW Department of Education will not provide any more details. ITC has been advised that Jenny’s Kindergarten will not be making any comments on the investigation. They did release to us a copy of the email sent to parents.
If You Buy Us A Coffee, it is, in fact, helping to pay the ITC Team
We want to clarify that, yes, the ITC team does support local businesses by drinking coffee, but there is a limit to the number of cups you can drink in a day.
We started the Buy Us A Coffee Campaign as a way to keep local news free and to grow our team. Our team is now comprised of three local mums who work part-time to bring you all the up-to-date news, traffic alerts, incidents, and events. We also now have Walkley Award Nominee Jack Kelly writing articles for us, as well as founder Jacky Barker. We truly appreciate any help you can provide, whether large or small.
How local journalism keeps communities engaged
Local newsrooms play a vital role in keeping communities informed and engaged with the decisions that affect them. Without dedicated coverage of local government, infrastructure, and policy changes, many residents are left uninformed about issues that significantly impact their daily lives. Independent newsrooms help bridge this gap, providing a trusted source of information and giving people a platform to voice concerns. Strong local reporting doesn’t just inform, it fosters public participation and strengthens civic engagement. – extract from the Local and Independent News Association Website
