CareforKids.com.au - Child Care News

Call to delay kinder changes rejected

Sat, 2 Jun 2012 09:40:00 +1000

The Age - Rachel Wells - June 2, 2012
CALLS for the federal government to extend the June 2013 deadline for when Victorian kindergartens must provide 15-hour programs for four-year-olds appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Representatives from Kindergarten Parents Victoria met with School Education Minister Peter Garrett and and Minister for Early Childhood and Childcare Kate Ellis...

Childcare centres to get funds boost

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:30:00 +1000

Canberra Times - Lisa Cox - May 31, 2012
The ACT government will boost its budget for childcare services by $3.5 million in the next financial year to upgrade childcare centres and help the sector meet national regulations introduced by the federal government. The figure is in addition to last year''s injection of $60 million over...

Childcare centres ready for fire hazards

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:30:00 +1000

Canberra Times - Christopher Knaus - May 31, 2012
Childcare providers assure parents that Canberra centres are safe from the kind of inferno that killed 13 children, including three New Zealand triplets, in a Qatari creche this week. The blaze broke out in a shopping mall in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Monday, killing 19 people...

Daycare 'swap' OK for rebates

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 30, 2012
Family daycare operators who send their children to another creche could still claim the childcare rebate if they're eligible, a senate committee has heard. Nationals senator Fiona Nash said she had heard about day carers who sent their own children to another family day carer and then...

Smacking mum can work in childcare: court

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:31:00 +1000

News.com.au - May 30, 2012
A MOTHER who used an electrical cord to hit her eight-year-old twins when they refused to do the dishes has been given permission to continue working in the childcare industry. In a written judgment published today, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal returned a blue card...

Government's threat to childcare centres over fees

Sun, 27 May 2012 10:53:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Caroline Marcus - May 27, 2012
THE federal government warned it would publicly name childcare centres using reforms as an excuse to jack up prices after one centre tried to gouge parents an extra $46 a day. As Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week commissioned work on ways to help struggling families by capping...

Threat to Victorian kindergartens

Sun, 27 May 2012 10:53:00 +1000

Sunday Herald Sun - Robyn Riley - May 27, 2012
A VICTORIAN preschool was forced to close its popular three-year-old kindergarten because the Federal Government did not fully consider the consequences of its new childcare standards, management claims. Templeton Orchards Preschool in Wantirna says its three-year-old kinder...

Children to be given a taste of danger at new childcare centre

Sun, 27 May 2012 10:52:00 +1000

The Courier-Mail - Tanya Chilcott - May 26, 2012
CHILDREN would be given trees to climb in, a creek to explore and material to build cubby houses under proposals for a new childcare centre and kindergarten which aims to buck the trend of wrapping them in cotton wool. The proposal by C&K, which runs a string of childcare centres...

New name plan for pre-primary

Sat, 26 May 2012 09:35:00 +1000

The West Australian - Bethany Hiatt - May 25, 2012
WA's pre-primary school year would be renamed "foundation" from next year under a plan to bring all States into line. The Australian Government Primary Principals Association is pushing for all schools to use the same title for the year of schooling before Year 1 and it wants all States...

Depopulate and perish

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:47:00 +1000

Financial Review - Steven Philip Kramer - May 25, 2012
Population decline poses a grave danger to the developed world. Yet there is nothing inevitable about it. History shows governments can raise birthrates close to replacement levels if only they adopt the right kinds of pronatalist policies. This means making available high-quality and affordable childcare, offering families financial support and supporting mothers who pursue careers...

All together now - 300,000 kids in story marathon

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:32:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Alice Coote - May 24, 2012
Nick Bland's The Very Cranky Bear was read aloud in about 2200 libraries, kindies, schools and homes across Australia yesterday in the 12th National Simultaneous Storytime. At 11am, the two- to six-year-olds heard the story of the four friends who encounter a very cranky bear in his cave...

Widening gap 'a reason' to raise childcare cap

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:17:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 23, 2012
TONY Abbott's Coalition has revealed it wants to lift the cap on the childcare rebate, flagging an increase on the $7500 families currently receive per child. Coalition childcare spokeswoman Sussan Ley has told The Australian a 300 per cent increase in families hitting the childcare rebate cap...

Childcare faces crisis over wages

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:17:00 +1000

Sunshine Coast Daily - Jorge Branco - May 23, 2012
LYNN Afotey-Otu has worked in childcare for more than 30 years but is now concerned the whole industry is in crisis, with workers leaving in droves due to poor pay. Mrs Afotey-Otu runs the Little Legends Early Learning Centre in Dakabin, where she's finding it harder to attract and keep staff...

Anthony defends silence on ABC fees

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:50:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - May 22, 2012
FORMER federal minister and ABC Learning Centres director Larry Anthony has defended leaving out of annual reports almost $13,000 a month in fees from a contractor for the childcare giant. He also justified, in court yesterday, not declaring the fees at board meetings of the Brisbane-based...

Union warning on childcare strategy

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:07:00 +1000

The Age - Peter Martin - May 21, 2012
The government is reportedly considering an accord along the lines of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that would directly subsidise childcare centres in exchange for guaranteed fees. Until now the government has paid money to parents to subsidise fees rather than fund the childcare centres themselves...

Childcarers want subsidy for fee freeze

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 20, 2012
Childcare workers will quit the industry in droves unless the federal government comes up with subsidies as part of any move to cap fees, a union says. The federal government is canvassing options to freeze childcare fees, including paying direct subsidies to the industry in exchange for...

What comes after ABC?

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:25:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Cosima Mariner - May 20, 2012
Julia Davison is seeking to change the focus, and the culture, of the once-troubled childcare business. "Eddy came by helicopter, I come by Mini." That's how Julia Davison, the new boss of Australia's largest childcare chain, sums up the difference between her and her predecessor...

Julia Gillard considering options to keep childcare price hikes in check

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:24:00 +1000

The Sunday Mail - Samantha Maiden - May 20, 2012
The options include direct subsidies to the childcare industry in exchange for price agreements, or increased childcare payments to low and middle income families. Any agreement might also encourage innovation in addressing parents' needs such as extended opening hours or greater...

Julia's childcare plan stolen from the Howard playbook

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:24:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Samantha Maiden - May 20, 2012
When John Howard faced political death he froze petrol prices. Julia Gillard is now considering stealing from the same playbook with a plan to freeze childcare prices. It might not save her government. But it is likely to prove political dynamite. The Howard government's extraordinary…

ABC pondered big buy in tough times

Sat, 19 May 2012 10:57:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - May 19, 2012
ABC Learning Centres considered buying a "massive chain" of US childcare centres as the world economy was turning volatile in late 2007, it has been revealed. The plan was worth up to $3 billion and dubbed "Project Kangaroo", with revelations emerging at the Brisbane District Court...

Grandparents bear greater share of childcare duties

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:21:00 +1000

The Age - Rachel Wells - May 17, 2012
MORE Australian children are being cared for by their grandparents than by formal childcare providers, such as long day care, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figures show that while half of all Australian children under 12 received childcare...

Coalition plans for sweeping changes to nanny industry

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 15, 2012
THE Coalition has begun discussions with the nanny industry over stamping out "backyard care", as it pursues its goal of extending the childcare rebate to in-home carers, in the event of an Abbott government. Opposition childcare spokeswoman Sussan Ley said she had spoken to several nanny services about regulation...

ABC Learning chief defied embargo, court hears

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:55:00 +1000

Brisane Times - Marissa Calligeros - May 15, 2012
The former chief executive of ABC Learning allegedly sold three childcare centres he owned to the global chain nearly two months after the company's board of directors placed an "embargo" on new acquisitions, a court has heard. Martin Kemp is accused of arranging for ABC Learning to buy three...

Storytime comes at a cost

Sun, 13 May 2012 10:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner and James Robertson - May 13, 2012
Parents once considered reading their children a bedtime story and attending free storytime at the local library sufficient for developing early literacy skills. But there is a burgeoning industry charging for reading classes for preschoolers, tapping into parents' desire to give their child a head start in life...

Nannies fight back over 'glorified cleaners' stereotype

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:34:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 12, 2012
STUNG by slurs depicting them as nothing more than untrained babysitters and glorified cleaners, a group of nannies has formed a professional lobby group to fight for regulation and ultimately government subsidies for the work they do caring for children in homes. The new group says...

Preschoolers to learn second language under Tony Abbott and the Coalition

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:05:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Steven Scott - May 11, 2012
EVERY preschool child would have to study a foreign language if the Coalition wins the next election, as part of Tony Abbott's vision to help prepare Australia for the Asian boom. And within a decade, 40 per cent of Year 12 students would be studying a second language...

Parents to go 'from welfare to poverty'

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:05:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 11, 2012
While the government thinks it is saving money, it may end up spending money in increased childcare rebates and childcare benefit allowances for the hours children will be forced into care. The government is hoping to save close to $700 million over four years by pushing...

Childcare - The role for nannies

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:05:00 +1000

ABC Radio - Daniel Horsley - May 10, 2012
Should Nannies be part of the childcare system? Tony Abbot's said recently he would offer the childcare rebate for nannies if elected. How are nannies trained and what would be the benefits of this proposal? Tony Arthur discussed this with Louise Dunham, who is Managing Director of...

Greens childcare plan passed

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 10, 2012
A GREENS motion that the Productivity Commission be directed by the government to inquire into childcare funding, including for nannies, has passed the Senate with Coalition support. Greens spokeswoman for early childhood education and care Sarah Hanson-Young called on the...

Sacred political cows were spared the axe

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:36:00 +1000

Financial Review - Fleur Anderson - May 10, 2012
The budget papers show childcare assistance, worth $4.43 billion next financial year, will grow 15.3 per cent in real terms from 2012-13 over the following four years, an average of almost 5 per cent a year. "The increase in expenses reflects the growing use of childcare services and...

Coalition backs child inquiry

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 9, 2012
THE Coalition is likely to join the Greens' move in the Senate for a Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare, including the rebate and nanny care funding. Sussan Ley, opposition childcare spokeswoman, said yesterday she had spoken to the Greens and was strongly leaning to backing an inquiry...

Funds to help get parents working

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:03:00 +1000

AdelaideNow - Ken McGregor - May 8, 2012
THE Federal Government has committed to investing an extra $225 million in paying childcare fees for parents on income support who are studying or trying to find work. The Government expects 130,000 Australian parents to access the funding, which will be released over the next four years...

Greens will move in senate for inquiry as expanding the rebate is not the silver bullet

Tue, 8 May 2012 10:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 8, 2012
THE Greens will this week move in the Senate for a Productivity Commission inquiry into the federal government's funding of childcare services, including a review of the childcare rebate and benefit and the funding of nanny care. The Greens' spokeswoman for early childhood education and care...

Cash bonus for school kids not a done deal

Tue, 8 May 2012 10:07:00 +1000

The West Australian - Andrew Tillett - May 8, 2012
Julia Gillard is yet to win support from key crossbenchers or the coalition for her showpiece pre-Budget announcement to shower hundreds of dollars on families with school-aged children. The Federal Government will rush legislation into Parliament this week so that it can pay the SchoolKids Bonus...

Government failing working mothers: survey

Tue, 8 May 2012 10:06:00 +1000

Ninemsn.com.au - May 7, 2012
One in two women believe the federal government is failing mothers returning to the workforce, a survey has found. The poll of 640 women, conducted by The Heat Group, found 48 per cent rated as "inadequate" government support for mothers going back to work. Only one in four are confident...

Nanny Louise gets international honour

Tue, 8 May 2012 10:05:00 +1000

Melbourne Weekly - May 7, 2012
KEW'S own super nanny Louise Dunham was the only Australian awarded an International Nanny Association service award pin at the 2012 INA Annual Conference last week. Dunham received the pin in recognition of 20 years of commitment to professional excellence in the in-home child care industry...

Ellis comes out fighting on childcare fees

Mon, 7 May 2012 09:34:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 7, 2012
CHILDCARE Minister Kate Ellis vowed yesterday to fight the "scaremongering" over childcare fee rises, saying if the cost is a factor for families deciding to have more children they should be told the "facts"-- that care has never been more affordable. Her comments come after a survey...

Schools stagger under young burden

Mon, 7 May 2012 09:33:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - May 7, 2012
SCHOOLS are wilting under the burden of trying to help almost 47,000 children starting prep with behavioural and other developmental problems, according to the paediatrician in charge of Australia's national data base on child health. Associate Professor Sharon Goldfeld says...

Scheme to level playing field for children gets boost

Mon, 7 May 2012 09:32:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Phillip Coorey - May 7, 2012
A TUTORING program that helps disadvantaged children to start school on an equal footing with others will receive an extra $56 million in tomorrow's federal budget, benefiting an extra 3000 children. The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters, commonly known as HIPPY...

Childcare, education first in household Budget

Mon, 7 May 2012 09:32:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Katrina Stokes - May 6, 2012
SONIA Venour wants the Federal Budget to deliver on childcare reforms and help families cope with the general cost of living. The 38-year-old Walkley Heights mother of three is a part-time teacher but cannot work full-time because she looks after Elyse, 8, Nathan, 6, and Kaelan, 3...

Childcare costs put off plans for more

Sat, 5 May 2012 10:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 5, 2012
The number of parents who say they will delay having more children because of the increased cost of long-day childcare has doubled to 70 per cent in just two years, according to the latest survey of parents with children in formalised care. Two years ago only 35 per cent said they would delay having more children…

Risk of bad behaviour in preschoolers linked to bikes

Fri, 4 May 2012 11:52:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - May 4, 2012
A Monash University survey of almost 5000 Australian four and five-year-olds linked preschool bike-riding to problems such as temper tantrums, disobedience, bullying and arguing with adults. Children who spend more time alone with adults, and less time playing with peers under supervision, are also more commonly found to have behavioural issues...

Plan puts welfare before work, claims Coalition

Fri, 4 May 2012 11:52:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 4, 2012
THE Coalition has accused the Gillard government of favouring welfare recipients over struggling workers after The Australian revealed a budget plan to extend free childcare for those on payments. But the childcare lobby has welcomed the plan, arguing that in many cases formal care gives children the first clean nappy and meal of the day...

The sound of breaking glass

Fri, 4 May 2012 11:52:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Bridie Smith - May 4, 2012
If workplaces can provide or subsidise childcare and offer family-friendly environments, women are more likely to continue working during their child-rearing years - which in turn will mean a deeper pool of senior researchers applying for grants...

Disabled scheme to anchor welfare budget

Fri, 4 May 2012 11:51:00 +1000

SkyNews - Thursday May 3, 2012
In the lead-up to the May 8 budget, Childcare Minister Kate Ellis has so far declined to rule out a means test on the 50 per cent childcare rebate, which is capped at $7500. While the idea is not new - the government hosed down the proposal before last year's budget - it could create a voter backlash...

Budget boost to save kids from drugs

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 3, 2012
MORE parents on welfare will get childcare almost free if they sign up for training or look for work, under a bold expansion of a program in Tuesday's federal budget. But those who receive the free childcare will face tougher tests that they are genuinely looking for work, to ensure the program...

Abbott's fly-in nanny pledge

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:23:00 +1000

The West Australian - Daniel Emerson - May 2, 2012
Families of fly-in, fly-out workers told Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at a morning tea in Rockingham yesterday they needed more flexible child care. On his second day in the Federal electorate of Brand, Mr Abbott repeated his pledge that a coalition government would direct the Productivity Commission ...

Plea for focus on Australia''s most vulnerable children with national deputy commissioner

Tue, 1 May 2012 10:18:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 30, 2012
Secretariat of National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care Chairwoman Dawn Wallam said the government must go one crucial step further and create a national deputy children''s commissioner with a specific focus on Aboriginal children and young people - the most vulnerable and...

Children abused at daycare centres and neglected at home

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:52:00 +1000

The Sunday Mail (Qld) - Thomas Chamberlin, Jackie Sinnerton - April 29, 2012
PEOPLE working with children are being banned every two-and-a-half days in Queensland for serious offences including child sex, violent and drug-related crimes. The hundreds of Queenslanders caught through stringent daily checks had been granted blue cards...

Middle-class welfare? Give single-income families a tax break

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela Shanahan - April 28, 2012
Few women work full time when their children are young. That is not because they cannot find care; it is because they don't want to. In Australia, most institutional childcare is subsidised by the state. Before and after-school care is subsidised, as is care for infants, through the tax rebate and…

AFL players and fans push for childcare at the footy

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:57:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - April 28, 2012
AFL players and footy fans have called for childcare centres at the MCG and Etihad Stadium to make games more family-friendly. Hawk Sam Mitchell, a father of three, said a creche at major stadiums would "help families get to go to the footy together". "Having on-site childcare could…

Cost of childcare soars by 13pc in Adelaide

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:56:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Catherine Hockley and Martina Simos - April 27, 2012
ADELAIDE families already battling rising energy and water bills have been hit with a 13 per cent jump in childcare fees over the past year. New Consumer Price Index data shows the cost of childcare in Adelaide jumped by 13.6 per cent over the past 12 months - the highest rise of all…

Minister dismisses cost claim as 'utter rubbish'

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Owen - April 26, 2012
CHILDCARE Minister Kate Ellis has accused a national lobby group for the professional carers of children of spreading "utter rubbish and misinformation" about the reasons for a spike in costs. Ms Ellis yesterday said she was outraged by claims made by Child Care National Association...

Timing proves key on childcare rebate

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:20:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 25, 2012
MORE than a quarter of families have chosen to receive a rebate on their childcare fortnightly since the option was introduced in July last year, following a pledge by the Gillard government to ease the cost-of-living pressures for families with young children. New fortnightly payments...

Education costs outstrip inflation

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:35:00 +1000

The Age - Bianca Hall - April 25, 2012
Nor were parents of young children spared the price rises, with childcare costs rising by 9.7 per cent in the past year, and by 4 per cent in the four months to March alone. The Australian Bureau of Statistics quarterly inflation figures, released yesterday, calculated the cost of...

Incomes can't keep pace with hikes in living costs

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:35:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Owen - April 25, 2012
Child Care National Association president Chris Buck was scathing of the federal government after the release of the CPI data, saying no one, least of all Wayne Swan, should be surprised by the sharp rise in childcare costs. "The federal government has been pushing in this direction since…

Hyperactivity link with before-school care

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:43:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 24, 2012
CHILDREN who go to before-school care early in their first year of school have been found to have higher levels of hyperactivity and behaviour such as hurting others, tantrums and fighting. A controversial study by Kay Margetts of Melbourne University's Graduate School of Education...

Childcare charity 'in the dark' after failed tender

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:42:00 +1000

ABC News - April 23, 2012
A national childcare provider is facing an uncertain future after the Government chose not to review a key Defence contract. The charity B4Kids runs 21 Australian Defence Force childcare centres around Australia, including four it took over in the Northern Territory after...

Hands up for your favourite teacher

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:58:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Sheradyn Holderhead - April 22, 2012
Nominations are open today for seven award categories recognising the top preschool teacher, primary school teacher, high school teacher, school leader, early career teacher, support staff member and the most innovative engagement with business and the community by a school…

Neuroscientist explains how to stimulate young brains

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:02:00 +1000

ABC Lateline - Emma Alberici - April 20, 2012
Educational engagement with children in those first years pays off according to one of the world's leading neurologists, Dr Judy Willis. Dr Willis is a scientist and former teacher who has written six books about applying the mind, the brain and educational research in the classroom…

Out of the box: TV better than childcare

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:33:00 +1000

Canberra Times - Emma Macdonald - April 19, 2012
Children who spend time in front of the television or computer may benefit cognitively more than if they were hanging out with friends, alone at home or in after-school care. According to a new paper to be presented at a National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling seminar today, how children spend their time...

Learning crucial to childcare: Coalition

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 18, 2012
TONY Abbott's Coalition has promised the childcare industry it will not fund nannies unless they are as qualified as those who work in centres. Opposition childcare spokeswoman Sussan Ley said yesterday education would be key to the Opposition Leader's pledge that the Productivity Commission be asked...

NSW puts schools at the centre of communities

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:38:00 +1000

ABC Lateline - Suzanne Smith - April 17, 2012
Struggling schools in regional and remote NSW are volunteering to be part of a bold new experiment which aims to close the educational gap between children from rich and poor families. Those who take part will be much more than learning institutions, they will become community hubs - and preschool education will be a central feature...

Science fuels push for education rethink

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:38:00 +1000

774 ABC Mebourne - Suzanne Smith and Tim Leslie - April 17, 2012
A greater understanding of the huge impact the first five years of life has on a child's development is causing a major rethink of pre-school education. About 80 per cent of brain development occurs from the time a baby is in the womb to the age of three, and leading medical experts say...

Peak body warns of nanny 'risk'

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 17, 2012
TAXPAYER subsidies for nannies will put more children at risk of household dangers and place kids "well behind their peers by the time they go to school", according to the childcare industry's peak group. The Australian Childcare Alliance, which represents 70 per cent of the long-day childcare sector...

Government committed to early education

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:52:00 +1000

ABC Lateline - Emma Alberici - April 16, 2012
Education Minister Peter Garrett says the Government is committed to universal access to education by university-educated teachers for four-year-olds. Now the scientific research is clear and unchallenged that every child should be in a pre-school by the age of three and it should be provided by the state...

Education programs target pre-school children

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:52:00 +1000

ABC Lateline - Suzanne Smith - April 16, 2012
The latest neuroscience research on young children's brains may have major consequences for our education system. 80 per cent of brain development occurs from the time a baby's in the womb to the age of three. This means children living in vulnerable situations in dysfunctional families need educational interventions at three, not five when most primary schools start...

Insurer takes the lead on parent leave

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:30:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Eric Johnston - April 16, 2012
ONE of Australia's biggest companies will pay the equivalent of 20 weeks parental leave including a bonus payment for the first six weeks on returning to work, as part of efforts to keep more of its women staff in senior roles. The move by Insurance Australia Group, which has one of...

Parents should have a say about who cares for their children

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:29:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Amanda Vanstone - April 16, 2012
Abbott's proposal may have sounded elitist but the idea itself is worthy. CHILDCARE assistance needs a rethink. Some people genuinely do not like Tony Abbott's idea of a subsidy for in-home care. (Others always say no to any proposition he puts and at the same time criticise him for being negative.)...

New childcare concerns at federal pay awards

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:53:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - - April 15, 2012
CHILDCARE operators fear new federal pay awards will lead to a dramatic drop in the number of daycare places. Alice Voight, who owns the Moore Park Gardens Preschool and Long Daycare Centre, says the government's unified modern pay award will leave NSW childcare staff $4000 out-of-pocket...

One intake for Reception students catches parents off guard

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:53:00 +1000

Sunday Mail (SA) - Brad Crouch - April 14, 2012
MAJOR changes to the school starting age from 2014 - switching to a single intake for Reception instead of every term - is flying under the radar of parents. While children can now be enrolled in Reception when they turn five, from 2014 there will be a single intake only at the start of the year...

Children in hospital after meningococcal outbreak

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:52:00 +1000

ABC News - April 14, 2012
Three children are in hospital after an outbreak of meningococcal disease at Gladstone in central Queensland. One child is in a serious condition in Brisbane while the other two are stable in Rockhampton. It is believed one of the children attended a child care centre in Gladstone while the...

Parents swoop on childcare vacancies

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:48:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Lisa Power and Holly Ife - April 14, 2012
DESPERATE parents are using an online alert service so they can call childcare centres as soon as vacancies open up. The online search, which connects parents with 14,000 childcare services nationally, claims to help applicants "jump the queue" by alerting parents to vacancies overnight…

Desperate parents try to jump the childcare queue

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:48:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Lisa Power - April 14, 2012
Natasha Reddrop, who used VA Pro to find care for her daughter Tessa, said the $20 monthly fee was worth it. The Clovelly mum is now using the service again, this time to seek cheaper care for her one-year-old. "It is so competitive around here. In the eastern suburbs there are so many babies it is really hard to find a spot,"...

Nanny rebate bad policy: Kate Ellis

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 14, 2012
CHILDCARE Minister Kate Ellis has declared the Gillard government open to further reform of the childcare system, and willing to embrace "new ideas" about how childcare assistance can "work better for mums and dads" but has drawn the line at subsidising nannies, arguing it is bad policy...

