Childcare service goes into liquidation

A nationwide early childcare service has been put into liquidation.

Easy Mind is a home-based childcare service providing care for infants through to five years of age. According to its website it has 15 centres; in the Waikato, Whitianga, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Otago and Southland.

Last year it employed 23 administration staff, 30 early childhood teachers and 287 home-based educators, providing home care services for hundreds of pre-schoolers.

RHB Chartered Accountants in Hamilton have been appointed liquidators.

Blair Millar from RHB said they intended selling the businesses quickly and several prospective buyers had expressed an interest.

"In the meantime the facilities will continue to operate with the full support of staff and contractors."

Parents of children at the centres would receive notices from the liquidators within the next few days.

No disruption to the childrens' care arrangements were expected, Mr Millar said.

Easy Mind was founded in Hamilton in 2002 by early childhood teacher Clare Grace and her husband Fred, who have previously said they were not driven by profit but purely to provide a service for children.

They were not available for comment today.

Last year Easy Mind was proclaimed as one of the fastest growing home-based childcare businesses in the country. The business had doubled in size each year, Mr Grace said.

- NZPA