Parents and whistleblowers are raising concerns over the substandard food served at for-profit childcare centres, accusing operators of misleading families about the quality of meals provided. Some centres are reportedly spending as little as 33 cents per meal per child, sparking outrage from families and staff alike.
Jenny Shih, a Melbourne mother, shared her frustrations after enrolling her child at the Genius childcare centre in Reservoir in 2023. Shih paid $140 a day—equivalent to $700 a week—but was disappointed with the food offerings. “The food to me was quite substandard … a frozen sausage roll. I saw that and it’s a bit heartbreaking to see that sort of food being served to kids,” she said. She also witnessed her son being served dry cereal with no milk, which she described as “shocking.”
Insiders Speak Out About Substandard Food
Whistleblowers Letiha Loveday and Chey Carter, both former employees of Affinity Education centres, shed light on the food practices at some of the company’s more than 250 centres nationwide. Loveday revealed that she had shown families menus that did not reflect the actual meals served. “For four meals a day … it’s roughly about 42 cents per meal per child,” she said. “I don’t know if you can make a meal for 42 cents at home.”
Carter emphasized the stark differences between childcare centres that prioritize food quality and those that cut corners. “There are some services who don’t view food as part of their service. Some centres are only budgeting 50 cents to a dollar per child per day,” she said. In some cases, food budgets were found to be as low as 33 cents per meal, per child.
A parent with experience at an Affinity centre described the discrepancy between what was promised and what was served. “They tell you they are cooking slow-cooked lamb tagine … you go in and it is two-minute noodles in bulk,” they said.
Childcare Centres Fall Short of National Standards
Research from Bonnie Searle and Karen Thorpe at the Queensland Brain Institute highlights concerns over the quality of food in Australian childcare centres. Their study revealed that 11% of the centres they audited experienced severe food insecurity. In many cases, the meals served failed to meet national dietary standards for children. “About 80% of children weren’t getting protein, and for vegetables, it was around the same,” Dr. Searle said.
Professor Thorpe described some of the meals she witnessed as “disgusting,” noting examples such as rice crackers with Vegemite or jam and dried mince with mashed potatoes. She stressed the long-term impact, with children spending up to 10,000 hours in early education services before school. “That’s a lot of meals,” she said.
Call for Government Action and Improved Standards
Dietitians Australia president Fiona Willer emphasized that Australian children deserve food that supports their growth and health. “Australia is tracking far behind countries in Asia and other parts of the world regarding food and nutrition standards in the early childcare sector,” she said.
Willer called for an urgent overhaul of the food and nutrition standards in the childcare industry, urging the federal government to provide clearer guidance to centres. “Our current system is failing the services and the parents,” she said. “These mealtimes shape children’s lifelong relationship with food and impact broader health and developmental outcomes.”
In contrast, Kaitlyn Paltridge, a childcare worker at a community-run centre in Mount Gambier, reported spending about $6.50 per child on meals. She believes that for-profit centres, often disconnected from the children they serve, cut corners on meal quality to boost profits. “These people have never met these kids, they don’t know their names, they don’t know these families,” Paltridge said. “They’re only making decisions that improve their bottom line.”
Political Response and Calls for Transparency
New South Wales Greens MLC Abigail Boyd has called for greater transparency within the childcare industry following revelations from confidential documents about the poor food standards at many centres. Boyd likened the situation to the aged care sector, where private operators have been accused of cutting costs at the expense of service quality. “It just sounds like exploitation. What can you even get for 33 cents? Pasta and ketchup,” Boyd said.
As the controversy continues to unfold, both parents and industry insiders are demanding better food quality and greater accountability from for-profit childcare providers.
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