New documents reveal concerning allegations at Little Zak’s Academy

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A Sydney mum says her trust in the childcare sector has been shattered after her toddler received a forehead injury. Mariam Benyamin has described the struggle to get answers from workers at a Little Zak’s Academy centre in the city's west. Separate documents obtained by the ABC reveal a range of concerns with the chain which was already in the spotlight over child safety.

Transcript

00:00It's among a loving mother's worst fears. A toddler injured, and at first, no answers

00:10from those charged with her care.

00:12She said, oh, maybe that's why she was crying right before she sleeps. And I think, so you

00:18don't know what happened to her? She said, oh, no, because she came to me and I just

00:22gave her a cuddle and she fell asleep.

00:24Mariam Benyman alleges only upon further questioning did Little Zacks Academy Ropes Crossing disclose

00:30her daughter had been hit by another child. This was later confirmed by CCTV. For Mrs Benyman,

00:38it was too late.

00:39Loriana doesn't speak a word yet. She doesn't say anything yet. If I didn't walk in and see

00:45what happened to her head, I don't think they would never, ever tell me anything.

00:50Little Zacks Academy has almost 50 centres, but it's closing one in Western Sydney after

00:55two educators were charged with multiple assaults against a toddler. Through a Four Corners investigation,

01:01we've been able to access dozens of documents relating to other alleged incidents across

01:06multiple centres.

01:07They include concerns about not informing families of incidents, and six instances of educators

01:14being allegedly physical with children. Little Zacks declined to comment on specific incidents,

01:19but in a statement, Chief Executive Richard Bell said the wellbeing and safety of every

01:24child in our care is our highest priority. Calling for an overhaul of regulatory systems

01:30and a national working with children check, as no provider wants to employ a rogue educator.

01:36Where's Loriana?

01:38Loriana was monitored at Nepean Hospital for concussion and given the all clear. It took several

01:45days for the centre to acknowledge an email about the injury. It's not the incident, but

01:50the response that's compelled Mrs Benyamin to withdraw her daughter from Little Zacks and

01:55speak out about the chain. All the educators witnessed what happened to her and none of them told

02:01me when I walked in. That's a big concern. I don't think Little Zacks is a place that you

02:06can trust to leave your children there. A shattered trust in a broken system.

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