Early education staff have been left feeling angry and hurt after their employment abruptly ended when Little Red Fox ECE in Stoke was put into liquidation at the end of last month.
Manager of the Nayland Rd centre, Elise Walton, had been in negotiations to buy the business, but says poor communication from the company’s owner Bethany Fox ultimately lead to the centre having to close its doors instead.
Elise and Bethany had previously joked about Elise buying the centre, but in February when Little Red Fox in Golden Bay closed, Elise thought she could look into it as a possibility.
It was around this time that Little Red Fox home-based staff from Blenheim contacted Nelson Weekly with claims of mismanagement, missed pays and stonewalling of staff by Bethany in the final weeks of the Blenheim business.
Bethany was at that time president of the New Zealand Home Based Childcare Association, but has since resigned.
“Bethany Fox resigned from her position and no longer has any role within the association,” confirmed interim president Larce Kippen.
Nelson Weekly attempted to contact Bethany, but at time of print, had not received a response.
At the end of March staff were told that they couldn’t be paid past the end of the week and the centre was closed, with most teachers looking after children in their homes until Elise was able to open the centre again with support from local office MOE to allow the sale and purchase to be worked through.
“We all, including teachers, my amazing husband and family, did all we can to meet the conditions on our end of the agreement. But, Bethany was unresponsive to many professionals trying to help with the sale,” Elise says.
Late last month, liquidators arrived at the centre to collect the keys and shut the doors while Elise was at home with Covid, which meant the centre no longer had a licence to operate.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed the licence for Little Red Fox Nayland Rd is currently suspended and the ministry is working through further processes with the service.
Hannah, a part-time teacher who asked to have only her first name used, says the situation has been one of the most stressful in her life. She became emotional discussing losing her employment so suddenly.
She says they knew there were troubles in the water in January when problems began with pays being late.
“It was so stressful, I think Bethany 100 per cent knew that the ship was going down.”
Elise says the experience has left her, her staff, and the centre’s families hurt and angry.
“I wasn’t able to be with my team on the last day, I hate reading the messages from parents about their kids missing their teachers. My three-year-old is angry, he wants to go to preschool, he misses his friends.”
A parent, who asked not to be named, says the centre’s closure has left her unable to find employment.
“Everything is a mess.”
Having recently ended full-time work due to her daughter’s health issues, the mother says no potential employer wants to hear that she has a sick child with no support in place.
“Day-care was no issue for me because I had the support of the LRF teachers. Now I have no plan.”
Another mother says she can’t return to work from maternity leave as the centres she’s contacted have large wait-lists for placements for her two daughters.
Elise says, because of Bethany’s actions, not only have families been suddenly left without care for their children, but 17 people have been left without jobs.
“If Bethany had sought professional help earlier for sorting the business, instead of making choices that were intended only to protect herself, then maybe the centre would be open, and I could have bought it and we wouldn’t have 17 people with no jobs and lots of children we all miss.”
Elise still hopes to open a centre one day.
