October 1st 2024.
One morning in April, a mother arrived at Little Arias daycare in Denham Court to drop off her daughter, only to find the place completely empty. She was shocked to see that everything had been cleared out - the toys were gone and even the bins were empty. When asked about the situation, she told 9News, "It was a gut-wrenching sight. I couldn't believe it." The owner of the daycare, Anna Marie Gewargis, had sent a message to the parents claiming that there was a gas leak. However, it soon became clear that this was not the case.
As it turns out, the 32-year-old owner had been evicted from the property after failing to pay rent for three months. This left many parents in a difficult situation as they were not only left without childcare, but they also lost a significant amount of money - some even up to thousands of dollars. One father shared, "We were so desperate at that time that we jumped at the packages she offered." The parents claim that Gewargis had pressured them to pay fees months in advance, only to disappear with their money when the daycare unexpectedly closed. Despite their efforts to contact her for a refund, they were unsuccessful. "I've sent her countless messages and tried to call her. I had paid her almost $3800," one parent shared.
The situation was not just affecting the parents, but also the investors in the daycare business. One silent partner, who was a business owner in western Sydney, had transferred close to $270,000 to Gewargis. He shared, "I thought this would be beneficial for my family and my future. But after three months, payments started to be missed and excuses piled up. I was devastated - I couldn't sleep or eat." Another investor claimed to have given her $80,000. Interestingly, around the same time, Gewargis had hosted a lavish engagement party at Paradiso in Fairfield.
To add to the anger of the parents, it was discovered that Gewargis had never received approval from the NSW Department of Education to open the daycare. A spokesperson for the department stated, "Gewargis has been prohibited from operating or working in any early childhood education and care service in Australia. We are currently investigating this matter." It was also revealed that Gewargis is facing three charges of common assault related to the children in her care. She had even tried to get a suppression order to keep the charges from being reported, but the magistrate denied her request. The NSW Police have opened an investigation into allegations of fraud under Strike Force Lutterworth.
When Gewargis was approached for a comment, she quickly ran away from the reporters. It seems that she is currently living in Rosebery, but her previous residence on Grantham Crescent shows no signs of ever being a daycare. The landlord stated that he had no knowledge of Gewargis running a business on the property and that when she left, she even took the built-in microwave. The parents involved in this situation are now speaking out to warn others. One parent shared, "We just want to move on, but we also want to make sure that others don't fall victim to this." The fear of how many more people may be taken advantage of by Gewargis is a constant worry for these parents.
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