In-home care the shiftworker's godsend

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 13, 2012
TWO existing childcare options for parents -- family daycare and the small in-home care program -- should be greatly expanded to give working parents more options if they need their child cared for around the 24-hour cycle. National peak body Family Day Care Australia yesterday entered the nanny wars...

Taxpayers fund childcare rebate for 130 uber-rich

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 12, 2012
ABOUT 130 millionaire families receive the non-means-tested childcare rebate, which the Gillard government yesterday still defended as better than extending it to nannies for the shiftworking poor. Childcare Minister Kate Ellis denied there was a paradox in prohibiting the rebate for nannies...

Parents join forces to share the caring

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:01:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - April 12, 2012
PARENTS sick of inflexible childcare hours, waiting lists and mushrooming costs are getting creative, joining forces to share nannies. As debate rages about expanding subsidies for nannies, parents are taking it on themselves to slash the hefty price tag of a modern-day Mary Poppins...

PM, Penny Wong and Kate Ellis labelled 'shags on a rock' over nanny subsidies

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:01:00 +1000

The Australian - April 11, 2012
A LIBERAL frontbencher has likened Julia Gillard, Penny Wong and Kate Ellis to "three shags on a rock" over Labor's opposition to taxpayer-funded subsidies for nannies. The opposition wants the Productivity Commission to look into making childcare rebates more flexible. The government has dismissed...

Public 'misled' on childcare costs

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Ken McGregor - April 11, 2012
FEDERAL Minister Kate Ellis has accused the Coalition of deliberately misleading the public about childcare costs. The South Australian MP's comments come amid Opposition calls for nannies to be subsidised as part of the childcare rebate. "The Opposition has claimed that a new survey showed...

Nannies deserve the same rebate status as 'approved' child care, according to a new survey

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:40:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 10, 2012
A NEW survey of Australian parents has found the vast majority think registered nannies deserve the same rebate status as "approved" child care. The seventh independent national Child Care And Workforce Participation Survey undertaken by CareforKids.com.au has revealed...

Mums can be economic assets - Abbott

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:39:00 +1000

The Australian - April 10, 2012
OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott said tax subsidies for nannies will allow more Australian women to be economic assets as well as social assets to the country. The Federal Government has dismissed the idea as welfare for the rich. But Mr Abbott is keen to pursue the issue...

Union boss backs nanny subsidies

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:06:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 10, 2012
THE head of the nation's biggest union has called on Labor to subsidise nannies for families who want childcare in their own homes, arguing that the current system discriminates against them. Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association national secretary Joe de Bruyn...

Nurses union aligns with Abbott on childcare push

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 09:14:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 9, 2012
THE head of one of the nation's biggest female-dominated unions, the Australian Nurses Federation, has backed a call for the government to explore more childcare options to help parents who do shift work, including the option of nannies. ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas said…

Govt boost to childcare pays off for parents

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 09:14:00 +1000

Canberra Times - Lisa Cox - April 9, 2012
The number of long-day care places in the territory grew by more than 500 in a little over a year, according to new figures produced by the ACT government. Data from the Community Services Directorate shows Canberra parents struggling with the city's waiting lists for childcare...

Work-based creches ease pressure to find childcare places

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 09:13:00 +1000

The Courier-Mail - Jason Tin - April 9, 2012
AS working mums and dads struggle to find childcare places, some businesses are opening their doors to their staff's children in an effort to ease the strain. Mother-of-four Tanya Titman is among those investing in office creches to help out stressed parents. Her Mt Gravatt business...

Parents feel the pinch as childcare squeezed by new federal laws

Sat, 7 Apr 2012 10:32:00 +1000

The Courier-Mail - Daniel Knowles - April 07, 2012
PARENTS face a tougher fight for childcare places - and a bigger bill when they find a centre - as tough new federal laws squeeze 8400 places from the system. The cost of child care will rise by up to $13 a day per child as rules requiring an increased staff-to-child ratio are enforced...

Childcare costs ruining career dreams

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 10:05:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - April 05, 2012
A QUARTER of working mums are financially worse off by returning to work and putting their children in childcare, a survey shows. The findings, on the heels of widespread childcare fee rises this year, have heightened fears women could be forced to sacrifice their career dreams.

The forces are with Abbott on flexible childcare

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 10:28:00 +1000

The Australian - Paul Kelly - April 04, 2012
THE Labor Party's obsession with destroying Tony Abbott's credibility has backfired given Labor's overkill on Abbott's call for the Productivity Commission to assess the option of funding childcare at home. Abbott has made an astute pitch. There are hundreds of thousands of women who will agree with him...

More rich families get childcare rebate

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 10:28:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 04, 2012
CLOSE to 17,000 families earning more than $150,000 a year are projected to receive the full childcare rebate of $7500 this financial year. And the number of high-income families claiming the non-means-tested rebate of 50 per cent in part or in full has risen by a third over the past three years...

We’re hardly the nanny state when it comes to decent childcare

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 10:27:00 +1000

The Conversation - Eva Cox - April 03, 2012
The Productivity Commission is an inappropriate adviser on how best to fund nannies – because many of the problems of the current child care funding model is a result of its market focus. Good services for children must meet much wider criteria than simply improving the productivity of their parents at work...

Our childcare can't cut it

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 10:45:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - April 03, 2012
POLITICIANS should stop playing the class card and extend the 50 per cent childcare rebate to those who need nannies. I don't mean those who want nannies, like doctors' wives playing tennis, but those who actually need them, like shift workers who can't use regular childcare centres...

Nanny state makes brats of us all

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 10:45:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Pete Shenton - April 03, 2012
SHOULD Australian taxpayers, as Tony Abbott suggests, really pay towards the care of children of people with enough money to pay for a nanny to live in their house and look after their kids? My initial response to this is "you have to be joking". In Britain, this would be such a class-loaded issue...

Mums trapped by lack of options

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 10:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Sussan Ley - April 03, 2012
IN 18 months, I've witnessed the same evidence in every state and territory. From inner city to the suburbs, country towns or the outback, the stories may differ but the theme is the same: mums cannot get the childcare they need, at the price they can afford, that allows them to work the hours they want...

Nanny state: solutions just a visa away

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 09:31:00 +1000

Financial Review - Emma-Kate Symons - April 2, 2012
When it comes to early childhood education and the professional care of infants, Australia is, according to study after study, bottom of the rich-world heap. Our pre-school system is a "glorified playgroup" at best, and we have woefully inadequate quality daycare for children under the age of two...

Nanny debate demands robust exchanges

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 09:30:00 +1000

Financial Review - Anna Freeman - April 2, 2012
Why does it matter whether the childcare is provided in a centre or in a home? Surely what matters is that the care is provided safely and that parents can get back to work (and back to paying taxes) when they choose. It is hard to accept that regulation of the sector is an insurmountable barrier...

Childcare rebate safe from means test for now

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - April 02, 2012
JULIA Gillard has given the strongest indication yet that the government has rejected proposals to means-test the childcare rebate to help balance the budget, pointing to its huge increase in spending on childcare as proof of her "bona fides". However, she has hinted that the government is poised...

Explainer: Why subsidising nannies is complicated

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 09:17:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - April 1, 2012
There are a hell of a lot of women out there turning themselves inside out each day to combine babies and paid work. Some of them struggle along using excellent formal childcare even though the hours don't fit well with their jobs. Some pay nannies to do pick-ups. Some use nannies instead of a childcare centre...

Nanny plan to 'sucker in' mums

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Misha Schubert - April 1, 2012
TONY Abbott has no intention of subsidising nannies and his vow to ask the Productivity Commission to cost it but not charge taxpayers any more was just an attempt at "suckering women", said the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. But the Opposition Leader hit back, accusing Labor of "spin and relentless negativity"…

Childcare laws must 'apply to nannies'

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 09:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Joe Kelly - March 30, 2012
PARENTS who employ nannies should come under the same level of scrutiny, regulation and tough financial penalties experienced by childcare centre providers, according to Australian Childcare Alliance president Gwynn Bridge, who is fighting a push to provide government assistance for in-home carers...

Dollars and sense of nannies

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - March 31, 2012
IF and when the Productivity Commission takes a look at the complex issue of whether parents should be able to claim half the cost of their nannies under the childcare tax rebate system, they will do what has been largely missing in the emotion of the debate this week: examine the economic benefits of the idea…

Nanny state trying to shut down debate on debate

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:01:00 +1000

The Australian Peter van Onselen - March 31, 2012
THE strongest objection to Tony Abbott's idea that the Productivity Commission take a look at rebates for nannies - and that is all the Opposition Leader is calling for - seems to be that it is Abbott who made the suggestion. The ferocity and speed with which the government has condemned the idea…

Nanny rebate $500m cost

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +1000

The Age - Lenore Taylor - March 31, 2012
TONY ABBOTT'S plan to extend the childcare rebate to include nannies would cost about $500 million a year, according to calculations by the federal bureaucracy. The Coalition leader sparked a national debate when he promised that, if elected, he would ask the Productivity Commission...

Many obstacles on the road to nanny nirvana

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Lenore Taylor - March 31, 2012
It asks how childcare can be made more flexible to fit in with family's work, and - just as importantly - how businesses can make working arrangements more flexible to fit in with the fact that their workers also have responsibilities to their families...

Kirner calls for the rich to fend for themselves on childcare

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:57:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Stephen Lunn - March 31, 2012
FORMER Victorian Labor premier Joan Kirner has called for all childcare payments, including the rebate, to be means-tested so that the wealthy are not recipients of government funding. She said yesterday that while...

Push is on for nannies

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:57:00 +1000

Financial Review - Jacquie Hayes - March 31, 2012
Bravo Tony. It's a terrific policy initiative and a clever way of helping more women back into the workforce. But it's not enough. Two other things would need to be addressed simultaneously to make it work. First, there's the issue of numbers, or the lack of them in this case. And second, there's the issue of quality control, or the general absence of it in Australia's nanny industry...

Childcare rebate safe: PM

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:02:00 +1000

The West Australian - Shane Wright - March 30, 2012
Julia Gillard has killed off suggestions the Federal Budget will means test the childcare rebate. As Treasurer Wayne Swan declared welfare for people who did not need it was dispensable, the Prime Minister made it clear that this did not extend to the Government's generous childcare assistance...

Abbott's spoonful of sugar stirs the pot

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Irvine - March 30, 2012
Policy discussion must begin to focus not just on the demand side - the ability of parents to pay - but the supply side too. Initiatives to better anticipate and match the supply of childcare places with local demand, along with investments in training to ensure an increased supply...

Good pre-school learning helps teenagers

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:01:00 +1000

SkyNews - March 29, 2012
Pre-schoolers whose parents provide a stimulating home life are still reaping the benefits at the age of 14, research suggests. A study by the Institute of Education (IoE) has found that the quality of learning during a child's early years has a strong impact on achievement in high school...

PM refuses to speculate on cuts to childcare rebate

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:01:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Alison McMeekin - March 29, 2012
JULIA Gillard and her deputy Wayne Swan have refused to speculate on whether they will apply a means test to the 50 per cent childcare rebate. The Prime Minister this afternoon echoed the words of the Treasurer when she refused to rule out the cost-saving measure...

A nanny doesn't always know what's best for children

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:01:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Elizabeth Hill - March 29, 2012
Australian research points to the positive impact that high quality centre-based care can offer children. In well resourced, properly regulated child-care centres staffed by decently paid and well trained teachers, children learn to socialise, develop respect and empathy for others...

Middle-class welfare in the firing line under new Budget

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +1000

AdelaideNow - By Malcolm Farr - March 29, 2012
A SENIOR minister today is challenging entitlement to middle class welfare as the Government prepares a Budget expected to means test more benefits to families. The comments helped turn the spotlight on the 50 per cent child care subsidies as a target for means testing in the coming Budget...

Childcare inquiry makes sense

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:45:00 +1000

The Australian - March 29, 2012
Yet in response to a sensible proposal to investigate options for flexibility in childcare policies, the government's knee-jerk reaction has been to say no and attempt to play the politics of envy. This shows, at the very least, that the government is part of the problem...

Experts warn of problems subsidising nanny care

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - March 29, 2012
The government had no means to regulate what happened when the home was someone's workplace. "International evidence shows nanny work can be highly exploitative and next to impossible to regulate," Dr Hill said. "This is not a matter of nanny care is for the wealthy, it's the bigger question of subsidising private solutions in private homes using untrained staff."

Nanny row on the boil

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:43:00 +1000

Financial Review - Fleur Anderson And Katie Walsh - March 29, 2012
The childcare industry will lobby federal politicians from Labor and the Coalition to head off burgeoning support from top businesswomen for extended subsidies for nannies and means testing of childcare rebates. The plan of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to ask the Productivity Commission...

Childcare debate off and running

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:43:00 +1000

Financial Review - Marian Baird and Alexandra Heron - March 29, 2012
Nannies will never be the solution for most working women’s families. In addition, the problems and solutions associated with women’s workforce participation and suitable childcare arrangements do not begin and end with a choice between a nanny or group childcare...

Import nannies to help working women

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:42:00 +1000

Financial Review - March 29, 2012
Extending the tax breaks and subsidies for child care would further undermine a budget that is deep in the red. We could avoid this issue by relaxing immigration rules so nannies and aged-care workers, especially from Asia, can more easily enter and work in Australia...

Quality child care key to mums returning to work

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:42:00 +1000

The Age - Louise Tarrant - March 29, 2012
Early childhood educators can no longer be taken for granted, writes LOUISE TARRANT. Tony Abbott is right. If we want women to participate in the workforce they need support. With our country's aging population we know mothers returning to the workforce is crucial for the economy...

Funding the issue as mums in the House go coy on care

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - March 29, 2012
As a political debate raged over Tony Abbott's plan to extend childcare subsidies to nannies, many of the politicians who use nannies to juggle their high-powered careers and families refused to speak publicly on the issue of how they should be funded. Australia's first...

Property Council says Govt needs affordable housing plan

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:40:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Jessica Marszalek - March 28, 2012
THE Government should have a home affordability target and a plan to saturate cities with childcare centres, the Property Council says. And the Federal Government should punish it with financial penalties if it fails. In a stinging assessment of Australia's growth plans...

Crying out for nanny rebate

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:37:00 +1000

Financial Review - Fleur Anderson, Patrick Durkin and Claire Stewart - March 28, 2012
Leading Australian businesswomen have backed Tony Abbott's call to extend childcare subsidies to nannies, claiming that mid-level executives need greater flexibility to stay in the workforce. Governments could help support a wider, more flexible range of childcare options if government payments, like the childcare rebate, was made to be means-tested...

Kate Ellis under fire over nanny slur

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Sophie Gosper - March 28, 2012
CHILDCARE Minister Kate Ellis has been accused of inciting class rivalry after saying the childcare rebate should not be extended to nannies because they were chauffeurs and chefs hired to do the ironing. Ms Ellis accused Tony Abbott of intending to cut...

Parenting debate needs to focus on childcare

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:44:00 +1000

Financial Review - Catherine Fox - March 27, 2012
Under the current system, unless you earn about $180,000 a year and attract the highest personal income tax rate, you are better off with the current childcare rebate of 50 per cent than a tax deduction for childcare costs. But most in-home care costs do not qualify for relief...

Rebate scheme aims to extend the nanny state

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Sophie Gosper - March 27, 2012
SEX Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has backed a proposal to explore extending the childcare rebate to in-home nannies, saying the normal times of childcare centres do not suit women who work demanding hours or do shift work. Tony Abbott has said an...

Tony Abbott's nanny state

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - March 27, 2012
Despite years of debate about work and family issues, too many parents still find it difficult to find childcare that meets their needs. A more flexible, higher-quality formal childcare system would deliver considerable economic dividends. And if that existed, demand for nannies would plummet...

Rebate for nanny care will reduce baby blues

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:34:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Carmen Michael - March 27, 2012
Quite simply, there is a market failure in the care of children less than two years old and a shaky market at best for those between two and three. Part of the problem is tight regulation - undoubtedly necessary to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable treasures...

Childcare operators see red as Coalition flags childcare rebate to be extended to nannies

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:34:00 +1000

Smart Company - Madeleine Heffernan - March 26, 2012
The childcare rebate could be extended to cover families with nannies under a Coalition Government, but childcare centres say any broadening of the rebate should be matched by greater scrutiny on providers. Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott says a...

Fear nanny subsidy will fund housekeeping for the rich

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:54:00 +1000

The Australian - Andrew Trounson and Stephen Lunn - March 26, 2012
TONY Abbott's plan to consider extending government childcare rebates to the cost of nannies has sparked debate over their professionalism and whether it will simply fund house cleaning for the well-off. The Opposition Leader yesterday said an incoming Coalition government...

Nanny subsidy to hit care rebate

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:53:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Katina Curtis and Callie Watson - March 25, 2012
TONY Abbott's call to provide rebates to people who use nannies would have to come at the expense of existing childcare benefits. Child Care Minister Kate Ellis says the policy ultimately would cost low-income families. Mr Abbott has proposed looking at extending...

Now for Abbott's nanny state

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - March 25, 2012
Tony Abbott is planning to offer the childcare rebate for nannies as he pledges to make working mothers a key constituency in his bid to become prime minister. The Opposition Leader is keen to rebut perceptions of him as negative and anti-women...

Welcome to the nanny state

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - March 25, 2012
Once solely found in the domains of rich people and families in Disney films, the humble, hard-working nanny is becoming a more viable childcare option for modern homes. Cathy Clark can't remember the last time a woman called her agency looking for a nanny to...

Abbott's change of heart

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:39:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - March 25, 2012
Now - in an exclusive chat with this newspaper - he has dangled another carrot for feminists: the prospect of expanding taxpayer-funded childcare subsidies to other types of childcare that make life work for busy mums - that is, nannies...

It's all just part of the pain game

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Paul Daley - March 25, 2012
The non-means-tested childcare rebate gives families back 50 per cent of their childcare expenses. It is a soft welfare measure that is anathema to many Labor backbenchers and ministers. They would prefer to see it means tested so that it only goes to...

Crackdown on cash-in-hand for nannies

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:37:00 +1000

Financial Times (UK) - Elaine Moore and Moira O’Neill - March 23, 2012
Families who pay cash-in-hand wages to a nanny are facing a crackdown by HM Revenue & Customs, which intends to target the thousands of affluent households who are employing childcarers without paying tax...

Kindy's haves and have nots

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:54:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Freya Petersen - March 23, 2012
An uneven spread of child care and kindergarten services in Brisbane is causing anguish for parents and business owners alike, with some centres hopelessly oversubscribed while others struggle to survive...

Dads to get two weeks paid parental leave

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:51:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - March 22, 2012
Paid parental leave will be extended to fathers from next year once new legislation is passed. Fathers and partners, including adopting parents and same sex couples, will be able to claim two weeks pay at the minimum wage under the scheme's extension...

'No politics' in new Ashgrove facility

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:21:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Freya Petersen - March 21, 2012
A new childcare "centre of excellence," part-funded by the state government, is slated to open in Ashgrove, the Brisbane suburb crucial to Labor's hopes of derailing Campbell Newman in the state election...

Gungahlin leisure centre designs unveiled

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:19:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Lisa Cox - March 21, 2012
The ACT government has completed its plans for a leisure centre for Gungahlin residents and will begin construction of the long-awaited facilities in August. The government unveiled finished designs for the $28.7 million centre...

New centres to provide parental support

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:17:00 +1000

PerthNow - Todd Cardy - March 20, 2012
Child and Parent Centres will be built on the grounds of 10 public schools and provide services to families with young children, including children younger than school age, who need help with education, health and other support. Childcare, playgroups and...

Kate Ellis - Here's what you need to know about child care

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:02:00 +1000

Mamamia.com.au - Kate Ellis - March 20, 2012
Child care used to be thought of in pretty basic terms. It was simply a group babysitting service so that parents could go to work. Not anymore. We now know that child care is about so much more than that – that’s why there have been debates, reform and huge new...

Wealthy families dominate after-school care

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:40:00 +1000

The Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - March 19, 2012
CHILDREN from well-off families are the biggest users of before-school and after-school care while those from low-income working families are missing out, a new study shows. Only 1 per cent of children in low-income working families use formal care outside school...

Gillard unveils $1.7b boost for TAFE to tackle skilled worker shortage

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:40:00 +1000

The Sydney Morning Herald - Phillip Coorey - March 19, 2012
She has already announced that HECS-style loans - previously provided only to university students - will be made available for advanced diploma courses in fields such as information technology, childcare, aged care, engineering and telecommunications...

Poor language skills in prep students

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 09:49:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Lisa Power - March 16, 2012
CHILDREN are starting school with the speech capacity of three-year-olds. Up to a quarter of prep students have poor language skills. Too much television and a lack of extended family may be to blame. Primary school teacher Sandra Smith has...

Kinders squeezed by shake-up

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:21:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - March 16, 2012
Three-year-olds' kinder programs at preschools around the state are under threat, new surveys show. More than half of all Victorian kinders will cut three-year-olds' programs next year as the Federal Government demand to give all four-year-olds 15 hours of preschool a week...

Sacked worker wins payout for childcare

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - March 16, 2012
Fair Work Australia has awarded a woman unfairly sacked from a Victorian gym compensation for her childcare costs while looking for a new job. In a ruling experts warn could force employers to change their attitude on future settlement payouts...

Girl, 4, in hospital after child-care accident

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:15:00 +1000

The Age - Mex Cooper - March 15, 2012
A four-year-old girl has been taken to hospital with serious head injuries after being knocked unconscious by a wooden television trolley at a child-care centre in Melbourne's north. The girl is believed to have pulled the wooden trolley then fallen face down...

Childcare rebate not claimed

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:46:00 +1000

The West Australian - Kate Bastians - March 15, 2012
Thousands of WA families are missing out on millions of dollars by failing to claim the childcare rebate. Federal Government figures show about 8000 WA families, or 12 per cent of families using approved childcare centres...

Union wants more government cash for childcare

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:33:00 +1000

ABC News - Gail Liston - March 14, 2012
The Childcare Educators Union says both the Northern Territory and Federal governments need to commit to investing more money on childcare in Alice Springs. Today, the union invited Labor's Lynne Walker and the CLP's Robyn Lambley...

Childcare Alliance warns of coming cost blowout

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:05:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - March 13, 2012
The value of the Child Care Benefit has been eroded by 19 per cent in the past decade and now covers only 41 per cent of revenue in some centres. The Australian Childcare Alliance says out-of-pocket expenses faced by parents will grow by...

Our kids don't need diversity dolls

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:05:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - March 13, 2012
You can't give a child a golliwog anymore for fear of being branded racist. So why do we need black, white, Asian and Aboriginal diversity dolls? The giant dolls, which are being used in Victorian schools, childcare centres and preschools...

Means-testing is no free lunch

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:04:00 +1000

The Australian - Judith Sloan - March 13, 2012
The real message for governments is to desist from introducing entitlement programs in the first instance and to rein in the ones that already exist. Self-reliance beats fiscal churn any day...

In defence of stay-at-home mums

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 10:39:00 +1000

Essential Baby - Victoria Birch - March 7, 2012
Stay-at-home-mums work as hard as anyone I know. By caring for our children at home we alleviate the pressure on childcare places, provide a safe and supportive environment with an exemplary carer to child ratio. We educate, feed and...

Early warning for economy

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 10:38:00 +1000

The Mercury - Nick Clark - March 07, 2012
Mr Mendelson said childcare debts were mounting and were notoriously hard to collect. "The government rebate associated with childcare tends to create complacency and when payment is due, it becomes hard to collect," he said...

Regional childcare gets funding boost

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 10:37:00 +1000

Merredin-Wheatbelt Mercury - March 06, 2012
Childcare providers in regional WA can apply for Royalties for Regions funding of up to $10,000 under the first round of regional childcare development fund grants which was launched last Tuesday. The grants are part of the $9.3 million regional childcare development fund...

Anna Bligh unveils 'unique' royalties scheme

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 10:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Jared Owens - March 06, 2012
Launching the policy in Mackay, the Queensland Premier said a re-elected Labor government would provide the money over four years to fund worthy social infrastructure projects such as airport upgrades, childcare centres and sports facilities...

