Following the announcement of home-based child-care service Easy Mind going into liquidation, Dunedin child-care operations fielded calls from parents and educators yesterday.
Easy Mind provided care for children aged 0-5 in 15 centres in New Zealand, including Dunedin, Central Otago, Gore and Invercargill.
Blair Millar, of RHB Chartered Accountants, Hamilton, which has been appointed liquidator, said it intended selling the businesses quickly.
Several prospective buyers had expressed an interest.
"In the meantime, the facilities will continue to operate with the full support of staff and contractors."
Parents of children at the centres would receive notices from the liquidators within the next few days.
Dunedin Community Childcare Association director Jo Ellis said "a number of calls" were received yesterday from parents looking for alternative care, and educators seeking work.
She described it as a terrible way to start the new year but said her organisation would do its "very best to accommodate" them.
Wild Things director Susan Phua said calls had been received from both educators and parents seeking alternative care for their children.
The company would also do its best to find places for children, as "at the end of the day, it's about child-care needs".
Origins manager Joy Waters said three calls had been received from educators looking for work but none from parents.
Easy Mind was founded in Hamilton in 2002, by early childhood teacher Clare Grace and her husband Fred.
They were not available for comment yesterday.
Last year, it employed 23 administration staff, 30 early childhood teachers and 287 home-based educators, providing home-care services for hundreds of pre-schoolers.
In 2009, it was named one of the fastest growing home-based child-care businesses in the country.
The business had doubled in size each year, Mr Grace said.
