Overview
- A child at Edge Early Learning’s Port Augusta service was served food they should not have been given and was hospitalised after an allergic reaction on Thursday, September 3.
- The Education Standards Board issued an emergency action notice on September 8 requiring the centre to cease care for 14 days, notify all families in writing, investigate the incident and provide independent emergency-response and allergy training for staff.
- Edge Early Learning entered voluntary administration late in August and administrators KordaMentha told families they will cooperate with the ESB, carry out a comprehensive review and ensure staff complete allergy and anaphylaxis training during the shutdown.
- The Port Augusta centre serves about 100 children and families have been told they will not be charged for bookings during the closure and may withdraw children without fees, but local alternative care places are limited.
- The closure follows a July incident at Edge’s Gawler centre that also involved known allergens and a forced shutdown, and the administrators’ review could decide the Port Augusta site’s long‑term viability before the two-week suspension ends.