There is still a strong sense of community between staff and families from the Kool Kidz Tarneit Childcare centre, in the aftermath of a car crashing into the service.
On June 6, a car smashed into the Tarneit Road centre, causing extensive damage to the building.
The driver died at the scene of the collision, which is still being investigated by police.
What remained of the centre’s building has since been demolished, although some playground equipment remains standing.
Before the car crash, the centre had around 55 staff and 300 children – from six weeks old to kindergarten age – in attendance.
The centre’s nominated supervisor Jennifer Benson said although the car crash had been “devastating” for parents and employees of the centre, they were now looking to the future.
Ms Benson said the owners of Kool Kidz, a husband and wife named Ian and Sam, were going “above and beyond” to get their business back on its feet and re-opened within six to nine months.
“The concrete slab on the site is fine as far as we know, so I think they’re waiting for the builders to say, ‘We’re going to come in and start’,” Ms Benson said.
Since the car accident, most of the children from the centre have been temporarily taken on by other Wyndham childcare services.
Ms Benson said that while many of the Kool Kidz employees had also started working at these centres, they were keen to return to the Tarneit Road centre.
Ms Benson said a parent from the centre had started a Gofundme.com page aimed at raising $10,000 to help the centre buy new resources and furniture, once it re-opened.
The campaign, which has raised $2885 so far, is also collecting financial donations to help run other fundraising events for Kool Kidz.
“We’re looking at lots of community events – maybe sausage sizzles, we’ve got teddy bears picnics,” Ms Benson said.
She said staff were also meeting up every month, while she is helping to organise weekly playgroup sessions so that children from the centre can see each other regularly.
“The centre’s gone but the community’s sticking together,” Ms Benson said.
“All of our families, I think, just want us to be together again.”
See gofundme.com/teamjohnsontarneit for more details.
