When a parent drops their child at childcare, they're making a decision about trust. For families in Bassendean and Ashfield, that trust has been placed in Wind in the Willows for over four decades. But in recent months, that continuity came into question as the Town of Bassendean pursued a plan to hand the centre over to a private operator.
Now, with the planned buyer pulling out of the deal, the council faces a decision point. Rather than return to the status quo, the town intends to move forward with bringing in a not-for-profit organisation to run the Ashfield centre.
The town notified families on February 25 of its intention to sell the council-run childcare service and land at 28 Wilson Street to a pre-selected private buyer for about $2.5 million. The proposal triggered immediate pushback from parents and community members who valued the service's current structure and quality.
Wind in the Willows has operated as a council-run not-for-profit childcare centre for more than 40 years and provides early childhood education and care for children aged zero to three. The town has also indicated the potential closure of its Ashfield Wind in the Willows service, which provides care for children aged three to five.
Parents in Bassendean raised concerns about the Town of Bassendean's proposed sale, saying the decision had progressed with limited consultation and transparency. Some families said they were blindsided by plans to sell Wind in the Willows. Concerns centred on the shift from public to private operation, with families questioning when operational losses began and why an open bidding process was not used.
The Town of Bassendean said the proposal formed part of a review of council services and that rising operational costs had made the childcare service increasingly difficult to sustain. This framing caught many families off guard, given that the service's reputation remains strong.
The collapse of the sale agreement removes the immediate pressure to privatise the service, but it does not necessarily signal a return to the current arrangement. With the not-for-profit operator now the stated path forward, questions remain about what changes lie ahead for families who have relied on the centre for generations.