Bob Katter's daughter Caroline Katter Coupland is on trial over alleged assault

Sun, 4 Mar 2012 09:33:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Brenden Hills - March 04, 2012
Independent MP Bob Katter's daughter will stand trial next month charged with assaulting a staff member of an elite Sydney day care centre. Caroline Katter Coupland, 37, of Mosman, will appear in North Sydney Local Court over an alleged assault on a staff member of Sally's Place, a $130-a-day Mosman pre-school...

Preschool teachers fall through pay gap

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:35:00 +1000

Illawarra Mercury - Kate McIlwain - March 02, 2012
Pay disparity between early childhood and primary school teachers in NSW could create a chronic shortage of preschool teachers, an Illawarra preschool director has warned. Maria Whitcher, who has worked at the community-based Kiama Preschool for 25 years, said not being able to offer competitive salaries...

Childcare rebates go unclaimed

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:34:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Ken McGregor - March 02, 2012
THOUSANDS of South Australian families are missing out on millions by failing to claim childcare rebates. Federal Government figures released toThe Advertiser show an estimated 6000 SA families, or one in 10 who use approved childcare centres, are failing to claim the rebates...

36 per cent growth in child care services

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:34:00 +1000

Kate Ellis MP - Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 29, 2012
New data shows 36 per cent increase in the number of child care services across Australia, since Labor was elected in 2007. The Australian Government funds an unlimited number of child care places, which supports new services to set up and existing services to expand to meet growing demand...

Children stung by wasps at Vic childcare

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:33:00 +1000

Ninemsn.com.au - February 29, 2012
Thirteen children and three childcare workers have been stung by wasps at a Melbourne childcare centre. Paramedics were called after the wasps stung each victim five to 10 times around the head, neck, upper arms and stomach at the Bulleen centre about 1.15pm (AEDT) on Wednesday...

G8 Education profit up 208 per cent

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:17:00 +1000

The Gold Coast - Nick Nichols - February 28, 2012
Gold Coast-based G8 Education has put to bed any lingering doubts about the commercial viability of the childcare sector with a stunning surge in profit. The childcare centre operator has reported a $13.91 million net profit for the year to the end of December -- 208 per cent up on a year earlier...

Boost for child care services

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:16:00 +1000

The West Australian - Yolanda Zaw - February 28, 2012
Regional child care services at risk of closure will be boosted by a new round of government funding. Child care providers in regional WA will be able to apply for Royalties for Regions funding of up to $10,000 under the $9.3 million Regional Child Care Development Fund launched today...

School costs soar for tiny tots

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:14:00 +1000

The Sunday Times - Yasmine Phillips - February 26, 2012
THE cost of sending kindergarten and pre-primary tots to private school has hit $14,000. Parents of WA children as young as three and four will pay up to $12,648 for kindergarten and up to $13,960 for pre-primary in 2012...

Criminal checks for volunteers

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 09:41:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jim O'Rourke - February 26, 2012
More than 1.3 million volunteers in junior sport and community groups involving children will be forced to undergo criminal history checks to weed out potential abusers and molesters. At the same time, job seekers who want to work with children will, for the first time, have to pay for their own background test before applying for a job...

Nits dilemma a head-scratcher for schools

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:04:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - February 25, 2012
Guidelines also say teachers should "exercise sensitivity" towards children with nits for fear of upsetting them. But schools, preschools and childcare centres across the state are flouting these policies by immediately asking parents to collect their children. Children are often isolated from...

Childcare's so yesterday. See these companies making a play in new market

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:06:00 +1000

News.com.au - February 21, 2012
Organised sport for preschoolers is turning into a serious business with the more savvy operators tapping into parents' needs for high-quality activities. As leading sport organisations such as the AFL use the market power...

New chief brings hope of less grief

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:38:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - February 20, 2012
The government is also considering whether to expand the institute's role to register and accredit Victoria's 3630 early-childhood teachers who work in kindergartens and childcare centres. Mr Paproth replaced Susan Halliday, the agency's inaugural chairman...

New rules 'won't hit' childcare places, fees

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:36:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Noel Towell - February 20, 2012
The ACT government has hit back at claims of reductions in numbers of childcare places and higher fees under national quality standards for the industry introduced by the federal government...

Babies look out for mates according to remarkable new study

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:24:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Susie O'Brien and Rosemarie Lentini - February 18, 2012
Babies too young to talk still know how to be good mates, make jokes and take care of each other, new research has revealed. In a unique study offering a baby's eye view of the world, Australian experts strapped cameras to the heads of children...

CFO Fast track

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:22:00 +1000

The Australian Financial Review - Sally Rose - February 16, 2012
Childcare provider G8 Education has appointed Damien Peters as its new chief financial officer effective next month. Peters’s last day in his current role as CFO of Retail Foods Group – a collection of fast-food franchise brands – will be February 28...

Securing place at a private school can be costly lesson in economics

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Alexandra Smith and Kim Arlington - February 17, 2012
Parents are spending hundreds of dollars on non-refundable deposits to put their children's names on waiting lists for childcare spots they are unlikely to get. Childcare centres, particularly in Sydney's inner suburbs...

Childcare payment meltdown hits 1000’s

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 17, 2012
Questioned in Senate Estimates today, DEEWR officials confirmed they had received an average of 77 complaint calls per day since early January from childcare operators concerned with payment delays and anomalies. Complaints peaked at over 350 calls received on both January 31st & February 6th...

Opposition must stop getting their facts wrong on child care

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:45:00 +1000

Kate Ellis MP - Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 16, 2012
The Opposition's false and misleading claims on child care were exposed yet again in a Senate Estimates hearing today. In recent days the Opposition have unnecessarily alarmed parents across the country by claiming that families are being charged $40 000 rather than $40 because of technical issues...

All care, but still no relief on IT bungle

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:13:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 15, 2012
Parents with children in childcare face delays in getting accurate information about how much money they owe for care following the breakdown of the national IT system, which the government is still battling to fix. Departmental bureaucrats face a grilling in Senate estimates this week...

Childcare costs rise

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:12:00 +1000

Melbourne Weekly - Rhiana Whitson - February 14, 2012
The changes are designed to create a better caring and learning environment for children and relieve pressure on staff. MW surveyed 20 Whitehorse and Manningham childcare centres and found 18 had raised their fees because of the changes...

Ms Ellis, the buck stops with you

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:21:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 13, 2012
The critical breakdown of the computer system which manages Government payments to and from childcare centres and families, is yet another stuff-up under the watch of childcare Minister, Kate Ellis. Opposition spokesperson for Childcare, Sussan Ley, says "I have examples of families...

Statement on Child Care Management System

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:21:00 +1000

Kate Ellis MP - Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 11, 2012
An article that appeared in today's edition of The Australian newspaper about the Child Care Management System is misleading and fails to mention critical facts. The vast majority of payments to child care centres are being made as usual through the Child Care Management System...

Childcare in crisis as systems crash

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 11, 2012
The nation's childcare data and payment systems are in crisis, with at least one child's confidential information sent to the wrong centre, some families charged $40,000 when they owed closer to $40, and data being wiped altogether. The government has failed to get the system...

Fathers juggling work-life time bomb struggling to nurture parent-child bond

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:21:00 +1000

The Age - Ben Schneiders and Michelle Griffin - February 11, 2012
It is a paradox of the times. Fathers want to be more involved in raising and caring for their children but pressures from work are pulling them in the other direction. A book to be released next week points to the long hours worked in Australia and the even longer hours...

Here's Looking at You, Kid!

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:19:00 +1000

ABC Online - Lisa Chidlow (with Georgia Wilson) - February 10, 2012
A team of researchers has captured a baby's eye-view of the world, right in the Central West town of Bathurst. Have you ever wondered just what babies or toddlers are thinking? It's a question many parents of young children would love answered at various times of the day...

High-quality childcare key to mothers' involvement in children's learning

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:44:00 +1000

NurseryWorld (UK) - Katy Morton - February 8, 2012
Good quality childcare isn't only important for children, but their mothers too, claims a new study. Researchers from the University of Texas in the United States analysed data from the Early Child Care and Youth Development longitudinal study of more...

Property trust turns a profit on childcare

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:28:00 +1000

Ninemsn - February 08, 2012
Strong demand for childcare has helped an Australian property trust turn a million dollar loss into a tidy little packet. Australian Education Trust (AET), which invests in early learning centres, on Wednesday recorded a net profit of $11.8 million for the half-year to December 31...

Finding job flexibility is the mother of all challenges

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 09:50:00 +1000

Australian Financial Review - Katie Walsh - February 08, 2012
"A number of workplaces have definitely worked hard to facilitate women in the work place but there's no doubt the figures show there's still a long way to go," said Dr Harris. The government also had a role to play in keeping child care affordable, she said. While the child care rebate had...

Transport, childcare, and violence are key reasons for joblessness: study

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 09:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Sophie Gosper - February 07, 2012
A major new study has blamed access to public transport, lack of childcare and violence in communities as the main reasons joblessness exists in lower socio-economic areas. A labour market study has revealed that families living in disadvantaged areas are confronted...

In-demand au pairs call for nanny status

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Sophie Gosper - February 07, 2012
A surge in demand for au pairs, as working families search for a flexible, high-quality childcare option, has sparked a push for changes to rules governing visas for in-home nannies and childcare rebates. Ms Spicer backed the au pair industry's campaign for the childcare rebate to be...

SA childcare system cheapest in the nation

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 10:25:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Lauren Novak - February 06, 2012
South Australia's childcare system is the cheapest in the nation - and is also clean, safe, accessible and well-funded by government, the Productivity Commission says. Its report on government services shows South Australia has the cheapest family day-care rates...

Paid parental leave changes proposed

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:43:00 +1000

Australian Finiancial Review - Pip Freebairn - February 7, 2012
The Coalition will push for changes to the government's paid parental scheme when Parliament resumes today that it said would reduce small business compliance costs. Employers are responsible for administering the government-funded...

Lift the dead hand of government

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:43:00 +1000

Australian Finiancial Review - Jamie Briggs - February 7, 2012
For instance, according to South Australian childcare providers, because of the government's "reforms" the cost of sending a three-year-old to childcare in 2016 will jump by more than $80 a week above normal increases...

Parents miss out on cash

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 10:35:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Angus Thompson - February 06, 2012
A staggering number of families are adding unnecessary pressure to household expenses by failing to claim childcare rebates. Federal Government figures show that one-in-eight Victorian households are missing out on thousands of dollars...

Rising cost push mums out of workforce

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 10:34:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Julieanne Strachan - February 05, 2012
Child-care costs will continue to rise, the sector has warned, with nearly 70 per cent of providers surveyed nationally saying they would put prices up this year due to the Government's new quality framework requirements...

Toddlers share their world on candid camera

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 10:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 04, 2012
Researchers have told The Weekend Australian that the rise in the number of infants in childcare -- 277930 aged under 24 months in the March quarter last year, 9.5 per cent more than the previous year -- meant research was
necessary to evaluate how ...

Childcare union demands $1.3bn in staff pay rises

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:14:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - February 03, 2012
The Gillard government faces wage demands from a female-dominated low-paid workforce, with the union representing childcare workers seeking $1.3 billion in funding to finance pay rises for 60,000 workers…

Au pairs the answer to childcare woes

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 09:32:00 +1000

The West Australian - Kate Bastians and Angela Pownall - February 2, 2012
Working parents are hiring au pairs and nannies in record numbers to cope with their busy lifestyles. Agencies which link in-home carers with families say the demand is also being driven by long childcare waiting lists, fly-in fly-out dads in need of 24/7 help...

Childcare halting careers

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 10:07:00 +1000

Weekly Times Now - Genevieve Barlow - February 1, 2012
Childcare is prohibitively expensive, but can young mothers afford to be out of the workforce for long? How many young mums on farms and in towns don't go back to work because the income they can earn doesn't cover the cost of childcare? Or perhaps childcare in its many forms...

Governments spend $71.5bn on education

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:25:00 +1000

Ninemsn - January 31, 2012
One dollar in every $20 spent on goods and services in Australia in 2009/10 was government funding for education. Federal, state and territory governments spent $71.5 billion on early childhood, school, vocational and higher education in that year, a new report says...

It pays to live in a nanny state

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - January 31, 2012
Working parents are increasingly hiring nannies as stand-in stay-at-home mums. As more women juggle babies with the boardroom, Mary Poppins is the secret to a smooth household for many families. Nanny agencies and websites say inquiry for in-home care is rising...

Patients avoid GP due to cost

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:12:00 +1000

The Age - Mark Metherell, Bianca Hall and Dan Harrison - January 31, 2012
The report also reveals shortcomings in early childhood development. Disadvantage limits children's opportunities from infancy, the commission found. Children from low-income families, with disabilities and from non-English-speaking backgrounds are less likely to be enrolled in early childcare...

Two years and counting: the kindy kids off to a flying start

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:41:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kim Arlington - January 30, 2012
When school starts this week, some kindergarten children will have been preparing for it for two years. School readiness programs for children as young as three are growing in popularity, as parents aim to give children a headstart. Preschoolers are also being enrolled...

Childcare centres to reconsider fake grass

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:46:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natalie O'Brien - January 29, 2012
CHILDCARE centres are reconsidering the use of artificial grass in playgrounds after concerns raised that children may be at risk from long-term exposure to toxic chemicals. A spokeswoman for one of the largest childcare providers, KU, said they will...

More single mothers now working, says study

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - January 25, 2012
The researchers also said that the childcare tax rebate, which came into effect five years ago in 2006, appeared to have encouraged higher-educated and higher-earning women to take on more hours by making childcare more affordable...

Childcare centres in holiday cash grab

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:54:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Wes Hosking - January 24, 2012
Furious parents have branded childcare centres "unAustralian" for charging fees even though they are shut on our national day. With families already feeling the pinch because of government reforms, a Public Defender survey has found centres commonly charge for Australia Day...

Cuts to supply of in-home nannies probed by Childcare Minister

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - January 23, 2012
Childcare Minister Kate Ellis has ordered her department to investigate 31 cases where high-needs families with government-funded in-home nannies were suddenly cut off their support with little notice. A spokeswoman for Ms Ellis has confirmed that on January 12...

Brimming with good sense

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:50:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Carolyn Boyd - January 23, 2012
Being sun smart starts with a hat that can adequately protect you from the damaging effects of UV rays. Baseball caps should be banned from schools because they place children at an unacceptable risk of developing skin cancers later in life, a leading cancer organisation says...

Council reviews may hit childcare

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +1000

Newcastle Herald - Ben Smee - January 23, 2012
Newcastle City Council will investigate selling its childcare and family day care centres, as part of a review of non-statutory services. The audit was completed late last year and the council has endorsed recommendations including a review of some fees...

Top tips to being a career mum

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:02:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Jennifer Ennion - January 23, 2012
You did it. You made the choice to follow the path with the signpost reading: babies. Now, as your maternity leave nears its end or the call of adult conversation beckons, you are gearing up to make life even busier. You're returning to work. Scared? No need to be...

Threat of toxic playgrounds

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:52:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natalie O'Brien - January 22, 2012
The health of thousands of children may be at risk from long-term exposure to toxic chemicals from artificial turf that has become a popular replacement for grass on sporting ovals and school playgrounds around the country. Australian scientists have raised the alarm...

Childcare change at a price

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:50:00 +1000

The Mercury - Hannah Martin - January 22, 2012
Family day care operators say they will be forced to work longer hours or raise their prices under new regulations that reduce the number of children they can care for. More than 5500 Tasmanian children are now attending family day care. New regulations...

Secret report 'prompted Baillieu childcare cut'

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:40:00 +1000

The Age - Clay Lucas - January 21, 2012
The Baillieu government has used a report it kept secret for almost a year to justify its decision to remove funding for an occasional childcare program. The Take a Break program provided occasional childcare for parents of preschool children around the state...

Bad parents leaving kids unsupervised at play centres

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:04:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Alex White - January 18, 2012
Police have been called in to deal with parents dumping children unsupervised at indoor play centres while they go shopping, or to avoid soaring day care costs. A Herald Sun investigation found children were being left unsupervised at play areas across Victoria every week...

Staff hard to come by as childcare centres struggle with reforms

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:57:00 +1000

The Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Wright - January 16, 2012
A regional NSW childcare centre risks losing its accreditation after a fruitless two-year search to fill a single vacancy for a university qualified teacher and carer. The owner of the Willows Preschool and Early Learning Centre in Orange, Cathy Carroll, runs an operation which...

Childcare cuts will send home those who should be in the workforce

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:57:00 +1000

The Sydney Morning Herald - Kathryn Kenny - January 16, 2012
When most childcare centres cost $100 a day or more, the tax rebate (capped at $7500 per child) cuts out after day three. When you have two children to care for, and when working more than three days takes you into a higher tax bracket, you are almost at the point of paying to go to work...

Childcare safety risk

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:55:00 +1000

The Mercury - Hannah Martin - January 15, 2012
Tasmanian childcare operators have been busted with unregistered carers and for failing to have enough staff supervising children on excursions, a Sunday Tasmanian investigation reveals. Eleven cases of serious safety breaches were investigated by the Department...

Wealthy winners in childcare grants

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Misha Schubert - January 15, 2012‎
HIGH-INCOME families are receiving more than $259 million a year in childcare subsidies, prompting calls for a rethink on the level of government support. But women's workforce advocates warn against making cuts, saying the subsidy saves money...

Gillard government reforms to childcare are worth paying more money for

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Samantha Maiden - January 15, 2012‎
Worth paying for: New rules increasing the number of childcare workers for each toddler are good for the carers and babies. ONE toddler is eating her lunch. One is mashing banana into the carpet. One baby is sleeping, another is howling...

Parents pay anything from $62 to $130 a day

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:01:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - January 11, 2012
The gulf between the cheapest and most expensive childcare centres has blown out to nearly $70 a day after federal reforms. Melbourne's cheapest centres, which have managed to avoid large fee rises after mandatory changes to staffing levels, are offering care...

Increased rebates helping keep childcare costs down, report reveals

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - January 9, 2012
Families spent a significantly lower proportion of their income on childcare last year than they did in 2004, an official report shows. Despite perceptions of run-away childcare fees, increased government subsidies slashed the out-of-pocket costs...

Online reviews worry some operators

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 12:19:00 +1000

The Age - Cosima Marriner - January 8, 2012
PARENTS will soon be able to rate their childcare centre online and share their reviews with others. The online childcare directory CareforKids is preparing to launch the TripAdvisor-style ratings system for users of childcare services, the first system of its kind...

Preschools flunk the test

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 12:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - January 8, 2012
THE standard of teaching in Australian preschools is "very poor", a government-funded national study into the quality of early education has found. The finding from the E4Kids study suggests children may be attending little more than glorified playgroup...

Where children thrive on an outside chance

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 12:18:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - January 8, 2012
It may be the depths of winter in Scandinavia, but children attending the increasingly popular outdoor childcare centres spend all day in the forest. They pitch tents, go hiking and make hot chocolate. While this freewheeling approach is a far cry from the regimented system in Australia...

Daytime naps spell trouble at night

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 12:18:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - January 8, 2012
Now for the first time research is being conducted into the daytime nap habits of preschoolers and how sleep patterns affect their behaviour and learning. There are no strict guidelines regarding nap time for preschoolers - government regulations simply state...

Babies in big school - is your child ready?

Sat, 7 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall - January 07, 2012
IMMATURE four-year-olds are being enrolled in school before they are ready so their financially strapped parents can save thousands in pre-school and childcare fees. Many children, who often are not able to cope with the demands of "big school", then repeat their kindergarten year…

Struggling to find a caring solution

Sat, 7 Jan 2012 14:51:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - January 07, 2012
KATE Ellis, the federal minister for early childhood and childcare, pointed out this week in an ABC interview that "there are more children in Australian childcare centres now than at any time in our history." This is undoubtedly the case...

Childcare reform gripes 'put costs before kids'

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 10:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Justine Ferrari and Verity Edwards - January 06, 2012
The agency overseeing reforms to lift childcare quality has accused the sector of misrepresenting the impact of new standards. In answer to claims childcare fees would rise by up to $50 a week as a result of new staffing requirements, the deputy chairwoman of the ...

Income shaping children's progress at school

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 21:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Justine Ferrari - January 04, 2012
The growing difference in the income of rich and poor families is accompanied by a widening gap in the success of their children at school, with research suggesting higher-income parents are spending more on their children's early learning before they start school...

New staff-child ratios for childcare operators

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 21:37:00 +1000

AM Radio - Timothy McDonald - January 2, 2012
Peter Cave: New regulations have come into effect which will require one staff member for every four babies at child care centres around Australia. A new national quality standard has also come into effect. One advocacy group says it's a good move that will improve quality in the sector...

Childcare reforms force three in four centres to lift fees

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:28:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - December 31, 2011
PARENTS face large increases in childcare costs next year, as a major survey of centres reveals three-quarters will increase their fees to meet new requirements for educated workers and more staff per children, while a majority are not able to find qualified staff...

National laws to cover all child-care centres

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:06:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Katina Curtis - December 30, 2011
Child-care centres will be governed under a national framework for the first time from Sunday. The first stage of the Federal Government's national quality framework starts in 2012, with the rest of the scheme to be phased in by 2020. From Sunday, child-care centres must...

Reforms leave childcare centres in state of confusion

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Wright - December 28, 2011
Childcare centre operators in NSW say they are ill prepared to implement the federal government's sweeping reforms which will come into effect on January 1. The first stage of the childcare reforms require one carer for every four children aged up to two...

Minister rejects plea for delay on potential childcare price increase

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:05:00 +1000

The Age - Jessica Wright - December 28, 2011
THE childcare lobby has launched a final plea to the federal government to delay introducing reforms to the sector, warning the cost of fees will rise due to new staffing ratio requirements...

$47m plan to help get teenage parents through school

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:04:00 +1000

The Australian - Lanai Vasek - December 27, 2011
Teenage parents in 10 local communities around Australia will find it easier to complete their year 12 or equivalent qualification from next month through greater access to child care, improved Centrelink services and guaranteed training places...

Female entrepreneurs free to network after-hours

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:24:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Mahesh Sharma - December 22, 2011
Childcare strategy to help women in male-dominated tech sector. Female technology entrepreneurs will soon be able to join the after-hours networking scene with a special childcare initiative set to remove one of the biggest obstacles for working mothers...

Preschool crucial to bridge indigenous education gap

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Justine Ferrari - December 13, 2011
INDIGENOUS students progress through school at the same rate as their classmates but tend to score lower on average because they start school further behind and are never able to catch up. But a seven-year study tracking indigenous students...

Coalition wants to beef up nanny home-help program

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - December 10, 2011
THE Coalition wants to dramatically expand the nannies-at-home program, splitting it to better target shiftworkers as well as families with special needs. The Weekend Australian can reveal only 5840 children benefited in the 2011 March quarter from the In Home Care program...

Family daycare sex danger from boy, 13

Fri, 9 Dec 2011 09:34:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Janet Fife-Yeomans - December 9, 2011
A FAMILY daycare provider has been allowed to continue looking after young children in her home despite police warning they were in danger of "significant harm" from her teenage son. The boy, 13, remains on a "person causing harm" Community Services database...

Families turn to daycare in the home as centre costs too expensive

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 10:06:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - December 8, 2011
THE number of children attending family daycare has risen for the first time since Labor took power. There are predictions the home-based alternative will boom as fees for long-daycare centres skyrocket next year. While new data shows a decline in the...

Lack of affordable childcare keeps 70000 mothers at home

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 10:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kelly Burke - December 7, 2011
ALMOST 70,000 women are locked out of the workforce solely because they cannot get affordable childcare. The group makes up 15 per cent of all unemployed women who say they want to work but cannot, according to the Bureau of Statistics. A further 13 per cent...

Salvos centre punts on funding childcare reforms

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 5, 2011
The director of the Balga Early Learning Centre in Perth, Jo Ineson, proposed the lottery funding in a letter to the Child Care Association of Western Australia, in an effort to prevent fee increases for some of the nation's poorest parents...

