The fight to save Coventry Children’s Centre has landed squarely in the council chamber, with parents afrom South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and Middle Park lining up to oppose a proposal to disolve their beloved childcare community.
Council wants to turn the centre into a temporary “decanting” facility for other centres undergoing renovation. Families say that might look tidy on a project plan, but it would blow up a functioning childcare community that many parents describe as their village.
A safe place, not just a service
The strongest message from parents was simple: Coventry is trusted. In a childcare sector where staff turnover and safety fears are front of mind for many families, parents told councillors that Coventry’s long-serving educators are the reason they chose the centre — and the reason they are fighting to keep it open.
Sinead Kavanagh, a Port Melbourne resident with two young children, highlighted the gravity of choosing childcare:
“The biggest risk I have taken as a parent so far is to choose a child care facility. When you hand over an infant who can’t walk or talk, you have to fully trust the people who care for them.”
Kavanagh contrasted Coventry’s warm, engaging environment with other centers, noting that many staff members have been there for over 10 or even 20 years.
“In a time when abuse in childcare settings in Victoria is headline news, you really have to question whether that is the best and safest place for your child to be… We have built up strong relationships with the staff at Coventry and feel our daughter is safe and thrives in their care.”
Tanvi Shah of South Melbourne echoed this sentiment, explaining that the longevity of the educators was the primary reason her family chose the center:
“When educators have stayed at a center for more than 15 years, that tells me that this is more than a facility. It talks to the staff attachment to this institution and the consistency in care.”
For Melanie Swieconek, the safety of Coventry was crucial to her recovery from severe postnatal depression. In a heartbreaking disclosure, Swieconek shared her journey through five years of IVF, miscarriage, and subsequent mental health struggles:
“I didn’t leave my house for almost 8 months and even now I can go for weeks on end without leaving my house. The only time we do leave is to go to Coventry Child Care Centre… I unfortunately was suffering… images of her being harmed by someone taking her from me. But walking in there and meeting Tif and Emily, Manura, and Deirdre, and Nina, and all the staff, I knew that she would be loved and cared.”
The village council may dismantle
For many families, Coventry is not simply a childcare booking. It is the local support network they do not otherwise have — especially for parents who have moved to the area without relatives nearby.
Pascale Desbiens, a South Melbourne resident of seven years who recently became an Australian citizen, explained the devastating personal stakes of losing the center:
“We have no family support. No one to call when things get hard… Finding a center we truly trust was not easy. Coventry is that place. It’s our village.”
Desbiens warned that losing this vital support network could force her family to make drastic decisions:
“Losing it means we would have to pay significantly more, drive out of the way, or relocate to a more affordable suburb. Without family support and away from the community we built for seven years, the more likely outcome is that we will move back to our home country.”
Lann Faulkner, a lifetime resident of the City of Port Phillip and father of a 1.5-year-old boy, described Coventry as a crucial “third space” for new families:
“Unfortunately we don’t have direct family support in the city anymore… Coventry is a model childcare… It must be one of the best centers in the state.”
Faulkner shared how difficult it was for his son to settle into the “possum room,” taking three full months to adjust. He expressed deep concern over disrupting that hard-won comfort:
“He can say the names of some of the staff, Nomira, Didri, Eli. He trusts the rhythm to go to sleep now.”
Opposition moved fast
The backlash did not take long. Philippa Carr, a Middle Park resident, said a petition launched on 28 July drew 526 signatures in two weeks after council’s 22 July proposal became public.
Carr described how local businesses in South Melbourne eagerly joined the cause:
“We met with market store holders, Coventry Street shops. They were all surprised, disappointed, and supportive. A lot of shops offered to put the sign up in their shop, tell their customers, and staff.”
Parents accuse council of poor process
Parents also took aim at what they saw as a thin consultation process and a decision that treated one group of families as movable while another was protected. The allegation was not subtle: council had found a convenient answer, and Coventry families were expected to carry the cost.
Jason Makhoul of St Kilda questioned why families were not consulted earlier when decanting investigations were completed in May, asking:
“At what point was it determined that the Coventry family was expendable?”
Jaimie Tredoux of South Melbourne framed the Council’s decision as a breach of a 26-year-old conversation built on trust:
“The decision before you tonight breaks that trust and stops a conversation. It’s a decision that says to the community one group has guaranteed access to a place and the other does not… Councillors, I ask you, is this about decanting a facility or is it about displacing our community?”
Alexane Cravoisier, whose two children attend the center, criticized the Council’s recent information sessions as “not a real consultation,” adding:
“We feel completely alone in this process, like we are object on a plan, not people.”
Their plea: do not break what works
The parents’ request was clear: do not dismantle a successful childcare community for administrative convenience. They said they were open to sharing, adapting and finding alternatives – but not to losing the centre outright.
Pascale Desbiens urged the Council:
“We’re willing to share, adapt, find a way to make it work together, but we don’t want our service fully withdrawn and our children spread across centers because it’s more convenient and cheaper for your council… Please vote against this proposal and keep our children together with the educators and the people.”
