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THE newly appointed receivers of troubled childcare giant ABC Learning have moved to assure parents the company's 1,200 centres will remain open.

ABC Learning's board of directors on Thursday placed the company in voluntary administration handing over management to insolvency firm Ferrier Hodgson.

Corporate advisory firm McGrathNicol has been appointed receivers and managers of the company and will assume control of the business and its assets.

McGrathNicol partner Chris Honey assured parents ABC's Australian and New Zealand childcare centres would continue to operate as usual.

"I would like to assure all parents and staff that following our appointment their local childcare centre will continue to operate as usual," he said.

"The interests of children, families, staff and their entitlements are central to our considerations in this process.

"It is our intention to manage this process smoothly, and avoid disruption to families."

In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, ABC Learning said the decision to place the company into administration had been taken after a careful review of its future by the board of directors.

"The board and current management team are disappointed to be in this position despite the efforts of so many staff and the continued support of parents," chairman David Ryan said.

ABC Learning Centres provides care for about 100,000 children, representing about 25 per cent of the Australian childcare market.

The federal government has set up a task force to ensure families are not adversely affected by the childcare giants woes.

But Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner ruled out government taking over the business.

"I wouldn't imagine we would be directly running them," Mr Tanner told Fairfax Radio Network.

"Clearly one of the key things we have got to do is to make sure we minimise disruption to people with arrangements.

"We can't allow a situation to emerge when there's thousands of families around the country that depend on their childcare is suddenly taken away and (there is) no alternative."

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