Women CEOs need nannies and housekeepers, not cars as part of their salary package, says Ita Buttrose

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:13:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Helen Pow - December 4, 2011
WOMEN should demand nannies and housekeepers as part of their salary package to keep their careers on track, Ita Buttrose says. The publishing queen said if Australia adopted more of a nanny culture, it would help women stay in work, continue to climb the corporate...

Childcare 'hot potato' for governments

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Perth Now - Cora-Ann Wilson - December 3, 2011
EARLY childhood education and care is big business in Australia and a political hot potato for governments as evidenced by the debacle over the failure of ABC Learning. In Western Australia, despite twists and turns, child care and kindergarten provision has...

Wages less than 'checkout chicks'

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Perth Now - Amy Wilson-Chapman - December 3, 2011
CHILDCARE workers in WA earn less than "checkout chicks" to care for kids, their union says. United Voice assistant secretary Kelly Shay said fully trained childcare workers were earning "poverty wages" at just $18 an hour, or $2 less than a supermarket worker...

Mud pies are the healthiest choice

Sat, 3 Dec 2011 10:53:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Sheradyn Holderhead - December 3, 2011
CHILDREN are being encouraged to get their hands dirty at childcare centres renovated with a nature theme. In SA, Mission Australia is renovating three failed ABC Learning centres, in Osborne, Redwood Park and Elizabeth Vale, which were known for their...

Childcare reforms 'to cost parents little'

Sat, 3 Dec 2011 10:52:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tim Dornin - December 2, 2011‎‎‎
ONE of Australia''s leading childcare providers says costs to parents will rise by as little as $1 a day under the Federal Government''s proposed reforms for the sector. Goodstart Early Learning is rebranding more than 650 of the old ABC Learning Centres...

Govt asked to raise childcare worker pay

Sat, 3 Dec 2011 10:52:00 +1000

Ninemsn - December 2, 2011‎
A union leader has used the ALP national conference to call on the federal government to supplement the low pay of childcare workers. United Voice assistant national secretary Sue Lines told the conference, which began in Sydney on Friday...

Universities could cut early childhood enrolments: Productivity Commission warns

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:51:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Matchett - December 2, 2011
UNIVERSITIES could ignore community needs for more child care graduates, according to a Productivity Commission report on the childhood development workforce, released on Thursday. "The response to this increased demand for early childhood teacher education...

Centres keeping places steady amid reforms

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:50:00 +1000

The Age - Rachel Wells and Michelle Griffin - December 2, 2011
ACROSS Melbourne, childcare centres say that while their fees will rise by up to $10 a day next year most centres are not reducing their places. Directors from childcare chains and associations contacted by The Age report increases next year of between $4 and $10 a day...

Childcare crisis as fees set to soar

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:49:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty, Susie O'Brien - December 2, 2011
PARENTS will be stung up to $130 a day for childcare from next month as fees rocket to comply with tough new government reforms. A Herald Sun investigation has found unprecedented fee rises up to $25 a day because of mandatory changes to staff numbers...

Childcare reform creates affordability issue

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:49:00 +1000

7.30 Report (ABC TV) - Tracy Bowden - - December 1, 2011
An inquiry into the Federal Government's childcare reforms says they'll lead to a 15 per cent increase in fees and predicts some parents will be forced to quit the workforce as a result. The federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett commissioned the report...

15,000 extra teachers needed for early childhood reforms

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:48:00 +1000

PM (ABC Radio) - Mark Colvin - December 1, 2011
A report released by the Productivity Commission this afternoon says 15,000 new teachers are needed to achieve hoped for reform of early childhood education. And parents are likely to bear the brunt of the cost of the expansion. Given that the sector's overhaul...

Childcare shake-up could force up fees

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:48:00 +1000

ABC News - Samantha Donovan - December 1, 2011
By 2013 the Federal Government is aiming to provide every child access to 15 hours of pre-school a week in the year before they start school. In addition, a new National Quality Standard will set out staff-to-child ratios and qualification requirements...

More children to be in unchecked care

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:47:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Melissa Jenkins - December 1, 2011
More children will be left in unregulated backyard care as the federal government's reforms threaten to push up parents' childcare bills, the industry warns. Australian Childcare Alliance president Gwynn Bridge says some parents already use unchecked care...

Childcare reforms to push up fees by 15pc, says Productivity Commission

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 10:17:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - December 01, 2011
CHILDCARE fees will need to rise 15 per cent, or $42.75 a week, and some parents will quit the workforce because of the government's reforms to the sector, the Productivity Commission has found. In a report to be released today, the commission says...

Weed out bad childcare from the good

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - November 29, 2011
CHILDCARE is bad for kids - bad childcare, that is. An ANU study of more than 5000 Australian kids has found that toddlers in day care for more than 20 hours a week have poorer behaviour than those kept at home. They're more likely to have problems...

Care crisis looming as shortages predicted

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:15:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Julieanne Strachan - 27 Nov, 2011
CANBERRA mums who want to return to the workforce next year could be forced to stay home to look after their babies, with child-care operators warning the shortage of places for children under two in the ACT would go from bad to worse on January 1...

Child care centre name and shame plan

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - November 27, 2011
In her strongest warning to parents to date, Federal Child Care Minister Kate Ellis said some Queensland centres were not good enough and were failing children. From the end of next year, centres that fail any of seven indicators will be publicly named...

Tough rules for child sex offenders in WA

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Ninemsn - November 27, 2011
Police Minister Rob Johnson says that under the proposed changes, courts will be able to compel a reportable child sex offender to stop living near their victims, schools or childcare centres. The laws would also enable police to better monitor such offenders' compliance...

The childcare name and shame list

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 27, 2011‎
CHILDCARE centres that raise fees from January 1 and blame the federal government's overhaul of the industry will be named and shamed. The Minister for Childcare, Kate Ellis, told The Sun-Herald some privately run centres were out to profit from the...

Teen mothers caught between love and learning

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:04:00 +1000

The Age - Nicole Brady - November 27, 2011
As well as having nearly all their childcare fees paid for, they will have to attend parenting classes and be linked in to play and mothers' groups and other support services. It's a carrot-and-stick approach that federal Families Minister Jenny...

Vacation care dilemma for cash-strapped parents as school holidays loom

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:04:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Felicity Caldwell and Jason Tin - November 27, 2011
CASH-strapped parents struggling to meet the cost of vacation care will be forced to leave their kids home alone during the upcoming school holidays. Police and child safety experts are warning that parents, unable to afford vacation care programs...

ALP confirms support for occasional childcare

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:45:00 +1000

Sussan Ley - Media Release - November 25, 2011
The Federal Coalition today expressed delight with an about-face from the Federal Government to restore funding for Australia’s occasional childcare services. Yesterday Labor joined with the Coalition, Greens and Independents to support a motion calling for...

Inject children or lose money

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:33:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Marianne Betts - November 25, 2011
Families are already required to have their child fully vaccinated to receive the childcare rebate and childcare benefit. The new arrangements will replace the maternity immunisation allowance which provides $129 for families who meet immunisation...

All day 40km/h zones at childcare centres to cut risk

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:33:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Rhys Haynes - November 25, 2011
ALL childcare centres and preschools should have 40km/h zones that could stretch from 7am to 6pm to reduce the number of road deaths and injuries, a key policy advisory body to the government said. The NSW Commission for Children and Young People...

Childcare: Mothers 'fear playgroup cliques'

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:31:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - Sean Coughlan - November 24, 2011
A single "dirty look" could be enough to deter them from any return to use childcare services. Dr Jones says that one mother did not even make it past the front door, but had turned round and gone home when she was put off by the perceived attitude of...

Children 'graduate' from pre-school

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:49:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Evonne Barry - November 23, 2011
Kindergarten students from Cradles to Crayons in Kealba are graduating to primary school. Picture: Craig Borrow Source: Herald Sun KINDER kids are ditching art smocks for formal gowns and mortarboards as they "graduate" from pre-school...

Childcare reforms

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela MacRae (Productivity Commission) - November 22, 2011
I REFER to the article by Natasha Bita ("Childcare reforms to cost struggling parents", 19-20/11) which refers to the Productivity Commission's study on the early childhood workforce. I wish to clarify that the discussion I had with Bita related to the draft report...

Exercising with boys is making girls fatter

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:31:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Evelyn Yamine - November 22, 2011
BOYS and girls should be separated for sport activities and exercise as early as preschool to fight obesity in children from the youngest ages, health experts recommended yesterday. Sports teachers in primary schools and a greater diversity of exercise routines...

Plea for kinder delay rejected

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:30:00 +1000

The Age - Elisabeth Tarica - November 21, 2011
THE federal government has ruled out extending the 2013 deadline for a national scheme mandating 15 hours of kindergarten for every four-year-old, despite claims that many Victorian preschools will not be ready. Federal Minister for Early Childhood Peter Garrett said...

NSW childcare has a fee dummy spit

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:53:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Laura Speranza - November 20, 2011
NSW CHILDCARE centre operators will increase their fees by as much as $10 a day next year - and warned they will keep on increasing fees every year until 2020. When the second stage of the federal government's new staffing laws come into effect on January 1, 2012...

Childcare reforms to cost struggling parents

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 19, 2011
RISING costs will force kids out of daycare as parents struggle to pay for expensive quality reforms, the Productivity Commission has warned in a report that will fuel childcare workers' demands for higher pay. Deadlines for childcare centres to start hiring more...

The most important job in the world

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:18:00 +1000

ABC Radio Melbourne - Penny Johnston - November 18, 2011
Let's be clear, I'm not in a hurry to pay higher childcare fees but I do want the people who do the work of caring for my child to be paid well enough to want to put their efforts into the childcare industry. It's not fair to use the enthusiasm of people who love children...

Cost fears over childcare staff changes

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:18:00 +1000

The West Australian - Jane Hammond - November 18, 2011
Changes to daycare regulations from early next year could push the cost of child care beyond the reach of many parents, the Childcare Association of WA has warned. The changes mean most centres will have to take on additional staff...

NSW rejects speed zones for kindergartens

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:43:00 +1000

Ninemsn - November 17, 2011
A senior NSW road safety bureaucrat has rejected a call for 40km/h speed limits outside kindergartens and childcare centres. Since 2003, motorists outside all NSW primary and high schools have been required to slow down during peak morning and...

Childcare staff join pay race with $2bn pitch

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 16, 2011
CHILDCARE workers are demanding a 30 per cent pay rise that would cost taxpayers $2.2 billion a year, escalating a wages breakout in the low-paid service sector. The United Voice union yesterday revealed it had seized on a $7000-a-year wage increase backed by the Gillard...

Childcare operators warn of cost jump

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:09:00 +1000

The Age - Jessica Wright - November 16, 2011
CHILDREN will be forced out of quality childcare and early learning institutions and into unregulated backyard care if the Gillard government fails to compensate families for higher costs as a result of its childcare reforms, according to peak body the...

Infants suffer if speech problems not fixed before school, study shows

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - November 16, 2011
CHILDREN with speech difficulties that are not addressed before they start school face a higher risk of being bullied and falling behind in learning by early primary school, a new study shows. The study, based on tracking thousands of children, has prompted a call for...

Childcare centres closing their doors

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:08:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Jessica Marszalek - November 16, 2011
TWO Melbourne childcare centres have blamed government changes to care ratios for their imminent closure. Hampton and Sandringham childcare centres will begin a progressive closure from January, finally shutting their doors in December 2013...

ABC Learning rebranded ahead of new standards

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:07:00 +1000

Lateline Business (ABC TV) - Ticky Fullerton - November 15, 2011
VIDEO INTERVIEW - Goodstart Early Learning's chief executive officer Julia Davison has responsibility for the 650 former ABC Learning Centres following that company's bankruptcy...

ABC Learning gets new name

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - November 15, 2011
ABC Learning Centres are no more and will be rebranded as Goodstart Early Learning centres. Goodstart Early Learning, a not-for-profit syndicate, from today will rebrand 650 ABC Learning Centres, which have been owned and operated since 2009...

Daycare kids can fight off infection at school

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 14, 2011
KIDS in daycare fall sick more often than children cared for at home but will grow up to be healthier than their non-daycare classmates at school. New research, based on the federal government's longitudinal study of 10,000 Australian children...

Kinders warn three's a crowd

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:58:00 +1000

The Age - Elisabeth Tarica - November 14, 2011
A CRISIS is looming for three-year-old kindergarten programs across Victoria as preschools adapt to a national scheme mandating 15 hours of kindergarten for every four-year-old by 2013. Preschool operators say a shortage of teachers and classrooms...

Preschool gives lesson in adapting to ensure survival

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:58:00 +1000

The Age - Elisabeth Tarica - November 14, 2011
WHILE most kindergartens are locked up on a Saturday, the grounds at Baxter Preschool are filled with excited children, laughing and playing. The centre is one of two preschools in Victoria running Saturday kindergarten classes to meet the needs of working parents...

No place for kids like Anastasia

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:57:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Greg Kelton - November 14, 2011
PARENTS of children at a TAFE childcare centre at Panorama are protesting at being given only six weeks' notice that the centre will close. They say it will be near impossible to find places at other centres nearby for next year. A petition to keep open...

Cuddlier image for tarnished childcare chain

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - November 13, 2011
THE brand derided as the McDonald's of childcare, ABC Learning, is finally being dumped by its new charity owners in an attempt to convince parents the chain really has changed. The rebranding, to be announced this week, is aimed at highlighting the shift from...

Better childcare comes at big cost for operators

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:42:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 12, 2011
Childcare will be transformed from day care - institutionalised babysitting for working parents - into early childhood education to prepare children for school. Carers are being rebranded as educators, and childcare operators must follow a form of national curriculum...

Early readers get a head start

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:00 +1000

The West Australian - Jayne Rickard - November 11, 2011
Parents who read books to their preschool children are giving them a head start in later academic life, according to an international study. A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that 15-year-old students whose...

CSL takes top prize in awards

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:00 +1000

The Age - Leonie Lamont - November 10, 2011
CSL's Thinking Kids Children's Centre was yesterday named the outstanding equal employment opportunity initiative by the Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency business achievement awards...

Fees could close preschools: principals

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:00 +1000

Ninemsn - Sam McKeith - November 9, 2011
Some state-run preschools in NSW could be forced to close if the government starts charging fees, a forum on the issue has heard. Under changes proposed by the NSW government, families could have to pay up to $40 per day to use a state-run preschool...

Victoria ahead on pre-school attendance

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:43:00 +1000

The Age - Richard Willingham - November 9, 2011
VICTORIA is on target to meet controversial new kindergarten attendance hours for four-year-olds, well ahead of other states, the federal government says. The 2010 annual report on the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education...

State told to justify plan for preschool

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:47:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Stevenson - November 9, 2011
The federal Education Minister, Peter Garrett, has called on the NSW government to explain how it intends to get more children into preschool, warning the imposition of fees next year may make its task even harder. National Partnership funding of nearly $1 billion...

ACT ahead of school targets

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:47:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emma MacDonald - November 9, 2011
The ACT report shows it is ahead of its targets in five of the six early childhood benchmark areas and has seen an increase in the number of children attending preschool as well as the average weekly hours they attend. According to the report, 95.4 per cent of ACT children...

Opposition to preschool fees

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:46:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 9, 2011
A FORUM on the introduction of fees in public school pre-schools will be attended by those against it. More than 60 principals, teachers and parents will attend the forum in Parliament House this afternoon. "This policy will push NSW further behind and impact...

State short in preschool enrolment

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:46:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - November 9, 2011
THE number of South Australian children enrolled in preschool fell short of the national target. But Education Minister Peter Garrett said SA was making good progress in meeting national targets on early-childhood education access. "While SA fell just short...

Take a Break child care funding confusion

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:45:00 +1000

ABC Online - Joseph Thomsen - November 9, 2011
New federal government funding for occasional child care in Victoria fails to clarify future of Take a Break service. Will the Take a Break occasional child care program be able to continue its critical role in regional Victorian communities?...

Kinder pressure puts paid to childcare centres

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:16:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin, Rachel Wells - November 8, 2011
FOUR childcare centres are closing because the councils that run them can't afford the federal government's childcare reforms. Bayside City Council plans to close its two childcare centres in Hampton and Sandringham within the next two years. Frankston's...

Essential workers consider quitting over soaring living costs

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:15:00 +1000

WA Today - Courtney Trenwith - November 8, 2011
Childcare worker Christina Boyd said she had almost no chance of earning more than $40,000 a year in today's money, making home ownership an unrealistic dream. She was considering a second job to help make ends meet. "Or I may have to leave my industry...

G8 snaps up 6 more childcare centres

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:14:00 +1000

Australian Financial Review - Trevor Hoey - November 7, 2011
G8 Education announced on Monday morning that it had acquired six childcare centres in South-East Queensland, bringing the total number centres under the group’s banner to 138 and adding 400 licensed places. The Queensland-based company will pay $8.2 million...

Queensland Government report finds cost one of biggest barriers to parents accessing kindergarten

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 10:27:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott - November 7, 2011
KINDERGARTEN is unlikely to ever be free in Queensland, as it is in some other states, despite cost being one of the biggest barriers to parents accessing it. A report commissioned by the State Government to identify barriers to parents accessing kindergarten...

Is it yours? Childcare money goes begging

Sun, 6 Nov 2011 12:12:00 +1000

The Sun-Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 6, 2011
ABOUT 100,000 families are missing out on up to $7500 in childcare assistance, government figures reveal. The Minister for Childcare, Kate Ellis, told The Sun-Herald her department had identified a significant number of families who were not...

Toddlers sent to bootcamp as parents struggle to find time to play with kids outdoors

Sun, 6 Nov 2011 12:12:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 6, 2011
CHILDREN as young as two are lining up to join "toddler bootcamps" as chubby tots start the battle with the bulge. Parents struggling to find time to get children to play outdoors are booking them into "bootcamp" classes...

Nanny state has no business muscling mums and dads out of the way

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 11:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Frank Furedi - November 5, 2011
The Early Years Learning movement is based on the principle that since most parents - particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds - cannot be trusted to bring up their children satisfactorily, professional intervention is needed...

From the nuclear family to a subsidised cotton wool kind

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 11:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Cassandra Wilkinson - November 5, 2011
The combination of rising expectations of quality and coverage means the cost of child care has risen beyond the reach of many families and low-cost options like family day care have been regulated into higher price brackets -- or out of business...

Delay on childcare reforms

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 11:23:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - David Jean - November 5, 2011
THE State Government will give the childcare industry four more years to meet one of the key aspects of national early childhood reforms. Child Development Minister Grace Portolesi said centres now would have until 2020 to fully meet the requirement...

Professional babysitting fees soar as parents shell out for night out without the kids

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 11:23:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Kristin Shorten - November 5, 2011
DESPERATE parents are shelling out half an average week's wage for a night without the kids as the demand for professional babysitting soars. Gone are the days of slipping the teenager next door five bucks to do the job, with parents opting for Blue Card-checked...

Revolt over childcare proposal

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:09:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Greg Kelton - November 4, 2011
CHILDCARE workers, parents and politicians have launched a campaign against proposed new laws they say will force up fees to as much as $1000 a week for a family with two children. They say the changes, due to come into force in January, could force the closure of some smaller childcare centres and force women to quit work...

Childcare fee hike a double-edged sword

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:09:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Alexandra Economou - November 4, 2011
Family Day Care Australia said an increase in costs meant an improved service. "Quality costs money so it should come as no surprise that increasing the standards of the early childhood education and care sector will cost money," said chief executive Carla Northam...

Editorial: Affordable childcare for nation's future

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:08:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - November 4, 2011
PARENTS who decide to return to work after having a child often agonise over the best care for their infant. Tears are shed as they part on the first day but over a period of weeks, parent and child settle into the new arrangements. Tears are shed as they...

The working mother myth

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Michelle Griffin - November 4, 2011
In our anxiety to support a mother's choice to stay at home, we haven't been frank about the consequences. Opting out of a career for the sake of the children makes the weekly balancing act much easier in the short term, but women making that choice take a terrible risk...

Labor's preschool pledge a big ask

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - November 4, 2011
LABOR'S pledge to give every four-year-old access to 15 hours' preschool a week by 2013 is a "challenging goal" that will require a 60 per cent increase in preschool hours in the next five years, the Auditor General says. Increasing the number of qualified teachers was one of the key risks...

The first years are the key to success

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:03:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Kate Ellis - November 4, 2011
THE simple fact is Australian children deserve the best start in life. Parents also deserve the peace of mind of knowing that when they drop their children off in the morning they are being well cared for and supervised in a nurturing environment. All of the research shows us that the first...

Child-care costs - Precious little burdens

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:02:00 +1000

The Economist (UK) - November 4, 2011
The professionalisation of child-rearing has pushed up its price. GONE are the days when a mother's place was in the home: in Britain women with children are now as likely to be in paid work as their unencumbered sisters. Many put their little darlings in day care long before they start school...

Early education push for disadvantaged children

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 10:25:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 1, 2011
A leading educational expert is calling for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to be sent to preschool earlier. Education expert Professor Joseph Sparling has completed several studies on the links between disadvantage and school performance...

Occasional Childcare fight hits the floor

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 10:25:00 +1000

Media Release - Sussan Ley - November 1, 2011
The battle to restore Commonwealth support for Victoria’s Take a Break program took a key turn last night, when the Coalition and Greens backed a Private Members motion calling on the Labor Government to reinstate funding for occasional childcare...

A good early start is a child's best chance

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Tony Vinson - October 31, 2011
I recently asked preschool principals, in consultation with early education teachers, to rank aspects of the operation of their preschools that caused the greatest difficulty in achieving their goals for children. Responses were obtained from 51...

Keeping it all in the family

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:06:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Megan Doherty - October 29, 2011
Care provided by grandparents is the most common type of informal child care in Australia, used by one in five children aged 0-12 years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It's even more common in the nought to two age group - about one...

Grannies fear new rules for childcare work will cut them out

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:04:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 29, 2011
Like many other senior staff in daycare centres, Mrs Richards fears losing the job she loves unless she obtains formal qualifications under new rules for childcare workers. "I've worked in childcare for 22 years, but I haven't got the piece of paper"...

Child's play no more - preschool enrolments tumble with new fees

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Stevenson - October 28, 2011
ENROLMENTS at public preschools have slumped following the NSW government's decision to begin charging fees of up to $40 a day from next year. Although the fees Aboriginal and poorer families will pay are much lower - and can be reduced to zero in cases of need...

A oui bit of education

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - October 28, 2011
When they are not playing in the sand pit or painting, tots at a Brighton childcare centre are brushing up on their French. The ABC Learning Centre at Brighton Junction holds French classes for littlies as young as 18 months in what is becoming an...

Parents angry over childcare assault allegations

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:11:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 27, 2011
The New South Wales Education Department has come under fire for its handing of a child assault case involving a man who worked in before and after school care. The 24-year-old childcare worker in Sydney's south has been fired and remains in custody...

New baby boom, but first-time fathers are getting older

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Wright - October 26, 2011
The baby boom means there will be increasing pressure on health and hospital infrastructure and competition for childcare vacancies. In a display of handy prescience, the Minister for Childcare Services, Kate Ellis, announced yesterday a federal boost...

Overhaul to 'improve child care standards'

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:50:00 +1000

ABC Online - Anna Morozow - October 25, 2011
The ACT Legislative Assembly has passed laws that will overhaul how childcare centres operate from next year. The changes are part of new National Quality Framework requirements for child care and education. From next year centres that care for children aged...

Man commits offence after bailed: court

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:50:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vincent Morello - October 25, 2011
Police bailed a childcare worker charged with indecently assaulting two boys just days before he allegedly committed the same offence on another child, court documents show. The 24-year-old man chose not to appear in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday...

Kindergarten chaos looms over edict

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:56:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Matt Johnston - October 25, 2011
A PRESCHOOL has told parents it must cut classes because of federal government changes to kindergarten hours. Templestowe Heights Preschool is believed to be one of the first Victorian centres to scrap its three-year-old program as a direct result of Commonwealth plans...

Extra childcare places to help parents get back to work

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:55:00 +1000

Herald Sun - October 25, 2011
VICTORIAN families needing flexible childcare will benefit from more than 500 new places to be funded by the Federal Government. Childcare Minister Kate Ellis will today announce a $2.2 million investment in about 310 approved occasional care and 250 in-home places...

