This article is taken from an Australian news Source and specifically relates to Australian ABC facilities.

ABC Learning may be understaffing its childcare centres, the crippled company's recruitment agency claimed yesterday.

The director of 123 Careers, Don Jones -- who claims ABC owes him $10 million -- said yesterday he could supply less than half the 1849 relief staff required today to work in ABC centres across Australia.

Citing a "critical safety issue", he wrote to state premiers and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard late yesterday, alleging ABC centres may be breaching legislative staff-child ratios -- the number of staff required to care for children.

Mr Jones welcomed the Rudd Government's $22 million lifeline to keep the ABC centres open until year's end, after the company's receivers claimed 40per cent were unprofitable.

"123 Careers is, however, concerned that the desire to ensure continuity of service may overshadow the need to ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements," his letter says.

"Each child's safety must be paramount and no effort should be spared to assure parents and carers that licensed operators are at all times compliant with the conditions of their licence.

"As the key provider of staffing to ABC Learning Centres, it is 123 Careers belief that ABC Learning Centres, through it (sic) administrators and receivers, may not be adhering to the staffing ratio requirements set out in various commonwealth, state and territory legislation and regulation."

Mr Jones said yesterday that ABC had asked 123 Careers to provide 1849 relief staff to work today at the company's 1040 centres, but he had been able to line up only 778.

"I think they'll be down 1000 staff tomorrow," he told The Australian yesterday.

"ABC staff are probably sick and stressed and leaving in droves," he said.

"I don't know if they've got someone's grandmother to come and fill the centres, but you can't do that."

Mr Jones claimed ABC owned his company $10million in "unpaid bills".

The two companies have been in a legal dispute since ABC dumped a $70 million contract to buy 123 Careers lastmonth.

But under a recent Supreme Court order, ABC Learning has the right to recruit staff through other agencies if 123, its long-time recruitment agency, cannot provide enough staff by 4pm the day before they are required.

ABC's receivers, McGrathNicol, released a statement last night saying it was "fully aware" of the company's licensing obligations.

"(We) will take steps as appropriate to ensure ABC childcare centres continue to provide high-quality care for parents and children," it said.

A spokeswoman for Ms Gillard said she was aware of Mr Jones's concerns.

"Technically, state and territory governments have responsibility for the regulation and oversight of staff-to-child ratios but obviously this Government has a great interest in the delivery of quality childcare," she said.