By Aneeka Simonis
AN ONGOING dispute about disabled parking at a Pakenham childcare centre has ended in one parent reportedly abusing another in front of children.
A senior staff member at Time 4 Tots in Pakenham has been the subject of ongoing frustration among parents for allegedly parking in a disabled car spot without the proper permits.
Parents said they had raised the issue with management in the past, and that nothing had been done as it was a private car park.
But an aggressive outburst involving two parents has jolted the centre into action.
On Friday 9 December, a parent with a legitimate disabled parking permit was forced to double park behind a staff member using the disabled spot without a permit.
Her car blocked another parent’s in, and when she emerged from the centre with her child to leave, an argument broke out.
The abusive father’s child was also present.
The parent wrote to Time 4 Tots, detailing the incident.
She claimed the angry father told her she was a “horrible parent” and threatened to reverse into her car.
“This man has belittled myself and my family and intimated me in front of my daughter who attends kinder with his son,” she said.
“This behaviour is not acceptable.
“No parent deserves to feel this way in front of her child, and no child deserves to see their parent abused in this manner … nor does the other child deserve to see their father disrespect another person in this manner.”
She urged the centre to make sure the parking spot was available to legitimate permit holders.
Time 4 Tots’ Tad Merry said the centre was aware of the incident, and had advised staff would be strictly forbidden from parking in the disabled spot without the correct permits.
“We have issued a notice to all staff in respect to parking, in particular noting that parking in the disabled areas without an appropriate permit is strictly forbidden,” he said.
“We will also be issuing a notice to all families on Monday reflecting the same message with regards to the disabled parking spaces, including that we understand that parking can be a challenge with two active business in the complex and encourage all of our families to show each other the appropriate respect when entering and leaving the car park area.”
The centre shares a car park with a bulk-billing medical centre, St Antony Medical Centre and Dental Clinic.