Minister announces $9.2m in child-care upgrades

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:54:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Lauren Stanford - October 25, 2011
ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch announced $9.2million in upgrades to child-care facilities in Canberra yesterday. The upgrades will create places for an additional 173 children across Canberra. "In addition to the increased places...

More charges over alleged child assaults

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 25, 2011
More charges have been laid over an alleged series of indecent assaults on children, including some which police say involve a childcare organisation in Sydney's south. Earlier this month police charged a man with four counts of aggravated indecent...

Preschools fee rise to hurt families

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:56:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Laura Speranza - October 23, 2011
PRINCIPALS of the state's 100 public preschools predict a mass exodus of children next year due to government plans to increase fees by up to $40 a day. They fear thousands of kids from some of the most disadvantaged suburbs will be removed because...

Playing by the rules makes prisoners of children

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Cassandra Wilkinson - October 22, 2011
While the Australian standard for playground equipment is not mandatory, it has become de facto compulsory because compliance can be referred to in court action against childcare centres, schools, restaurants and local councils...

Bubble-wrap kids brought back to earth

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:57:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - October 20, 2011
NATURE is being brought back to children's lives as childcare centres revolt against sanitised play areas and bubble-wrap parents. A generation of over-protective parents are so worried about their children getting dirty, tripping on pebbles or falling out of trees...

An exodus creates a crisis in childcare centres

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:56:00 +1000

ABC Online - Louise Merrillees - October 19, 2011
Taking out the rubbish, cleaning floors, painting walls - it's all in a day's work for a childcare worker. Soon, they will also all be required to have qualifications. It's probably not surprising that good childcare workers are leaving the industry in droves...

Agencies 'failed' bashed toddler

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Pia Akerman - October 20, 2011
A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl who died after being bashed in her family home was let down by childcare staff and police, who knew she had suffered injuries in the weeks before the fatal attack. Victorian Coroner John Olle yesterday called for changes in the...

Claims childcare reforms will lead to higher fees and fewer places

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:55:00 +1000

Geelong Advertiser - Mandy Squires - October 19th, 2011
PLANNED childcare reforms will lead to even fewer vacancies at local daycare centres and significantly higher costs for parents, an industry chief warned yesterday. Geelong-based vice-president of the Australian Childcare Alliance and president of the Australian Childcare Alliance...

Poor-quality childcare centres to close under new rating plan

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:11:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 17, 2011
SUBSTANDARD childcare centres will be shut down or stripped of taxpayer support under a new rating and inspection regime to start next year. From July, all daycare centres will be given a "quality rating" for the first time, so parents can see how...

Childcare still a tie that binds

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:10:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Hannah Vickers - October 17, 2011
FOR women in business, there are still real obstacles standing in their way as they climb the corporate ladder - and childcare can pose one of the toughest. That was a common refrain at the second annual Property Council of Australia Women in Business...

Daycare naughty corner OK again

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 15, 2011
EDUCATION ministers have ditched plans to ban "time out" for toddlers' tantrums, under the first national rules for childcare. Childcare operators yesterday demanded more time to implement the reforms, detailed in a 341-page document endorsed by the nation's education ministers...

Australia takes the next big step towards a national system for education and care services

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:07:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - October 14, 2011
Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis today welcomed the agreement of all State and Territory Governments to Australia's first truly national regulatory system for early childhood education and care services...

Free childcare for all Australians

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:07:00 +1000

SmartCompany - Naomi Simson - October 14, 2011
As we were chatting I offered that making childcare – including qualified in-home childcare – tax deductible could be an advantage to keeping more women in the workforce. This idea was recently tabled at the Tax Forum by a group called Chief Executive...

Two kids assaulted in child care - reports

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:03:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - October 13, 2011
POLICE are investigating reports that two children have been indecently assaulted while they were in child care in Sydney's south. NSW Police were told the children, aged seven and eight, were in child care organised by a community organisation...

Govt attacked over empty childcare centre

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:02:00 +1000

NTNews.com.au - Alyssa Betts - October 13, 2011
THE Government has come under fire over a new childcare centre in Palmerston that's been sitting empty for a year. It comes as parents discovered on Wednesday that a Gray childcare centre - run by Mission Australia - would close in December...

Study looks at great childcare dilemma

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:33:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Lucie van den Berg - October 11, 2011
STAY-AT-HOME mums and dads are a little happier and less stressed than parents who choose to put their children in care. But a study looking at the psychological health of Australian parents found that those who care exclusively for their kids had more financial stress...

Childcare costs set to soar as parents could be stung for an extra $110 a week for long day childcare

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:04:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Simon Benson - October 10, 2011
An industry report into the cost of the federal government's reforms has revealed the average cost of the fee rises is expected to be $13 to $22 a day. This comes on top of an average $10-a-day rise in NSW already this year because of the...

Let the children play, new national guidelines advise

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +1000

The Age - Elisabeth Tarica - October 10, 2011
Fun and creativity are the order of the day for after-school care. It's something educators have known for a long time, but now it is official: play and having fun are central to the learning and development of children...

Preschool fee jump pressures parents

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 10:54:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Gareth Hutchens - October 9, 2011
THOUSANDS of parents have been caught out by NSW government plans to charge compulsory fees at public preschools next year. The speed with which the compulsory fees will be introduced has left parents and principals scrambling. Many parents have already enrolled their children...

Nanny agency Charlton Brown claims inquiry rate for in-home child help has doubled in past six months

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 10:53:00 +1000

The Sunday Mail (Qld) - Mike Bruce - ‎October 9, 2011
QUEENSLAND is in the grips of a nanny boom as time-poor families reach out for more help at home. With Australians working longer, owing more, earning more, but busier than ever, live-in nannies and au pairs are no longer the preserve of the super-rich. Child-minding and after-school...

Income tax to top forum agenda

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 10:25:00 +1000

Herald Sun - October 05, 2011
THE Federal Government is backing child care rebates over tax deductions because it benefits more families, but says it is open to discuss potential changes at the tax forum. Transfer payments, such as income support and family assistance, ...

Income tax to top agenda at tax forum

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 10:17:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - October 05, 2011
THE Federal Government is backing childcare rebates over tax deductions because it benefits more families, but says it is open to discuss potential changes at the tax forum. Transfer payments, such as income support and family assistance, ...

Cash needed for Chelsea kids

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 10:16:00 +1000

Mordialloc Chelsea Leader - Jesse Wray-McCann - October 5, 2011
THE future of Chelsea Occasional Child Care hangs in the balance as the centre desperately seeks community sponsorship to continue next year. The axing of Take a Break funding has already forced nearby Longbeach Place to shut down its occasional...

Union fears taxing times

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 10:34:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Peter Jean - October 3, 2011
It also said a Fringe Benefits Tax exemption for child-care benefits provided by an employer was overly restrictive. The exemption was only available when an employer had a child-care centre on its premises but should be extended to include payments to other approved child-care providers...

Women's groups call for relief from taxing child-care expenses

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 10:33:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Peter Trute - October 3, 2011
The cost and complexity of child care have been named as barriers to women returning to work and will be the target of calls for more government support at this week's tax summit in Canberra. A new report has identified child care as the biggest obstacle for women returning to work...

APY child centres stalled for six years

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 10:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Mark Schiebs - October 3, 2011
FEDERALLY funded childcare centres "critical" to families in the troubled Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands have not been built -- six years after millions of dollars was handed out for their construction. The federal government provided $2.1 million...

Wine, banks and childcare on forum agenda

Sat, 1 Oct 2011 10:09:00 +1000

Australian Financial Review - Tax Forum - October 1, 2011
Submissions to the forum have flowed in over the pastfortnight. Businesses want inefficient state taxes to go and company tax to drop; health groups want a wine tax overhaul; the banking industry wants a deduction for childcare; for others, it's a congestion charge...

Relief sought for taxing childcare costs

Sat, 1 Oct 2011 10:09:00 +1000

Ninemsn - September 30, 2011
The cost and complexity of child care have been named as barriers to women returning to work and will be the target of calls for more government support at next week's tax summit in Canberra. A new report has identified child care as the biggest obstacle for women returning to work...

Toddlers with tablets

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:46:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anthony Gough - September 29, 2011
Inner-northside children will be on the cutting edge of technology from next year, with a Clayfield early learning centre using next generation teaching tools for the next generation of kids. Lyndhurst Early Learning Centre will start using Apple iPads in its curriculum...

Taxpayers urged to subsidise childcare workers

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - September 29, 2011
AUSTRALIA's biggest childcare chain, ABC Learning, has called for more taxpayer subsidies to fund wage rises for childcare workers on the minimum wage. Nearly three years after its collapse into receivership, ABC Learning has delivered a modest $5.6 million surplus...

It's not that taxing - we can do better

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Tony Nicholson - September 29, 2011
The fourth reform is to make sure that childcare subsidies provided through the tax system support the development of an early childhood education and care system that works for disadvantaged children and their families. While investment in early childhood education...

As fight against child obesity intensifies, experts say kids' gyms go to far

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:15:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - September 29, 2011
Child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the only gyms children should be using were jungle gyms. "Little children shouldn't be spending time using gyms," he said. "People have got to be kidding. Children should be running around playing in the mud, sandpits and jungle gyms."

Disease a risk to Gold Coast kindy kids

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:15:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin News - Stephanie Bedo - September 29, 2011
THE highly contagious hand, foot and mouth disease is spreading through Gold Coast childcare centres. The Gold Coast Public Health Unit is warning children to stay indoors until the outbreak has subsided after receiving several reported cases of the disease, mostly stemming from childcare...

Banks in $500m ABC Learning Centres legal wrangle

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:14:00 +1000

Australian Financial Review - Samantha Bowers - September 29, 2011
The banking syndicate that financed collapsed childcare group ABC Learning Centres could be forced to give back more than $500 million in payments made by the company before its collapse...

Early Use of Non-Parental Childcare Is Not Harmful for Most Children, Norwegian Study Finds

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:40:00 +1000

ScienceDaily - September 27, 2011
The report indicates that there is no evidence that early centre-based childcare is harmful for most children. Most pre-school children in Norway attend different types of childcare arrangements on a daily or weekly basis, and by far the majority are in centre-based...

Crisis in childcare industry

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:11:00 +1000

Queensland Times - Megan Kinninment - September 26th, 2011
EARLY childhood workers are in crisis, an industry summit in Lismore heard on Saturday, with 15,000 leaving the profession each year as they struggle with low wages and increasing stress. Childcare workers are passionate about their vocation, but many can't afford to stay...

Tax break urged for childcare, including nannies

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 08:54:00 +1000

The Age - Stephanie Peatling - September 25, 2011
Canberra's tax summit will look at current childcare payments. To be held next month, it will also examine how the tax and family payment systems interact, after Treasury research found returning to work was often financially unattractive for parents...

Nannies give gift of freedom

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 08:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Melissa Davey - September 25, 2011
She said it would free up spaces in childcare centres and prevent ''cash in hand'' nannies from operating, who were often not as qualified as those from professional agencies...

Victorian childcare centres to face squeeze for spots

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:06:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Terry Brown - September 24, 2011
VICTORIA could lose 4000 childcare spots next year under new Government rules to boost staff-to-child ratios at child care centres. And those parents who can find a place for their child could be slugged as much as $13 a day more for the service...

Childcare reforms add $25 a day

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:20:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - September 23, 2011
CHILDCARE centres are jacking up their fees as much as $25 a day to pay for the extra staff required to meet tough new quality regulations next year. Working parents will typically be charged at least $20 a week more for childcare from January...

Childcare centres use GPS to track children

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 22, 2011
Childcare centres in Sweden have started using GPS systems and other electronic tracking devices to keep tabs on children during excursions - a practice that has raised ethical and practical questions. Some parents are worried childcare centres will...

Bankers want more tax breaks for parents

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 21, 2011
Bankers are asking the federal government to consider more tax breaks for parents who want to work but are put off by high childcare costs at next month's national tax forum. The Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) has released a position paper sent...

Government delivering stability in the child care market

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:34:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - September 20, 2011
The new laws require larger child care providers to provide more information to the Australian Government, so that their ongoing financial viability can be monitored and assessed. The Australian Government will now have the power to audit any large child care provider...

Parents' fears over child care

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:49:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Michael Inman - September 18, 2011
Parents have withdrawn a number of children from a south Canberra child-care centre alleging management ignored warnings of a staff member using verbal and physical discipline on children. Parents at the centre have told the Sunday Canberra Times they have...

Putting baby in nursery 'could raise its risk of heart disease' because it sends stress levels soaring

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:49:00 +1000

Daily Mail (UK) - Fiona MacRae - September 12, 2011
Aric Sigman, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, has warned that spending long periods being cared for by strangers in the first years of life can send levels of stress hormones soaring. This could raise the odds of a host of problems...

Poor wages hit childcare

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:15:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - September 11, 2011
MORE than a third of childcare centres employ staff without the required qualifications because of a chronic shortage of workers. Childcare workers will meet in Sydney next weekend to warn the federal government it might not meet its own targets for...

Corporate women say nannies are vital on road to gender equality

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 10:46:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kelsey Munro - September 10, 2011
The federal Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care, Kate Ellis, says parents who hire a nanny may be eligible for government support through the Child Care Benefit Registered Care rate. ''We need to recognise, though, that access to...

Zen and the art of keeping kids still

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 09:18:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - September 09, 2011
MEDITATE on this: a Melbourne childcare centre seems to have found a way to keep squirming toddlers still. There are no 'ommms', but there were a few 'umms?' when Kensington Community Children's Co-Operative introduced meditation and yoga classes...

Preschool fees move has parents doing sums and raising expectations

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 10:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Anna Patty - September 8, 2011
ALISON BROOKBANKS was paying $110 a day last year to send her daughter, Pia, to private daycare in the inner west. Since enrolling the four-year-old at the Australia Street Infants School preschool in Newtown this year, she has paid that for a full five-day week...

Penny pinching on preschools

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 10:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 8, 2011
To charge market prices for public preschools is "destructive and short-sighted" ...Professor Tony Vinson. THE NSW government has displayed a noble commitment to bring its budget back into the black, but its decision to introduce...

Desperate, costly wait for childcare

Sat, 3 Sep 2011 10:56:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Letitia Rowlands - September 03, 2011
DESPERATE parents are paying hundreds of dollars in non-refundable childcare waiting list fees without any guarantee of securing a place. The fees range from $10 at community-run centres to $90 for many centres in the eastern suburbs, inner-west...

Queensland bottom of class for kindergarten attendance

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:47:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott, Andrew MacDonald and Suzanne Dorfield - August 30, 2011
COST is a major barrier stopping parents from sending children to kindergarten in Queensland, experts warn. It comes as the state tries to push its poor kindy attendance rate up to 65 per cent this year and make it universally available by 2014...

Eight children hurt in China child care center stabbing attack

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:47:00 +1000

Herald Sun - August 29, 2011
A STAFF member went on a stabbing spree at a child care center in Shanghai today, attacking and wounding eight children with a knife, the Shanghai Daily reported. Police arrested the staff member, who is suspected of suffering from psychiatric problems...

Child carers seeking fair deal

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:22:00 +1000

The Age - Deborah Gough - ‎August 28, 2011
THE childcare union United Voice, launching its campaign for improved wages yesterday, says the high attrition rate among childcare workers - almost a third leave the industry each year - is distressing children and parents. A federal government national workforce study...

Politicians shouldn't play hardball with childcare

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:22:00 +1000

The Age - Farrah Tomazin - August 28, 2011
But we now have a farcical situation where Baillieu and his Children's Minister, Wendy Lovell, are locked in a battle with the Feds over who should fork out the $1.9 million required to subsidise the service. That's right: $1.9 million...

Strapped for cash, parents push for two years' prep

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:21:00 +1000

The Age - Deborah Gough - August 28, 2011
Financially burdened parents say the cost of childcare and kindergarten, and the prospect of another year out of the workforce are factors in requesting their children start school early. However, the Education Department is pressuring Mill Park...

Stop teens babysitting, demands nanny agencies

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:20:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Briana Domjen - August 28, 2011
NANNY agencies are demanding NSW introduce a minimum age for babysitters, arguing young teenagers aren't capable of caring for other children. The NSW government has developed a guide for young babysitters, saying it's the most common job of 12-15 year-olds in the state...

Wrong sun hat can be a health risk for children

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:06:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Letitia Rowlands - August 27, 2011
But Kidsafe NSW is warning parents to be careful when choosing hats to protect their children from the sun after a number have been injured while wearing hats with cords. Playground Unit project manager Kate Fraser said the hats present a danger if they become...

Child-care settings can play important role in encouraging healthy eating habits

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:05:00 +1000

News-Medical.net - August 26, 2011
As the use of preschool child care increases and the prevalence of childhood obesity is at an all-time high, the opportunity to positively impact eating and exercise habits within this setting presents itself. A review in the September 2011 issue of...

21,000 Australian families hit by Greens hypocrisy

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:51:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Media Release - August 25, 2011
The two political parties happy to hack into your cost of living with a new Carbon Tax...have done it again. This time it's the childcare costs of thousands of Australian families. According to Shadow Minister for Childcare, Sussan Ley, "the Australian Greens performed...

Families go in-house for a pair of helping hands

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:42:00 +1000

The Age - Rachel Wells - August 23, 2011
MORE Victorian families are turning to au pairs to solve their childcare woes. One Australian-based au pair agency, which places mostly young, female travellers with Australian families, has noticed a 150 per cent increase in requests for au pairs in the past year...

A bear in there & a rally as well

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:58:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - August 19, 2011
HUNDREDS of stuffed toys 'rallied' on the steps of Parliament House yesterday in a Playschool-themed protest against funding cuts to the state's 220 occasional childcare centres. Mothers (and some fathers) came from across the state to fight for drop-in creches...

Occasional Care gets Greens light!

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:57:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Media Release - August 18, 2011
The fight to reinstate Federal funding for Occasional Care has taken a major step forward, with formal support declared by the Greens in Parliament yesterday. Opposition spokesperson for Childcare, Sussan Ley, expressed delight at a statement from Adam Bandt...

'Robust' link discovered between preschool, language and literacy

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:56:00 +1000

Vanderbilt University (USA) - Jennifer Wetzel - August 18, 2011
Preschool teachers' use of sophisticated vocabulary and analytic talk about books, combined with early support for literacy in the home, can predict fourth-grade reading comprehension and word recognition, new research from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College finds...

Childcare action needed

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:56:00 +1000

Weekly Times Now - Peter Hunt - August 17, 2011
Country children are the innocent victims of an absurd political stand-off between Victorian Coalition Minister for Children Wendy Lovell and her federal Labor counterpart Kate Ellis. The ministers are disputing who should cough up $1.9 million...

Spelling out how NSW preschools can do better

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:01:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Anna Patty - August 16, 2011
A FIFTH of children miss out on crucial preschool education in NSW - the lowest rate in the country, according to an academic in charge of reviewing the system. The state government yesterday commissioned Professor Deborah Brennan, from the Social...

Out-of-school care leaves small schools out of pocket

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:51:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - August 15, 2011
SOME small schools are being forced to stop offering before and after-school care because they can no longer afford to run the programs, leaving working parents in the lurch. Twelve out-of-school-hours care programs have closed in Victoria this year, half of which...

Anger over likely cuts to kinders in new plan

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:39:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - August 14, 2011
SCORES of kindergarten programs for three-year-olds in Victoria could close, as a national plan to mandate 15 hours of preschool for every four-year-old by 2013 could strip younger children of teacher time and classrooms. Some rural communities...

It's never too early to start teaching

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Justine Ferrari - August 13, 2011
We know absolutely that learning starts at birth. The first five years before kids get to school are probably the most important years in terms of education. But we're still having a debate about access and quality of childcare. It's crazy." Oberklaid was...

Education Trust pays distribution despite profit drop

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 11:20:00 +1000

The Australian - Sarah Danckert - August 09, 2011
AUSTRALIAN Education Trust, owner of the properties affected by the collapse of ABC Learning Centres, has posted a 36 per cent fall in net profit after tax for the 2011 fiscal year, but has resumed paying distributions to unitholders...

Hundreds of blue card holders caught committing offences against children

Sun, 7 Aug 2011 10:39:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - August 07, 2011
People who work or volunteer with children, such as daycare operators, coaches or people who live with a foster carer, require a blue card, and applicants are screened via police checks and for disciplinary actions noted by government agencies...

Confirmed case of meningococcal in Western Sydney

Fri, 5 Aug 2011 11:06:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - August 04, 2011
A Two-year-old boy from Western Sydney is currently being treated for meningococcal disease at the Children's Hospital at Westmead. The Children's Hospital at Westmead issued a statement to remind all members of the community to remain alert to the signs...

Meningococcal scare at child care centre

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 11:16:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Marissa Calligeros - August 2, 2011
Meningococcal disease has been detected at a child care centre in Townsville, the same city in which a medical student died of the illness last week. Queensland Health has confirmed a child at the centre had fallen ill on July 21 and was admitted to...

Child carers desert jobs

Tue, 2 Aug 2011 10:39:00 +1000

The Mercury - Danielle McKay - August 1, 2011
United Voice childcare union secretary Helen Gibbons said the industry was in crisis, with almost one in three carers leaving every year because of low wages that failed to acknowledge the valuable educational role they played in the formative years...

Another top executive from ABC Learning to go to trial

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Jamie Walker - July 30, 2011
A TOP executive of the failed ABC Learning childcare group will stand trial over an alleged deal with the company's kingpin, Eddy Groves. Martin Kemp, who was chief executive of ABC Learning's Australian and New Zealand operations, was committed for...

Day carer fined for leaving toddler behind

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:39:00 +1000

The West Australian - Michelle Ridley - July 29, 2011
Acting YMCA Perth chief executive Jennie Burns said it was the first time YMCA Perth had been prosecuted for a breach of childcare licensing provisions in more than 30 years of involvement in children's services...

Artwork drawn in battle for childcare

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:38:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - July 29, 2011
THE big guns have been drawn in the battle of the mums versus the government - the children. In the David and Goliath fight to reinstate government financing for occasional childcare, angry Victorian mothers are turning to...

Support for Occasional Childcare goes National

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:08:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Media Release - July 29, 2011
A nationwide petition, calling on the Gillard Government to restore occasional childcare funding across the country has been launched in South West Victoria. Anger at the withdrawal of Federal support sparked the move, with thousands of parents in...

Working mums the big losers

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:38:00 +1000

Financial Review - Geoff Winestock - July 29, 2011
They might face a relatively low marginal tax rate of zero or 15¢ or 34¢ but for every extra dollar they earn they also lose 20¢ or 30¢ or 60¢ of benefits. This creates a huge disincentive for people, mostly women, to return to work, especially child care is factored in...

Exclusive creche aims to ease childhood trauma

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:36:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - July 29, 2011
IT'S ONE of the most exclusive childcare centres in Australia, funded to provide the lowest child-staff ratios, a top-flight early education curriculum and three gourmet meals a day. But the Children's Protection Society's creche in Heidelberg West...

Childcare 'hinders mothers' careers', says report

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:43:00 +1000

BBC News - July 27, 2011
Childcare is the biggest barrier for women going back to work, according to a new report which examined the financial challenges facing working women. More than a thousand women were surveyed for the report which found that more than half see no end...

Mums spit the dummy after childcare centres slash the number of baby placed by 20 percent

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 11:11:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Jane Hansen - July 24, 2011
Under reforms that took effect in January, centres have to provide one carer for every four children, instead of one to five, but the industry has responded by cutting placements instead of putting on extra staff. Already in extreme shortage...

Childcare fee rise hits $25 per day

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:33:00 +1000

Sussan Ley MP - Media Release - July 20, 2011
Huge rises in childcare fees are quickly becoming reality with an inner suburban Melbourne childcare centre set to charge parents an extra $25 per day. A report in this week''s local ''Leader'' newspaper confirms Glen Eira Council must increase...

ABC Learning paid double market price

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:45:00 +1000

The Australian - Jared Owens - July 20, 2011
FORMER ABC Learning executive Martin Kemp arranged for the childcare chain to buy his assets at double their market value, a court heard yesterday. Mr Kemp is charged with three breaches of the Corporations Act concerning the exercise of his powers as...

