Firm to take over collapsed Easy Mind branches

The Waikato and Coromandel branches of collapsed childcare service Easy Mind are to be taken over by another childcare company.

Easy Mind, a nationwide home-based childcare service for children through to five years of age, was put into liquidation this month.

It has 15 centres in the Waikato, Whitianga, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Otago and Southland and last year employed 23 administration staff, 30 early childhood teachers and 287 home-based educators.

RHB Chartered Accountants in Hamilton, the appointed liquidators, announced late yesterday that Kids At Home Limited had bought the Waikato and Coromandel branches, and that Kids At Home managing director Paula Lovegrove would be contacting the centres today.

Liquidator Tom Rodewald said it was expected that the Ministry of Education would arrange a swift transfer of licences, and that Ms Lovegrove's intention was for the services to continue uninterrupted.

Mr Rodewald said he was hopeful a buyer would be found for the rest of the company's operations in the North Island, but said he doubted anyone would want to buy the South Island network.

- NZPA