Child care welcomes foreign workers

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:43:00 +1000

The West Australian - Joseph Catanzaro - July 19, 2011
"We have a workforce crisis in child care" he said. "The industry is screaming out for staff. There is a 5 per cent growth in childcare centres in this country, and there is only a 2 per cent growth in staff." Mr Mayes, who has worked in the industry....

Tax breaks on childcare pushed

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:31:00 +1000

Financial Review - Emily Parkinson - July 19, 2011
Senior executives and company directors have called for the introduction of tax-deductible child-care to lift workforce participation and representation in management ranks and boardrooms. Despite Australian women being among the most highly educated in the world...

Groves 'skirted board at ABC'

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:29:00 +1000

The Australian - Jared Owens - July 19, 2011
EDDY Groves so heavily micro-managed his failed ABC Learning childcare empire that he was even able to change the colour of the carpets on a whim, a court has heard. On the first day of former ABC executive director Martin Kemp's committal hearing in Brisbane...

In praise of nannies

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:28:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Mia Freedman - July 18, 2011
Like all other childcare workers, nannies have a singular purpose: to care for vulnerable people who aren't old enough, smart enough or responsible enough to make the right decisions. Decisions that can have negative consequences for themselves and others...

Government pulls pin on school healthy eating program

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:53:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Grant McArthur - July 18, 2011
Labor's flagship health initiative was launched in 2004 and was this year supporting 2200 schools and childcare centres to teach 320000 children and their parents how to adopt healthy eating and activity into their daily lives. A government spokesman yesterday...

Childcare centres say incentives may fall short of mark

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:53:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Jamie-Leigh Cater - July 18, 2011
THE Federal Government is attempting to lure mothers back to work with tax incentives but it may not be enough, according to local childcare centres. Mothers contemplating a part-time return to the workforce would not have to pay tax until they earned...

Day care: the good news

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:52:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Fiona Baker - July 17, 2011
A GROWING number of studies claim quality child care can be beneficial for kids. Parents, stop beating yourselves up about putting your littlies into day care – and don’t let anyone tell you it’s bad for them. Since families succumbed to the need to have dual incomes...

Increasing pupil-free days put pressure on parents to find childcare

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:51:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Laura Speranza - July 17, 2011
Critics say they are a burden on parents who need to find alternate care for their children, while students lose at least a week of valuable class time. In 1981, schools had just one student-free day, while the number grew to three in 1991 and at least...

Childcare centres to lift fees

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:57:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - July 16, 2011
COMMUNITY-based childcare centres will raise their fees by up to $10 a day when federal government reforms are rolled in from January 1, an exclusive survey has found. As well, half of the centres had lifted fees on July 1 in anticipation of rising...

Playgroups give children early lesson in life, study shows

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:41:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 14, 2011
PLAYGROUPS are considered the poor cousin to formal childcare, even though about 150,000 Australian children attend them regularly, usually with their mother. After 40 years of operating in parks and church halls, playgroups have undergone their first serious...

Record numbers of parents hold kids back from school in NSW

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:24:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Laura Speranza - July 10, 2011
Childcare NSW president Vicki Skoulogenis said children who begin school later benefited academically as children aged four to five often didn't have the concentration span to sit at a table and listen to a teacher for long. Ms Skoulogenis said girls...

Too little to learn?

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:23:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Phillip Thomson - 10 Jul, 2011
Her mother Elizabeth Christiansen has called for the school start age brought in line with NSW, partly as a way for parents to avoid skyrocketing costs of child care. Schools across the border have the youngest kindergarten students in Australia and...

Child care tax breaks needed

Sat, 9 Jul 2011 10:54:00 +1000

The Australian Financial Review - Narelle Hooper - July 9. 2011
A national summit has called for full tax deductibility for child care to help boost gender equity...

My School data 'inaccurate'

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 09:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - July 5, 2011
The West Australian and Tasmanian governments and many independent schools are unable to separate their income and spending for preschool students from that for school students. However the federal education department has decreed that in the next...

Why we're becoming a nanny state

Mon, 4 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Callie Watson - July 04, 2011
In days gone by if you had a nanny it was a sign you had a lot of money... It's becoming a more affordable option." Ms McKenna said the increasing popularity of nannies was also providing a new career path, different from that of a childcare worker...

Interview with Ian Henschke, ABC 891

Mon, 4 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

DEEWR - July 1, 2011
KATE ELLIS: Well, the industry were actually part of the extensive consultations. Now, what we want to do is ensure that there is a high quality across the board. Now, obviously that will cost more for the centres which at the moment don't have adequate supervision and don't train their staff...

Child carers call for gradual reform

Sat, 2 Jul 2011 10:48:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Bonny Symons-Brown - July 1, 2011
Childcare providers have called on the federal government to slow the rollout of its planned reforms to the sector until it can afford to fund them entirely. A draft Productivity Commission report into Australia's early childhood development workforce...

Subsidy call for childcare fee rise

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 08:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - July 01, 2011
TAXPAYER subsidies for childcare will have to increase to stop working mothers cutting back their hours when fees rise next year under changes to the sector, the Productivity Commission has warned. In a 438-page draft report on the early childhood...

Reforms to push up childcare costs

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 08:55:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - July 01, 2011
LOW-income parents could be forced to remove their children from childcare if costs rise because of reforms, the Productivity Commission has found. The reforms, to be introduced in January, involve a "substantially larger and more highly qualified ...

New child rules may raise costs

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 08:54:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - July 01, 2011
CHILDCARE fees are likely to rise because of national reforms to improve quality, the Productivity Commission has warned. In a draft report on the early childhood workforce released yesterday, the commission said there was a risk that disadvantaged...

Tighter rules put childcare centres out of business

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - June 30, 2011
CHILDCARE operators have begun to sell off their businesses to avoid a barrage of new fines and regulations that are expected to force fees up by an average $13 per child per day, more than 20 times what the government had predicted. Kerry Lada, who ran…

Take-A-Break cuts threaten occasional childcare

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:03:00 +1000

Melbourne Times Weekly - Anna Whitelaw - June 28, 2011
PARENTS, neighbourhood houses and childcare workers will rally to save occasional childcare funding this Thursday, after state funding cuts threatened fee hikes and closures. The rally, on the steps of Parliament, will protest the Baillieu government's decision...

No gender allowed at preschool; 'Him' and 'her' nixed to keep boys and girls equal

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:01:00 +1000

NY Daily News (USA) - June 28, 2011
At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys. From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children...

Childcare cash to be paid weekly

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:52:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Mark Kenny - June 28, 2011
FAMILIES will have access to more flexible government assistance when childcare rebates are made available weekly instead of quarterly. Announced in the May Budget, the change means the subsidy of 50 per cent of out-of-pocket childcare costs can be...

Any which way to meet care costs

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Rachel Browne - June 26, 2011
WORKING mothers are increasingly using a combination of care, including nannies, to keep on top of spiralling childcare costs with many losing money to stay in employment. Long day care centres charge as much as $130 a day and fees are predicted to rise...

Numbers add up as mothers return to work sooner

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:25:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - June 24, 2011
In the June quarter last year, 869,770 children were enrolled in formal childcare, up 8.7 per cent from June 2009. The numbers are tipped to rise again next financial year, as families can get the rebate deducted directly from their fortnightly bills from July 1...

A passionate educator, but the pay is too low

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jim O'Rourke - June 26, 2011
"They should be in the same bracket as teachers and nurses. At the moment, childcare workers simply cannot aspire to the same standard of living as the parents whose children they educate". The union has organised a childcare crisis summit to be held on...

Family claims are Labor nonsense: Margie Abbott

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:24:00 +1000

Sunday Herald Sun - Samantha Maiden - June 26, 2011
As the Liberal leader's wife prepares to join Mr Abbott and youngest daughter Bridget on a trip to Hopevale in far north Queensland to volunteer in an Aboriginal community, Mrs Abbott has also declared she's not her husband's "shadow" and that childcare workers are undervalued...

Skyrocketing Costs Of Child Care: 1960 to Today

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:24:00 +1000

24/7 Wall St (USA) - Michael A. Sauter - June 24, 2011
It cost $25,299 to raise a child from birth to age 18 in 1960. The amount rose to $226,920 last year. This may be one of the reasons many reasons Americans are having fewer children these days. Adjusted for inflation, the 1960 sum equals about $192,497 compared to $235,996 in 2010...

Put chubby toddlers on a diet: report

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - June 24, 2011
And making sure preschoolers get at least 15 minutes of physical activity for every hour they spend in child care. Thursday's recommendations, from the US Institute of Medicine, aren't about putting the very young on diets. But those early pounds can...

Childcare rebate put paid to staying home longer

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Michelle Griffin - June 24, 2011
FOR most mothers, the days of staying at home until the youngest child starts school are over. And for this we can thank the Howard government's childcare rebate, introduced in 2006. By 2008, more than half of mothers with partners - 52 per cent - were returning...

Life lessons for our modern families

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:39:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - June 24, 2011
THE longer children spend in childcare, the less satisfied parents are with work and life, Australia's biggest study of families has found. And mums and dads are most content when their youngest child is aged under 2, the research reveals. As families struggle...

Parents deserve to know the facts on child care

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:23:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - June 23, 2011
Minister for Child Care Kate Ellis today encouraged parents to make themselves aware of the facts about child care. "Last night Channel 9 News aired a so-called investigative piece about the Australian Government's child care policies...

Childcare prices to rise

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:47:00 +1000

Nine News (video) - June 22, 2011
Parents be warned. In a few days child care prices across Sydney are going up again, and the hip pocket pain is set to continue with the government trying to push through new policy which would cut the Child Care Benefit for families...

Occasional Care Struggles for Funds

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:31:00 +1000

Pro Bono Australia - June 21, 2011
The Gillard Government has called on the Victorian Government to reconsider its decision not to continue funding a community based, occasional child care program called Take a Break, beyond the end of this year. The Federal Minister for Employment...

Reform leaves less spots for kids

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:50:00 +1000

Sunshine Coast Daily - Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane - 20th June 2011
THE Australian Childcare Alliance has expressed concerns hasty national quality reform could result in the loss of an average of six child care placements at each centre across Queensland. President Gwynn Bridge said there was not an even playing field...

Private health losses put at 30,000

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:50:00 +1000

The Australian - Brendan Nicholson and Sue Dunlevy - June 20, 2011
The government has already had to forgo $5.7 million in savings from the cap on the childcare rebate and was recently forced to index the payment because it could not get the measure through the Senate. The payment is due to be indexed again next month to over $8000 per child...

Key Note Address to the Child Care Queensland 2011 National Conference

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:49:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - June 19, 2011
The Australian Government recognises the critical importance of early education and care to families. We know that access to quality and affordable child care is an essential enabler of workforce participation – particularly for women...

Feedback sought on how to improve critical child care program

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:39:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - June 19, 2011
Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis released a new discussion paper, 'The future of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) for child care services', when speaking at the Childcare Queensland National Conference in Caloundra today...

Abbott slams govt on childcare

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:57:00 +1000

Ninemsn - June 16, 2011
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has slammed the Labor government over its failure to provide the additional childcare centres it promised before the 2007 federal election. Of the 260 extra childcare centres promised just 38 have been delivered, he said...

Childcare Tax Rebate – Something to do TODAY!!!

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:57:00 +1000

Essential Baby - Justine Davies - June 16, 2011
While the recent Federal budget did not contain many earth-shattering changes, one very welcome announcement was the alteration of payment frequency for the Childcare Tax Rebate. That, of course, is the one whereby the government rebates...

Call to scrap child-care HECS debt

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:20:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emma Macdonald - 16 Jun, 2011
Child-care centres have traditionally lost tertiary-qualified staff to primary school teaching, where the hours are less and the pay is more. Professor Chapman has suggested the Government forgive HECS debts for each year a qualified early childhood...

Booklets a rallying call for parents of preschoolers

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:20:00 +1000

The West Australian - Bethany Hiatt - June 16, 2011
The Education Department has released two booklets to give parents tips on teaching vital skills to their preschool-age children. Their release coincides with enrolments for kindergarten and pre-primary school. Parents have until July 29 to enrol their...

Child care is protective for children with depressed mothers

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:36:00 +1000

Los Angeles Times - Shari Roan - June 13, 2011
Child care may be a good choice to minimize the effects of a mother's depression on her young children, a new study shows. Research in recent years has pointed to the convergence of a woman's depression and behavior problems in young children...

Toddlers learn life lessons at pre-school

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:37:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Letitia Rowlands - June 13, 2011
CHILDREN reap lifelong benefits from pre-school with new research showing those who attend in the year before kindergarten have lower rates of drug and alcohol abuse, are less likely to get in trouble with the law and enjoy higher levels of education...

Fears of childcare centre ranking

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:49:00 +1000

Stuff.co.nz (NZ) - John Hartevelt - June 11, 2011
League tables ranking early childhood centres are feared as the Government addresses a "lack of accountability" in the sector. Education Minister Anne Tolley said last night that an ECE Taskforce proposal for "mandatory performance reporting" was…

Emails reveal early fears for ABC Learning

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:49:00 +1000

ABC Online - Sue Lannin - June 10, 2011
The banks which lent to collapsed childcare provider ABC Learning were worried about the company's financial health six months before it collapsed, but still went ahead with a refinancing plan to keep the company afloat. An email trail revealed...

Childcare shortage in the Illawarra getting worse

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 10:44:00 +1000

ABC Local - June 8, 2011
A community childcare organisation says all levels of government need to do more to address the region's growing childcare shortage. In the Illawarra, childcare providers say most of their centres are full, with lengthy waiting lists...

At risk children miss out on kinder

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 09:44:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - June 6, 2011
A FREE kindergarten program for Aboriginal and abused children is failing to reach its target, with more than three-quarters of allocated places unfilled. The Early Start Kindergarten program provides up to 11 hours of free classes a week in Victoria for...

Pay up, parents: childcare hoppers rort their rebate

Sun, 5 Jun 2011 12:05:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Helen Pow - June 05, 2011
PARENTS are abusing the childcare rebate by switching centres after racking up thousands of dollars in unpaid fees but still claiming the taxpayer-funded benefit. Childcare centres are being forced to increase fees after a mass of centre-hopping where families accumulate debt...

Govt unveils indigenous pre-school plan

Sat, 4 Jun 2011 10:08:00 +1000

Ninemsn - Jun 3, 2011‎
The federal government has unveiled a new strategy designed to get indigenous children into preschool. The government has invested $970 million over five years to ensure all four-year-olds can get 15 hours of preschool a week by 2013...

Emails reveal pre-collapse fears for ABC Learning

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 10:31:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 2, 2011
Email exchanges between the financiers of the collapsed childcare company ABC Learning show its bankers were concerned about the company's solvency in mid-2008, six months before it went under. The company's banking syndicate were repaid $500 million before ABC collapsed...

Funding cuts leave child care at risk

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 10:30:00 +1000

Geelong Advertiser - Andrea Hamblin - June 2, 2011
CUTS to early childhood funding could leave thousands of the region's families without child care services by the end of this year. The State Government's withdrawal of its $1.9 million contribution to the Take a Break program would force the closure ...

NSW Education Dept takes over child care

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 09:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - June 1, 2011
The NSW Education Department is taking over responsibility for all child care and early childhood education in the state. The Community Services department, which used to have that responsibility, will now focus on welfare. "Originally the aim was for...

Sex offender lived at home of family day carer

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:17:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - May 31, 2011
A REGISTERED sex offender was found to be living at the home of a family day carer in Melbourne's southern suburbs, raising serious concerns about the risks of home-based childcare. The state government has asked Child Safety Commissioner Bernie Geary...

Risk-taking lessons not learned in over-strict playgrounds, says expert

Mon, 30 May 2011 09:45:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Kate Jones - May 30, 2011
Playground injuries at Victorian schools have jumped by 45 per cent in the past two years with 160 students falling, slipping and tripping each day. Injuries at childcare centres and kindergartens are responsible for about 60 hospital admissions every...

Dinosaur names are child's play

Mon, 30 May 2011 09:45:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - May 29, 2011
Last year a University of California report found that four-year-olds learn more literacy and numeracy skills through teacher interaction than by free play. "It's about adults working alongside children in their play... of introducing words as children..."

Parents to get boost in childcare rebates

Sun, 29 May 2011 10:53:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Samantha Maiden - May 28, 2011
PARENTS will soon have the option of securing generous childcare rebates fortnightly instead of quarterly. They can even choose the option of having the rebate paid directly to their child care service and receive a reduction on their bills...

The high price of child-care reform

Fri, 27 May 2011 10:53:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - May 26, 2011
A survey of child-care centres in the ACT conducted by the Community Services Directorate has found that some of the costliest creches often have worse staff ratios and fewer trained workers, on average, than their cheaper cousins...

Child care centres, Govt 'working closely' on upgrades

Fri, 27 May 2011 10:51:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 26, 2011
The ACT Government says $9 million upgrades for early childhood facilities will be completed by 2013. The money will be spent on the Government's 43 childcare facilities before Commonwealth reforms requiring a carer for every four children are introduced in 2014...

Investigation launched after Benjamin Atley escapes Clayton South childcare centre

Thu, 26 May 2011 10:41:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Emily Portelli - May 25, 2011
THE Education Department has launched an investigation after a three-year-old boy escaped from a childcare centre and wandered home along busy streets. Benjamin Atley slipped unnoticed past supervisors and security doors at Clayton South Childcare...

Fury as toddler wanders from childcare centre

Thu, 26 May 2011 10:41:00 +1000

The Age - Megan Levy - May 25, 2011
The parents of a three-year-old boy who escaped from a childcare centre and wandered home along a busy street say their son could have been killed due to the lack of supervision. The little boy toddled about 600 metres to his house on Milton Road...

Best child-care centres cost less: report

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:20:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Noel Towell - May 25, 2011
Canberra's child-care centres with the poorest service standards are hitting parents with the biggest fees, according to ACT Government papers. The documents show that the city's day care providers with the highest-staff-to-child ratios and the best-trained workers are...

Japanese compulsory at childcare centres

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:20:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin News - Merrin Jagtman - May 24, 2011
A NEW breed of childcare centres have begun operating on the Gold Coast where children still learning to walk are being taught a second language. Children as young as 15 months are being given compulsory Japanese lessons as part of Kool Kids Early Centre's curriculum...

Violence on tv and the web to blame for violent preps

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:32:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Evonne Barry - May 23, 2011
"Often their unacceptable behaviour is actually being seen in child care and kindergartens as well." Clinical psychologist Dr Simon Crisp said early exposure to violence on TV and the internet was part of the "creeping down" of bad behaviour to younger children...

Child-care debt crackdown

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:31:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Frances Stewart and Michael Inman - May 22, 2011
ACT CHILD-CARE centres are being forced to call in debt collectors as families under financial pressure use government rebates to pay for everyday essentials instead of fees. With parents facing higher food and fuel bills, while new child-care staff...

Brisbane families fear childcare cost increase under Federal Budget

Sat, 21 May 2011 10:41:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anna Chisholm - May 20, 2011
CHILDCARE costs are set to rise if National Quality Reforms are passed, as Queensland families struggle to clear rising childcare debt. Parents say fewer rebates for childcare will only mean additional pressure after changes to family tax...

Debt collectors chase parents who owe as little as $50 in childcare fees

Fri, 20 May 2011 10:49:00 +1000

The Courier Mail - Alex Tilbury and Paddy Hintz - May 20, 2011
PARENTS owing as little as $50 in unpaid childcare fees are being chased by debt collectors as fed-up centres crack down on mounting overdue bills. One of Australia's largest debt collection agencies said unpaid fees to childcare centres had emerged as a significant problem...

Melbourne kids in Saturday kinder classes

Tue, 17 May 2011 10:52:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - May 17, 2011
MELBOURNE kids are being made to learn on weekends, with kinder classes now on Saturdays. Dozens of metropolitan kindergartens have started offering Saturday sessions, which are popular with time-poor working parents. However, other parents have resisted...

Underpaid female social workers win big pay rise

Tue, 17 May 2011 10:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kelly Burke, Sean Nicholls - May 17, 2011
More than 200000 non-government workers employed in sectors funded by federal and state governments - including childcare, job recruitment, aged and disability services and aid agencies - will be affected by the decision, hailed by unions as a historic...

Fines over child care health risk

Sun, 15 May 2011 10:14:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Helen Pow - May 15, 2011
THREE childcare centres have been fined for failing hygiene guidelines, putting young children at serious risk of infection. A rodent-infested Baulkham Hills centre was fined $660 after NSW Food Authority inspectors found "droppings...

I e-spy something beginning with see

Sat, 14 May 2011 10:24:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Tim Vollmer - May 14, 2011
Eight Universal Childcare centres are test-running video conferencing in an Australian first, providing working parents with a window into what their children are doing during the day. Universal plans to expand it to a dozen more centres in coming...

Tax break or welfare? Either way, middle-class families are the losers

Sat, 14 May 2011 10:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela Shanahan - May 14, 2011
So in the budget, the government did not means test one tax break, the childcare tax rebate for families with two incomes, but it cut or froze other payments to families on one income who often include mothers who do not use paid child care...

Family day carers face fine for poor supervision

Fri, 13 May 2011 10:41:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 13, 2011
NEW childcare safety laws would allow authorities to prosecute family day carers for the first time with fines of up to $10,000 for inadequate supervision. The Department of Community Services has been unable to prosecute individual family day carers...

Earn $150k and you're out

Wed, 11 May 2011 11:34:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - May 11, 2011
The Treasurer has moved to extend the freeze in the indexation of income limits on family payments including Family Tax Benefits A and B, the Baby Bonus and Paid Parental Leave until 2014, which will save more than $1 billion over the next four years...

Sanity prevails as mental health care dominates

Wed, 11 May 2011 11:33:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Gemma Jones - May 11, 2011
Children as young as three will now undergo testing for social and emotional wellbeing and childcare workers will be given mental health training. The Government also wants to stem the number of teens leaving school because of mental illness...

Funding a better future for Australia’s children

Wed, 11 May 2011 11:33:00 +1000

DEEWR Media Release - May 11, 2011
The Recognition of Prior Learning package will provide early childhood workers with greater access to upgrading their qualifications through a national assessment process. The measure will be of greatest benefit to child care professionals in rural...

Parental backlash fear on costs

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:58:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - May 10, 2011
A THIRD of parents would be forced to remove their children from care if costs increased, a survey says. The Australian Childcare Alliance released the warning on Budget eve amid concerns that childcare subsidies could be in the firing line...

Family day carer can't be sued for boy's death

Mon, 9 May 2011 10:13:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 9, 2011
He was the second toddler to die in 2008 while in family day care in NSW, yet due to a significant legal loophole the person most responsible for his care cannot be prosecuted. The Department of Community Services is unable to prosecute individual...

Balancing work and family, especially when a baby is involved, is tough on job and on mums

Sun, 8 May 2011 10:51:00 +1000

The Sunday Mail - Carly Hennessy - May 08, 2011
While women may feel guilty about putting their youngsters in childcare, the most important thing was it was quality centre. "For a child as well as for adults there's a balance, and we all need time away," Prof Thorpe said. "It's not about whether...

Shortfall of qualified staff threatens childcare

Sat, 7 May 2011 10:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Milanda Rout - May 7, 2011
They say it is not possible to meet the federal government's reforms, which require all workers to have a Certificate 3 qualification by 2014 as well as increasing staff to child ratios, without further financial assistance. Childcare centres have already started passing on the cost...

Budget to crack down on charities loophole

Sat, 7 May 2011 10:09:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Grattan - May 7, 2011
Activities central to the purpose of the charitable organisation would still be untaxed, even when run commercially, such as non-profit hospitals and childcare centres. Businesses such as op shops, whose profits go back to the charities, will continue...

Fees cut to entice childcare centres to expand

Fri, 6 May 2011 13:57:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 6, 2011
The ACT Government says private childcare centres will have an incentive to expand, under changes to development charges. The Government is phasing in a new system of change-of-use charges from July. Currently private childcare centres must pay a lease...

Budget gains at risk from rates - Minding the childminders

Thu, 5 May 2011 09:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 5, 2011
With huge unmet demand, families ready to spend an average $350 a week, and towards $2 billion in annual government subsidies pouring in as well, no wonder that childcare is increasingly a private-sector operation driven by profit...

Back to school for teenage mums

Thu, 5 May 2011 09:57:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Simon Benson - May 05, 2011
The mothers would be given access to existing childcare assistance but, if they failed to attend classses or meet the requirements without a reasonable excuse, their payments would be suspended. A trial program will be...

Whooping cough outbreak sparks vaccination calls

Thu, 5 May 2011 09:57:00 +1000

ABC Online - Kristy O'Brien - May 4, 2011
There have been 32 cases recorded in the past three months in the territory. Recently, two young territory children with whooping cough went to childcare centres while they were still infectious. Whooping cough is a highly...

Childcare centres avoid penalties

Wed, 4 May 2011 09:48:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 4, 2011
In NSW 102 centres have been declared "not accredited" after failing to meet standards, which cover policies and procedures on matters such as staff relationships with children, child experiences and learning, and safety and nutrition...

Demand and standards place parents in a bind

Wed, 4 May 2011 09:47:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Nick Ralston, Natasha Wallace - May 4, 2011
"It was because we had nowhere and the childcare centres were all full." A spokeswoman for the centre's director, Charmaine Alexoulis, said the centre was not accredited due to "small things" such as inadequate documentation and using...

Warnings over safety sent to 31 childcare centres

Tue, 3 May 2011 09:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 3, 2011
FAILING to properly supervise children and poor record-keeping of staff attendance are the most common reasons why authorities issue written warnings to childcare centres. Other common breaches include exceeding capacity, caring for children not on the...

Day care toll: children in danger

Mon, 2 May 2011 12:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 2, 2011
MORE than 1000 children needed medical treatment and dozens were taken to hospital after serious accidents at childcare centres in NSW last year. A Herald investigation has obtained 4000 pages of previously unpublished reports which show that many of...

DOCS complaints reveal serious neglect

Mon, 2 May 2011 12:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Natasha Wallace - May 2, 2011
INAPPROPRIATE sexual behaviour between children, tying babies to chairs during meals, poor supervision and harsh discipline are among some of the serious complaints made by parents to Sydney childcare centres last year. The complaints were obtained by...

Desserts leave a sour taste

Sun, 1 May 2011 10:12:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - May 1, 2011
CHILDCARE centres are being warned against feeding children too many sweets as doctors fear it is creating poor habits for life. Doctors and nutritionists want "nutritionally void" desserts such as jelly and ice cream banned from menus...

The pain of reducing 'middle-class welfare'

Sun, 1 May 2011 10:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 1, 2011
The 50 per cent childcare rebate is the only family benefit that is not means tested - which may change in the coming budget. Employers have warned that tightening the rules may lead to women leaving the workforce, adding to the skills shortage...

ACT budget to fund seven new child-care centres

Sun, 1 May 2011 10:10:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Breanna Tucker - April 30, 2011
An extra 800 children will soon have access to high-quality child care after the ACT Government announced a multi-million-dollar boost to the sector. Minister for Children and Young People Joy Burch yesterday revealed a $60 million package promising seven new child-care...

Australia doing well but childcare could be improved: OECD

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:11:00 +1000

ABC Online - Alison Caldwell - April 29, 2011
But the report found Australia performs badly when it comes to spending on childcare services and finding jobs for single parents, resulting in above-average poverty rates. Lead author of the report, the OECD's senior economist in social policy...

New day care places for ACT

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:11:00 +1000

ABC Online - Anna Morozow - April 29, 2011
The ACT Government will provide $60 million in next week's territory budget to boost childcare services. The money will fund an early childhood school at Franklin in Canberra's north and a childcare centre at Holder in Canberra's west...

Too many single parents are 'benefit dependent'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:33:00 +1000

The Age - David McLennan - April 28, 2011
AUSTRALIA should make single parents meet tougher work, training and job search requirements before giving them welfare payments, according to the OECD. It also recommended the extension of childcare support programs for working parents...

Peril in the daycare playground

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:45:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - April 24, 2011
ROUGH and tumble play at childcare centres and kindergartens is sending more than 60 children a month to hospital. Children suffering everything from serious dislocations to minor scrapes, and swallowing marbles, are ending up in the...

Loophole in work test for childcare benefit

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:49:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - April 23, 2011
ONE in seven families using childcare have at least one parent who is not working, training or studying, the Department of Employment Education and Workplace Relations has revealed. These 81000 families can currently receive up to 24 hours of childcare...

Rise of the supermum: Women back at work weeks after giving birth

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:44:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Elissa Doherty - April 21, 2011
Financial pressures, fear of missing out on a promotion, cost of childcare, lack of flexible working conditions and a love of the job are among the reasons cited. Experts say the Federal Government's paid parental leave scheme, introduced on January 1...

Opposition glad childcare rebate will stay

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:12:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 19, 2011
The coalition's childcare spokeswoman Sussan Ley welcomed the move describing the proposal to cut the rebate as a "ham-fisted cash grab". "I hope the thousands of parents upset by these scare tactics can sleep a little easier," she said in a statement...

Parent backlash forces Wayne Swan to retreats on child care cuts

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:53:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Simon Benson - April 19, 2011
A BUDGET proposal to means test the 50 per cent childcare rebate for families was rejected by Treasurer Wayne Swan''''s razor gang after a marathon session yesterday. Government sources revealed Mr Swan ruled out the measure...

Business warns against childcare means test

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:52:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - April 19, 2011
EMPLOYERS have warned the Gillard government that they would oppose any means test on the childcare rebate in the budget if it reduces women''''s participation in the workforce and exacerbates the nation''''s skills shortage. Australian Chamber of Commerce...

Tearful parents protest as up to 64,000 may face childcare rebate cuts in federal Budget

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Malcolm Farr - April 18, 2011
THE threat of thousands of families losing their childcare assistance in the May Budget today caused federal MPs to be flood by calls from worried parents, some in tears. By one estimation, about 64,000 families could be cut off...

Childcare groups warn against means-testing

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:13:00 +1000

The Australian - Lauren Wilson - April 18, 2011
CHILDCARE groups have urged the Gillard government not to means-test the childcare rebate as its razor gang looks to make savings ahead of the May 10 budget. Childcare Alliance Australia president Gwynn Bridge yesterday said the government must rule...

Shrinking tax base threatens 50 per cent childcare rebate

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:13:00 +1000

The Age - Peter Martin - April 18, 2011
TREASURER Wayne Swan has refused to rule out means-testing the childcare rebate as new figures show tax takings shrinking. Finance department figures for the end of February show budget revenue $3.4 billion below what was predicted in the November ...

Call to spare families from budget cuts

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - April 17, 2011
The Gillard government is reportedly considering setting an income test for the 50 per cent childcare rebate, which is not currently means-tested but capped at $7500 a year. It is considering treating the payment like the separate childcare benefit...

Gastro bug bites capital care centres

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:12:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Julieane Strachan - 17 Apr, 2011
GASTRO outbreaks have been detected at 11 child-care centres in the ACT during the past few months alone, prompting warnings from health officials for people to wash their hands regularly and to take care not to pass the infection around...

Childcare rebate could be cut in Federal Budget

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:56:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 16, 2011
CHILDCARE rebates are in the Budget firing line as the Gillard Government confronts a big hit to tax revenues. A crackdown that would enforce a tougher work test for parents claiming childcare assistance or a means test for high-income earners is...

How would cutting the child care rebate affect you?

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:56:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Alison Godfrey - April 16, 2011
Earlier this week there was some speculation over the latest Federal Government Budget. And today it is still continuing. The Labor Government says this Budget is going to hurt. They say they will be cracking down on welfare. And for families...

Help for childcare hubs to carry on

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:55:00 +1000

NTNews.com.au - Ellie Turner - April 16, 2011
THE Territory Government is to spend $258,000 for a full-time bureaucrat and grants to ensure childcare centres do not go bankrupt. Non-profit community childcare is a "vibrant and loving" environment for children. But committees often lack business…

Care costs set to jump $15 a child

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:57:00 +1000

The West Australian - Andrea Mayes and Megan Bailey - April 16, 2011
Childcare costs in WA are set to rise significantly as Federal Government changes and a union-led campaign to lift pay rates get under way, providers fear. High-income earners could be hit even harder as the Government refuses to rule out means-testing...

Parents happy to dig deep for kids

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:57:00 +1000

The West Australian - Andrea Mayes and Megan Bailey - April 16, 2011
While many parents struggle to afford child care, others are happy to pay more than $100 a day to ensure their child gets top-quality care. Subiaco School of Early Learning charges parents up to $120 a day for a minimum of two days a week and is so...

Childcare reforms 'will shut centres'

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 14, 2011
THREE Gillard government ministers have been warned that childcare centres across the nation will collapse unless reforms to increase staff-child ratios are stalled. The ministers were called on by the Child Care National Association to postpone...

Childcare staff seek 50pc pay hike

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 13, 2011
CHILDCARE workers will seek a 50 per cent pay rise this year, their union revealed yesterday, as it accused centre owners of profiteering from parents. The United Voice union is planning a long-term industrial campaign to dovetail with new government regulations...

Subsidy cut put off -- at least until July

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - April 13, 2011
THE government has been forced to back down on a 2010 budget cut to childcare that would have slashed $278 a year from parents' subsidies this year because it cannot get the change through the Senate. However, the reprieve for parents will be brief as the government...

Childcare changes take effect ahead of schedule

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:10:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - April 13, 2011
NEW national childcare standards will be implemented sooner than expected despite controversy over the cost, a leading educator says. The chief executive of Early Childhood Australia, Pam Cahir, said four states, including NSW, had already implemented...

Push to axe 'childcare' PC gone mad

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:09:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Matt Johnston - April 13, 2011
Child Care National Association president Chris Buck said families wanted affordable care, not political correctness "gone mad". He said the focus should be on rewarding staff, and training more, rather than on paying for new letterheads. "The thought police have had a brain snap...

Families fear their tax breaks will go

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Sean Parnell and Siobhain Ryan - April 12, 2011
If the childcare tax rebate were also means-tested, cutting out at $150,000, about 64,000 families would miss out, but it would provide up to $505 million in savings each year. A spokesman for Mr Swan would say only that "as always, there will be plenty...

Lapses in childcare are unacceptable

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:00 +1000

Herald Sun - April 11, 2011
IT appears more and more likely that serious reforms will be made in the monitoring of childcare services in this state. But as our special investigation reports today, they can't come quickly enough. Serious lapses by childcare centres, as highlighted...

Dodgy carers slip through the net

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Carly Crawford, Elissa Doherty - April 11, 2011
ONLY four childcare centres a year are being prosecuted in Victoria, despite hundreds of kids being lost and smacked. A Herald Sun investigation has found the Education Department has prosecuted just 45 centres from about 30,000 inspections in the...

A childcare fall leads to anxious wait

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - April 11, 2011
ANDREW and Donna Iezzi face years of uncertainty after their little boy fell off a change table at a Melbourne childcare centre. They anxiously wonder if bouts of vomiting or restless nights stem from the injuries he sustained on October 28, 2009...

OECD slams hostility to foreign investment

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 06:58:00 +1000

The Australian - David Uren - April 8, 2011
It said childcare benefits should be made more conditional on employment and job search, while they should also be restructured to be more generous for families with very young children. It said over the longer term, as the budget allowed, there should...

A head start for children at risk

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 06:58:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Joe Hildebrand - April 8, 2011
THE state''s leading network of early childhood and early intervention care centres has called on the State Government to fund free preschooling for children in disadvantaged areas. SDN Children''s Services has thrown its support behind the campaign for...

ACOSS seeks end to middle-class welfare

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 06:57:00 +1000

Ninemsn - Susanna Dunkerley - April 7, 2011
The nation's peak welfare group has urged the federal government to take an axe to middle-class welfare payments including childcare and private health rebates. The Australian Council of Social Services' (ACOSS) federal budget submission also calls for...

Child payments in Budget sights

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 06:56:00 +1000

The West Australian - Shane Wright and Kim Macdonald - April 7, 2011
A focus is on family and childcare payments, with Treasury convinced that the complexity of the payments results in lower levels of workforce participation, especially among women between 25 and 54. Julia Gillard has made clear the Budget will be about...

Preschool robbery - early-learning charges hitting NSW parents hardest

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 10:11:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Letitia Rowlands - April 7, 2011
NSW parents pay hundreds of dollars a week for their child's preschool education while families in other states have access to early learning for free or at little charge. An Australian Bureau of Statistics report released this week shows 6161 families ...

Childcare centres fail health rules

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 10:11:00 +1000

The West Australian - Megan Bailey - April 7, 2011
Dozens of WA childcare centres are putting children at risk of sickness by failing to meet basic hygiene and disease control standards, according to inspectors. National Childcare Accreditation Council inspectors visited 95 of the 476 childcare centres...

Children, ear infections and antibiotics

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 14:02:00 +1000

ABC Online - Cathy Johnson - April 6, 2011
But it is especially common in babies and toddlers, particularly those attending childcare. Peaking in the cooler months, it makes them unwell and irritable – often with a fever – and can affect their hearing. Since the infection is usually caused by ...

Making special schools a reality

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 11:10:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Joe Hildebrand and Letitia Rowlands - April 6, 2011
HUNDREDS of education and child welfare groups have thrown their support behind a push for new remedial pre-schools to help vulnerable children before they hit school. Support for the proposal, outlined by top sociologist Tony Vinson at...

Use common sense in childcare: Kate Ellis

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 11:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 6, 2011
CHILDCARE staff need to use common sense when disciplining children, federal Childcare Minister Kate Ellis said yesterday. Defending new regulations that expose staff to fines for using inappropriate discipline, Ms Ellis said childcare workers - not...

Naughty corner clampdown 'a fad', says child psychologist John Irvine

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 09:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Sallie Don and Tom Westbrook - April 5, 2011
THE federal government yesterday rushed to downplay a raft of new regulations for childcare centres, which include fining workers for excluding misbehaving children from group activities, while a leading child psychologist deemed the new rules a "fad"...

Minister sends fines idea to naughty corner

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 09:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - April 5, 2011
THE Childcare Minister, Kate Ellis, has dismissed as "ridiculous" fears that under proposed national regulations childcare workers could be fined for sending children to the "naughty corner" or for celebrating Christmas and Easter...

WA rejects 'culturally correct' child care

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 09:30:00 +1000

The West Australian - Daniel Emerson - April 5, 2011
Community Services Minister Robyn McSweeney has vowed to reject proposed national laws that threaten childcare centres with hefty fines for "culturally inappropriate" activities such as Easter egg hunts or Christmas tree decorating...

Offended? Go sit in the haughty corner

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 09:30:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - David Penberthy - April 5, 2011
HE'S been billed as New Zealand's answer to the Supernanny and his program The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show, which advocates punishing children by padlocking them in their rooms, will be screening in Australia this year. Nigel Latta says reasoning...

Ban on naughty corner, easter egg hunts

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 09:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 4, 2011
CHILDCARE workers who send tantrum-throwing toddlers to "time out" risk hefty fines under national childcare laws to come into force next year. New regulations will expose childcare centres to penalties if children are required to take part in religious or cultural activities, such as Christmas...

Naughty corner is off limits

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 09:37:00 +1000

The Australian - April 4, 2011
CHILDREN need discipline that is gentle, firm and fair. Perhaps we missed the news that Australian toddlers had sprouted wings and turned into cherubs. The National Childcare Accreditation Council has declared "the naughty corner" off limits to protect children...

NSW childcare job crisis

Sun, 3 Apr 2011 10:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - April 3, 2011
It''s been revealed that hundreds of childcare centres in NSW are struggling to meet the federal government''s tough new industry standards and some could be forced to close within three years. The Sun-Herald newspaper says NSW needs to upgrade the qualifications of...

ABC centres off to a Goodstart

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:29:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Belinda Willis - March 29, 2011
SOUTH Australia's 44 ABC centres have seen a six per cent rise in enrolments after being bought by Goodstart last year. The childcare giant now employs about 600 staff across the state, and in further good news on a national front, the company is...

Australian working mothers spend 15 hours a week with their children

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:29:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - March 29, 2011
Aussie mums ranked second highest after Ireland of the 21 developed countries examined, while dads in the two countries tied. But experts said parents should not necessarily feel guilty about the minutes...

Childhood obesity on the slide

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:50:00 +1000

The Age - Julie Robotham - March 28, 2011
AUSTRALIA'S childhood obesity problem has finally gone into reverse, according to a study that highlights a small but steady fall in the proportion of preschoolers deemed overweight during the past decade. Children from poorer families have benefited most...

Childcare centres favour disclosure

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:47:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - March 25, 2011
UNACCREDITED childcare services want every detail of their assessments included on the national childcare database, MyChild, so that parents can judge for themselves. While the federal government plans to turn its MyChild website into a 'report card'...

Canberra's child care cost debate

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:47:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 24, 2011
The ACT Opposition has seized on comments by a Canberra politician in Federal Parliament about the high cost of child care in the territory. While speaking in support of federal changes to the child care rebate, the Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann commended...

Government launches child-care centre grants

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:08:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Stephanie Anderson - March 24, 2011
ACT child-care centres can now apply for government infrastructure funding, but the industry says the grants are aimed at the wrong issue. The ACT Government is offering grants of up to $10,000 to help not-for-profit child-care centres address...

Beware children with bottom fixations

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:08:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - March 23, 2011
Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell learned a lesson about sharing the media spotlight with young ones while visiting a childcare centre in Sydney's inner west today. Mr O'Farrell was reading the children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar to...

Childcare worker shortage looms

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:49:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - March 21, 2011
THE job listings tell the tale: throughout Australia, hundreds of childcare centres are advertising for qualified workers, but there simply aren't enough. And even the industry's most enthusiastic training advocates admit there will still be a skills...

Grandmother's day every week

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:49:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Griffin - March 21, 2011
The figures, derived from the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey commissioned by the federal government, suggest the number of grandparents providing childcare has increased since the Australian Bureau of Statistics...

Action call on child safety

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:48:00 +1000

Tasmania Mercury - Damien Brown - March 21, 2011
TASMANIA'S political parties have called for an urgent meeting with Children's Minister Lin Thorp over allegations the state's childcare centres are not meeting basic safety and hygiene standards. Yesterday the Sunday Tasmanian revealed the latest...

Committal hearing for ABC Learning CEO

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 09:04:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kym Agius - March 18, 2011
The former chief executive of ABC Learning Australia and New Zealand, Martin Vincent Kemp, will have a committal hearing in July over allegations he breached corporations law leading up to the collapse of Australia's biggest childcare chain...

Childcare to teach kids properly or face fine

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - March 18, 2011
CHILDCARE centres that continue to babysit children rather than introduce a formal learning framework would be fined up to $20000 under a tough new national system. There would also be new fines aimed at providers who failed to provide enough staffing...

Company directors call for tax deductible childcare

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:58:00 +1000

ABC Online - Sue Lannin - March 17, 2011
The national organisation representing company directors says childcare should be tax deductible. The Australian Institute of Company Directors says such a move would help increase the number of women in senior management and on company boards...

Childcare promise 'impossible'

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:43:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - March 17, 2011
MORE than 30000 childcare workers will have to upgrade their qualifications if Labor is to deliver its pledge to train them all and put a university graduate in every centre by 2014. Operators and unions said yesterday the 2007 election promise made by...

Audit reveals childcare hygiene, safety flaws in centres

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:50:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - March 16, 2011
ALMOST one-third of the 1102 childcare centres audited last year failed to implement proper food, safety and hygiene practices. The National Childcare Accreditation Council report for July to December last year found 29 per cent of childcare...

One in five Queensland child care centres fail to meet standards, says report

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:50:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anna Caldwell - March 16, 2011
QUEENSLAND'S childcare centres are failing the most basic hygiene procedures, leaving children at risk from dangerous products and failing to make sure they get enough sleep, a damning new report shows. The National Childcare Accreditation Council...

Childcare failing on hygiene, safety

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:05:00 +1000

Herald Sun - March 15, 2011
HUNDREDS of childcare services are failing to meet basic hygiene, safety and education standards, the latest snapshot of the sector shows. The group overseeing childcare accreditation in Australia has released statistics on the number of services that...

Nordic nations show the way to lift children out of poverty

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:54:00 +1000

The Age - Andrew Scott - March 15, 2011
The Nordic countries' successes for children result from their strong investment in public childcare, provision of substantial paid parental leave and effective regulation of working hours. These policies promote secure and appropriate jobs in terms of work/family balance...

Family ties cost mums dearly on wages

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:54:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty and Tom McIlroy - March 15, 2011
The economic snapshot, commissioned by the Commonwealth Bank, found: ELEVEN per cent of working families pay more for childcare than they earn in the same period. ANOTHER 13 per cent break even...

Wages only just cover fees for care

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:53:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Tom McIlroy - March 15, 2011
THE rising cost of childcare is a double-edged sword for Jadranka Skrivanek. Mrs Skrivanek, 38, says her career in customer service comes second to raising her children, and the money she does make from part-time work is used mostly for childcare...

Greens target tots, teeth and solar power

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Josephine Tovey - March 14, 2011
The party also pledged to provide two years' free preschool education for every child, a program targeting 10,000 children in its first stage at a cost of $128 million, and to boost dental care funding by $102.5 million...

Childcare reforms will cost us more

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:54:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - March 13, 2011
The answer, according to the government, is more staff and demands more university educated workers are employed by childcare centres. That may improve care, but it will also drive up the cost, which in many capital cities is already over $100 a day...

New My School-style website to name and shame poorly-performing childcare centres

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:54:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Samantha Maiden - March 13, 2011
CHILDCARE centres that fail to meet basic hygiene and safety standards will be named and shamed on a My School- style government website from next year. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal a new rating system will allow parents to compare...

Wake-up call for childcare centres

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - March 12, 2011
Childcare centres not meeting required standards will be named on a website from next year. PARENTS are leaving hundreds of children in childcare services that do not meet quality standards...

Push to put lone parents in jobs

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 14:53:00 +1000

The West Australian - Andrew Tillett - March 9, 2011
Families Minister Jenny Macklin has also been urged in secret advice by her department to consider increasing childcare assistance at the expense of family payments to stay-at-home mums in a bid to get more mothers into the workforce...

Childhood boost for indigenous families

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 10:10:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Lucy Hood - March 9, 2011
NEW early-childhood centres will be opened in Whyalla, Ceduna and Christies Beach to improve the quality of life for indigenous families. School Education Minister Peter Garrett yesterday announced the locations of three Aboriginal Children and...

Black in the dark on ABC's accounts

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 10:08:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger and Leonie Lamont - March 8, 2011
A PUBLIC examination into ABC Learning's collapse heard yesterday how its most senior financial executive had no access to the financial accounts of its operations. James Black, ABC's chief financial officer until April 2008, told the Federal Court he had...

81-year-old drives into childcare centre

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:25:00 +1000

The Age - Maris Beck - March 3, 2011
FOUR toddlers have been taken to hospital after a man drove into a cubbyhouse at a childcare centre in the Latrobe Valley. The man crashed into the playground of Early Learning Centre in Albert Street, Moe, yesterday afternoon, as children were playing...

Funding grants open for regional Aussies

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - March 3, 2011
Residents in regional Australia can now apply for a share in $1 billion to build essential structures like bridges and childcare centres in their area. Applications to access the Regional Development Australia Fund open on Thursday, with project...

Whooping cough vaccination rates a worry

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danny Rose - March 3, 2011
"Uptake for the H1N1 vaccine was higher among at-risk groups, particularly healthcare providers and childcare workers (26 per cent)," Mr Cooper-Stanbury said. The AIHW surveyed more than 10000 adult Australians to compile adult vaccination rates for...

Ex-Abacus head of funds management resurfaces

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:24:00 +1000

InvestorDaily - Wouter Klijn - March 3, 2011
Former Abacus Property Group head of funds management Tom Hardwick has resurfaced as the chief executive of childcare business Redstone Group. Redstone Group runs a childcare business that owns about 20 businesses and a management company called Guardian...

ABC Learning co-founder seeking huge tax refund

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - March 03, 2011
Le Neve Groves, the co-founder of collapsed childcare chain ABC Learning, is seeking a multi-million-dollar tax refund after allegedly failing to pay her 2008 tax bill estimated at more than $11 million. The Federal Court in Brisbane yesterday began...

Wages slashed despite Julia Gillard's promise

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 10:39:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Steve Lewis - March 2, 2011
One of Australia's most senior union leaders has revealed childcare workers, aged care nurses and bar staff in licensed clubs have lost entitlements, because of sweeping workplace reforms that cut the number of industrial awards from more than 2000 to...

Childcare centre fined over young wanderer

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 10:39:00 +1000

The West Australian - Angela Pownall - March 1, 2011
A major childcare group, whose managing director is president of WA's childcare industry body, has admitted letting a two-year-old boy escape unnoticed and wander up to 75m from one of its centres. It was only when John McAlister arrived to pick up son ...

Economic growth just a spectator sport for low-paid workers

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 10:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Louise Tarrant - March 1, 2011
They are the childcare professionals we entrust with our children and the aged-care workers we rely on to preserve the dignity of our frail parents. They are the friendly faces across the bar and the anonymous teams who sweep through our offices...

Childcare costs are a labour of love

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:56:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Nhada Larkin - February 28, 2011
Childcare costs are a burden most working families must budget for, but there are ways to minimise the outlay, which can add up to thousands of dollars a year. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that the average weekly cost of...

Fourth child dies after Houston daycare centre fire

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:56:00 +1000

Herald Sun - February 27, 2011
AUTHORITIES in Houston said a fourth child died today as a result of the Thursday fire at a daycare centre that also injured four kids. The fourth victim was a 15-month-old boy, the Houston Chronicle said. Two other children remained in critical condition...

Dingo mauls toddler at childcare centre

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:03:00 +1000

NTNews.com.au - Conor Byrne - February 26, 2011
It is understood that the certified pet got hold of one side of the boy's face while the carer was changing another child's nappy at the time. The home was arranged by Darwin Family Day Care, operated by Territory Childcare...

Groves chases trial to clear his name

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:03:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh, Tony Keim - February 26, 2011
FALLEN childcare entrepreneur Eddy Groves says he wants to bring on a District Court trial as soon as possible 'to clear my name'. Lawyers for Mr Groves, the former Ferrari-driving chief executive of ABC Learning Centres, yesterday successfully requested...

Child''s play for small cap punters

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Richard Hemming - February 25, 2011
The provider of child care for kids aged ''six week to six years'' has delivered classic small cap returns of late. Its shares have climbed almost five-fold since the start of 2010, leaping from around 21 cents to about $1.00. This is the kind of return…

Essential to know the pitfalls of childcare

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Anne Connolly - February 23, 2011
A few years ago, when I was due to return to work just as my second child was turning one, I found myself with the common problem of having no organised child care. My son's name was inching up several long waiting lists when a gleaming new (and expensive) childcare centre...

Childcare rebate to be paid weekly

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - February 21, 2011
THOUSANDS of families will be able to receive the childcare rebate weekly under changes to be introduced to Parliament this week. The changes honour a Labor election promise to move to fortnightly payments of the benefit, which is currently paid quarterly...

Part-time childcare centres to remain open

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:19:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 14, 2011
The Minister for Community Services says the 23 part-time childcare centres in Western Australia will continue to operate, despite federal government funding cuts...

Profit motive sits uneasily with aims of childcare

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Patrick McClure - February 14, 2011
The importance of childcare and early childhood development cannot be overstated. Most of our development as individuals takes place in early childhood...

$200 million in unclaimed child welfare payments is waiting for Australian parents

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:00:00 +1000

Sunday Herald Sun - Samantha Maiden - February 13, 2011
Figures obtained reveal up to 100,000 families are using childcare but not claiming the cash. As families face rising electricity bills and...

Welfare razor sharpened

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:00:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Samantha Maiden - February 13, 2011
Prime Minister Julia Gillard will address childcare assistance issues in this year's federal budget...

Cost of childcare has halved in six years

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:26:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 12, 2011
THE portion of household income required to pay for childcare has nearly halved in the past six years, leading to a sharp jump in the number of children and...

Parliament not so family-friendly

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:38:00 +1000

The Age - Richard Willingham - February 11, 2011
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY proposal to allow state MPs looking after children to bring their child into the Parliament during crucial votes has been...

The childcare centre space race

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:38:00 +1000

The Advertiser - David Jean - February 11, 2011
VACANCIES at childcare centres are shrinking and Government reforms are likely to make things tougher. As soon as Jane Goldney found out...

Childcare rebates slashed before parliament approves cuts

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - February 10, 2011
CENTRELINK has slashed the 50 per cent childcare rebate paid to thousands of families by more than $279, even though parliament has yet to approve the cuts...

ABC Learning founder in dispute with ATO over $64m income

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Susannah Moran - February 10, 2011
LE Neve Groves, who founded childcare network ABC Learning with former husband Eddy Groves, is in a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office over $64 million...

Former Labor MP Maxine McKew quits politics

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 10:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Jodie Minus - February 09, 2011
She will now work as a consultant on the organisation's GoodStart Childcare program. "I hope it will be a nice fit and I hope I can be useful to SVA," she said...

Pre-school pupils are still better readers aged 15

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 10:38:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - Sean Coughlan - February 08, 2011
The OECD has published an analysis of tests taken by pupils in developed countries - looking at the long-term impact of pre-school education. This showed that...

Employee accused of backbiting unfairly dismissed

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 09:54:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - February 08, 2011
Fair Work Australia has compensated a Melbourne childcare worker who was sacked for allegedly breaching its "no backbiting" policy...

School-based early childhood education program yields high economic returns...

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 09:53:00 +1000

University of Minnesota (USA) - February 04, 2011
For every $1 invested in a Chicago early childhood education program, nearly $11 is projected to return to society over the children''s lifetimes...

Preschool fees big barrier to indigenous

Mon, 7 Feb 2011 10:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Robinson - February 07, 2011
EARLY childhood educators are calling on the federal government to make preschool free for Aboriginal children, after a study revealed fees are one of the main...

Parents count cost of child-care shortage

Mon, 7 Feb 2011 10:35:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Stephanie Anderson - February 07, 2011
A shortage of child-care places is forcing families to pay to add their unborn children to waiting lists, and the situation is expected to worsen as centres rush...

Childcare workers lacking qualifications: report

Fri, 4 Feb 2011 10:45:00 +1000

ABC Online - Kathleen Dyett - February 3, 2011
Less than half of paid childcare workers in the ACT have formal qualifications, prompting concerns centres will struggle to meet new national standards...

Bathing baby is not dad duty - fathers who help just cause stress

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 09:58:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph Letitia - Rowlands - February 03, 2011
IT'S enough to make an overworked mum weep. New research suggests dads should step back and take less of a role in care-giving tasks for pre-school aged children...

Suspected serial arsonist arrested after childcare centre blaze

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 09:57:00 +1000

The Age - Thomas Hunter - February 03, 2011
A serial arsonist suspected of torching schools, homes and a police station over the past 12 months was arrested near a blaze which gutted a childcare centre...

Boy zone to boost kinder learning

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 09:58:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Evonne Barry - February 02, 2011
Putting the science into pre-school - and single-sex education, a new Melbourne centre has been purpose-built with only males in mind...

ACT child-care costs soar

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:40:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Michael Inman - January 30, 2011
CHILD-CARE costs in the ACT are the most expensive and rising faster than the rest of the country, according to the Productivity Commission's annual report card...

Childcare is the Great Experiment

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:51:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Amy Taylor-Kabbaz - January 29, 2011
MOST South Australian toddlers spend their days away from their parents - are they receiving the care they need? Childcare is great for my children's social...

Eddy Groves in court over ABC Learning collapse

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Sarah Elks and Natasha Bita - January 28, 2011
FAILED childcare tycoon Eddy Groves is due to face court today on a criminal charge relating to the collapse of ABC Learning. Mr Groves, who founded...

Clubs accept childcare challenge

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:01:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Rosemarie Lentini - January 28, 2011
THEY'RE known for cheap meals, meat tray raffles and support of local sporting teams. Now local clubs are branching out into childcare. St Marys Leagues Club...

What do preschoolers crave? Sugar, salt, and fat

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:00:00 +1000

The Independent (UK) - January 27, 2011
In a study of children ages 3 to 5, involving two separate experiments, researchers found that, like their parents, youngsters have big cravings for salt, sugar, and fat...

Family daycare gets hammered

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:43:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Sallie Don - January 26, 2011
New figures provided by the federal government reveal that childcare places in accredited family homes have fallen under Labor in what the opposition claims is an...

Class action may depend on insurance

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:49:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - January 25, 2011
CHANCES of a class-action lawsuit proceeding against ABC Learning Centres will rest on whether the toppled childcare operator has more than $10 million in insurance...

Pre-school at $50 daily

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:20:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Letitia Rowlands - January 24, 2011
NSW families are paying as much as $50 a day for their child's year of pre-school education while, in other states, the governments provide early childhood...

Numbers finally start to add up as operators go back to basics

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:36:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 22, 2011
Two years after ABC Learning's collapse the jury is still out on whether profit and child care can mix, reports Colin Kruger. WHEN ABC Learning began its...

Funding far from a river of gold

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 22, 2011
NEARLY 40 years after the government first offered financial help for childcare, the huge shift of women back into the workforce has resulted in funding...

Just one shot to save baby

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:35:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Lucie van den Berg - January 22, 2011
AMA president Dr Harry Hemley wrote to the State Government this week calling for grandparents, health professionals and childcare workers to be vaccinated...

There is a difference between stay-at-home mums and ladies who lunch

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:34:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela Shanahan - January 22, 2011
The consequence of this is more support of a highly unstable childcare industry, at the expense of families whose mothers choose to look after their own...

Costs pose a tough call: care or career?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Elinore Martel - January 19, 2011
For many working parents of preschoolers, the new year has reinforced a harsh reality - childcare is the monster that eats household wages...

Flood-affected schools will reopen: Wilson

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:16:00 +1000

ABC Online - Chris O'Brien - January 17, 2011
Queensland Education Minister Geoff Wilson says 92 schools are substantially flood-affected. In addition, 14 TAFE campuses and 80 child care centres and kindergartens are...

Child-care gets more time

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:07:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Frances Stewart - January 16, 2011
A SHORTAGE of skilled child-care workers in Canberra has forced the ACT Government to grant exemptions to qualification standards introduced in the territory in 2009...

$60 to get on childcare list

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:25:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Wes Hoskins - January 14, 2011
FAMILIES are paying up to $60 to be put on childcare waiting lists with no guarantee of a place. Centre operators say the fees are needed to cover...

60 schools damaged across flooded Qld

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:24:00 +1000

ABC Online - January 14, 2011
Eighty-six kindergartens and childcare centres are also inaccessible and seven TAFEs have also been damaged. Ms Bligh says the State Government is...

'Door closed' on vaccine health scare

Fri, 7 Jan 2011 08:49:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - ‎January 7, 2011
RESEARCH linking childhood vaccination to autism is not only flawed but a fraud, the British Medical Journal declared yesterday. The journal...

UK preschoolers can't speak, listen

Mon, 3 Jan 2011 09:36:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Alison Kershaw - January 3, 2011
A NEW study has revealed the continuous noise of modern life may be inhibiting the ability of young children to learn basic skills. The British research found...

Childcare operators caught short by new rule on children under two

Mon, 3 Jan 2011 07:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - January 3, 2011
MANY childcare centres have failed to prepare for the most significant reform to quality childcare in NSW in two decades even though the new standard has...

Counting the cost of child's play - fees set to increase

Mon, 3 Jan 2011 07:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - January 3, 2011
PARENTS are likely to face higher childcare fees to meet mandatory new staffing levels when centres reopen on January 10, but only an unlucky minority will...

Parental leave keeps women connected to workforce

Sun, 2 Jan 2011 11:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Jenny Macklin - January 01, 2011
The emotional bond you have with your newborn is something you can't imagine beforehand. For me, the thought of having to put my new baby into child care at a very early age...

Making the right childcare choice

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:30:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Kamahl Cogdon - December 22, 2010
Whether you're returning to work for the money or the stimulation, you want to make sure you get the right childcare centre, and the right carers who'll...

Childcare owner on assault charges

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - December 21, 2010
The owner of a Sydney childcare centre charged with indecently assaulting a pre-school girl in his care is facing a fresh charge of assaulting a second girl...

Industry fears fee impact

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:37:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Phillip Thomson - December 19, 2010
Private ACT child-care centre operators could be hit with a government fee of up to $10000 for every additional child they take on as part of reforms to the...

Watchdog to probe US ban of drop-side cots

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:17:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 17, 2010
AUSTRALIA will consider adopting a new US ban on drop-side cots. Fourteen types of cots have been recalled in Australia because of safety defects...

Experience now counts in childcare sector

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 17, 2010
Child Care Minister Kate Ellis said yesterday the sector could not afford to lose long-standing carers who lacked formal qualifications...

Childcare fees set to climb

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:42:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 16, 2010
CHILDCARE centres and preschools are raising fees as the industry struggles with slipping enrolments and higher standards. Parents will have to pay an...

Defamed ex-child care exec wins $150000

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Margaret Scheikowski - December 15, 2010
A former childcare executive whose name was blackened by an association trying to stifle competition has been awarded $150000 in defamation damages...

Government bans traditional cribs

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:39:00 +1000

Chicago Tribune (USA) - Patricia Callahan and Ellen Gabler - December 15, 2010
In an effort to eliminate hidden hazards that caused babies throughout the country to die in their cribs, the nation's top regulator of children's...

$150 a week extra on care

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:53:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - David Jean - December 14, 2010
FAMILIES are $150 out of pocket each week because their childcare centre doesn't qualify for rebates. Only the parents of children attending centres...

Parents praise flexibility of Government early learning program

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:34:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 10, 2010
Thousands of three- and four-year-olds have just graduated from the scheme which was rolled out in 140 private childcare centres earlier this year...

Sacking childcare centre cooks on Christmas Eve 'appalling'

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 10:41:00 +1000

ABC Online - Emma Pollard - December 9, 2010
The Liquor Hospitality Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) says it is appalling the company C&K has told 19 cooks in its community childcare centres they will lose their...

Childcare fee fear strikes parents

Wed, 8 Dec 2010 10:32:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty, Felicity Williams - December 08, 2010
HALF of parents fear work will no longer be a viable option under pending fee rises for childcare, a survey says. One in five may have to quit work...

Child-care kids healthier in the long run

Wed, 8 Dec 2010 10:32:00 +1000

The Age - Julia Medew - December 8, 2010
Children who attend child care centres before the age of 2 develop more infections as toddlers, but are more robust in their primary school years...

Good result for GoodStart

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 09:55:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 6, 2010
THE charity consortium that purchased ABC Learning's viable childcare centres this year says it is on track for a sizeable profit despite the financial...

Kindergarten fined over runaway

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:05:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Felicity Williams - November 30, 2010
VICTORIAN childcare centres have been caught out breaching the law, we reveal the worst cases. A FOUR-year-old who escaped from kindergarten by scaling a fence...

Government support for families

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Gayle Bryant - November 24, 2010
Other benefits include the child care benefit, which provides assistance with childcare costs, and is income tested; and the child care tax rebate...

Childcare tax rebate cuts pass

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - November 24, 2010
This is after the Gillard government won House of Representatives support for budget cuts to the 50 per cent childcare rebate...

Study finds kids still need more sun protection

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:51:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 23, 2010
More than 1000 parties took part in the study across South Australia assessing the skin protection policies of childcare and educational organisations...

Workers united will never be misspelt

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Paul Bibby - November 23, 2010
One of Australia's oldest unions, the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union - with 120000 workers from aged-care nurses to security guards - is about to ditch its quirky name...

Brumby's $100m kinders pledge

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:27:00 +1000

The Age - Paul Austin - November 16, 2010
A $100 million program to create 10000 kindergarten places to help cater for Victoria's baby boom will be a centrepiece of John Brumby's official election ...

Reforms will hit costs, places: child-care group

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:01:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Stephanie Anderson - November 15, 2010
The affordability and availability of child care in the ACT is set to suffer under reforms aimed at improving the sector, an industry group says...

Pre-school teachers want $14,000 pay rise

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:25:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 11, 2010
EARLY childhood teachers want annual pay increases of up to $14,000 so they are paid the same as primary school teachers. They held rallies in Sydney and Newcastle...

Preschool key to happier futures

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 10:35:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - November 8, 2010
We really should be investing now in early childhood services, in high-quality preschool education in order to preserve our social institutions because the...

Compensation for childcare dispute

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 10:34:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Geesche Jacobsen - November 8, 2010
A DIVORCED man has won $5000 compensation from a Double Bay after-school care centre which refused to enrol his children every second week, when he cared for them...

Children's headstart for school

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 11:08:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Daniel Wills - November 05, 2010
PARENTS of disadvantaged children will be taught how to ensure their kids are ready for school as new early education centres are established in...

Children do better in school if their mother stays home for the first year

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 14:35:00 +1000

Daily Mail (UK) - Laura Clark - November 2, 2010
Youngsters are less likely to succeed at school if their mothers return to work within a year of their birth, according to a major study. Children of mothers who...

Doctors alarmed by vaccination rates

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 1, 2010
The AMA wants all childcare centres and schools to accept only vaccinated children. It also says a new public health campaign is needed to inform parents...

Rule to add $48 to week's childcare bill

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:10:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - October 29, 2010
CHILDCARE costs could rise by up to $9.62 a day for the youngest children when new rules for staffing ratios are introduced to childcare centres...

New deal pushes childcare up $9

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:10:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - October 29, 2010
But the Allen Consulting Group said the changes could result in an extra 1324 childcare places in the under-supplied under-two age group...

G8 empire grows into Singapore

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:09:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin - Nick Nichols - October 29, 2010
GOLD Coast-based G8 Education has broken out of the playpen and extended its reach internationally through a $19.2 million deal to acquire Singapore largest childcare centre operator...

TV time limits for toddlers are ignored

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:09:00 +1000

Los Angeles Times (USA) - Shari Roan - October 28, 2010
A new study finds that the average preschool-age child is exposed to double the recommended amount. Screen time consists of television, DVDs, computers and...

Parents fork out small fortune in child-care fees for first five years

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:13:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Phillip Thomson - October 23, 2010
Sending children to child care for a year can be more expensive up-front than sending them for a Year 12 education at an exclusive private school...

Nowhere man faces the storm

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:12:00 +1000

The Australian - Ross Fitzgerald - October 23, 2010
...has been given some hefty new responsibilities, as Minister for School Education, Childcare and Youth to keep him inside the tent and in parliament...

The Timeline: Maternity leave

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:12:00 +1000

The Independent (UK) - Alice-Azania Jarvis - October 22, 2010
Yesterday, the European Parliament decided that all companies should pay maternity leave at full pay for 20 weeks and paternity leave for two...

Progress towards universal access to preschool

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:49:00 +1000

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP - October 21, 2010
The 2009 Annual Reports for the first time detail the progress each state and territory has made towards the universal access commitment in the first year of the National...

Program for at-risk preschoolers fails first test

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:01:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - October 20, 2010
A STATE government push to provide free kindergarten for 2000 of the most vulnerable three-year-old children has had a poor response, with fewer than 200 children...

Fathers set to win fairer family rights

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:39:00 +1000

Sunday Herald Sun - Jane Hansen - October 17, 2010
COMPANIES will be forced to give fathers who request it flexible working hours so that they can play a greater role at home and in child-rearing. Minister for the Status of Women Kate Ellis...

Kids go gourmet at 'six star' day care

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:38:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - Helen Pow - October 17, 2020
AN on-site chef, handmade $1800 cots and fingerprint security systems - a new breed of childcare centre is opening for parents who want it all and can pay for it...

Boy's daycare death prompts recommendations

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:58:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - October 15, 2010
THE death of funny and affectionate three-year-old Jayden Matthew Lynch has led a coroner to recommend government agencies do more to ensure childcare operating standards...

Kids rescued from flooded childcare site

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:57:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sarah Malik - October 15, 2010
A TOTAL of 52 children at a childcare centre in southern New South Wales have been evacuated because of concerns the building could be flooded amid wild weather in the region...

Childcare price rise

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:28:00 +1000

Today - Channel Nine - October 12, 2010
TODAY looks at the new government laws that could see the price of childcare rise to up to $40 per day...

Outer west bears brunt of kinder shortages

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:14:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - October 12, 2010
CHILDREN in Melbourne's booming outer-western suburbs are the most at risk in the state of missing out on kindergarten from 2013. The Municipal Association...

It seems a woman's work is never done

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:49:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - Helen Pow - October 10, 2010
"The Government needs to do the proper research in relation to the loss of places that will occur and the impact on cost," alliance vice-president Lyn Connolly...

Family day care facing cuts: union

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 10:08:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 6, 2010
There are about 900 providers of alternative childcare services in their homes across SA. Association general secretary Jan McMahon says there is only a...

ANZ improves benefits for working mums

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 10:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 6, 2010
ANZ says it will pay primary-caregivers a $4000 childcare allowance as part of new measures designed to improve gender diversity at senior levels...

More funding for long day care services to deliver kindergarten

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 10:07:00 +1000

OECEC (Qld) - The Hon Geoff Wilson - October 5, 2010
A further 201 long day care services throughout the state would now receive up to $6.5 million per annum over three years to provide a quality early education...

Child-care gains to bring fee-rise pain

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 11:52:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Jane Hansen - October 3, 2010
AUSTRALIA''S biggest child- care operator, ABC Learning Centres, will increase fees by up to $20 a day next year, firing up a war of words with Child Care Minister Kate Ellis...

The great nursery debate

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 11:43:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - Amelia Gentleman - October 2, 2010
Does nursery daycare harm children? Is there an alternative? Should mothers stay at home? For decades, these questions have panicked parents...

Parents care for quality, not cost, of childcare

Sat, 2 Oct 2010 09:01:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Candice Keller - October 02, 2010
An online poll conducted this week for Early Childhood Australia has revealed 92 per cent of almost 700 respondents think the quality of children's care and education is more important...

Desmond Morris: TV as good as books for toddlers

Sat, 2 Oct 2010 09:00:00 +1000

The Guardian - Amelia Hill - October 01, 2010
Anthropologist attacks 'cultural snobbery' in contentious new book on development of preschool children. A child can get at least as much from watching television as reading a book...

Kate Ellis Speech - ECA National Conference

Fri, 1 Oct 2010 12:52:00 +1000

The Hon Kate Ellis, MP - October 1, 2010
I appreciate that there has been some discussion amongst the sector around the structure of the new Ministerial appointments and I might just take a moment to explain why I believe that...

Sleep positioners for babies can kill

Fri, 1 Oct 2010 11:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 30, 2010
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned parents and child care providers to stop using the mats with bolster pillows...

Peter Garrett Speech - ECA National Conference

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:33:00 +1000

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP - September 29, 2010
As Minister for Early Childhood I will lead our broader policy reforms associated with early childhood development. As Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis will focus more specifically...

Centres failing toddlers a national report reveals

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:10:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Sue Dunlevy - September 23, 2010
ONE in five of the nation's childcare centres fails to change nappies hygenically, protect kids from dangerous products or ensure children get enough sleep...

Concerns over RFID chips to track preschool children

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:10:00 +1000

Democracy NOW (USA) - September 09, 2010
Privacy advocates are raising concerns over the use of RFID chips to help track students at a public pre-school in California. The technology is being tested on 240 preschool students...

Profits under spotlight

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:56:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - September 20, 2010
COLLAPSED childcare giant ABC Learning Centres had an odd invoicing system, one that - had shareholders known about - would have sent alarm bells ringing...

Panic to meet costly new childcare rules

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:44:00 +1000

The Advertiser - David Jean - September 19, 2010
MORE than half of the state's 327 licensed childcare centres are yet to meet the Federal Government's looming tough early childhood reforms. That is creating fears of...

Charity buyer of ABC puts up fees

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:42:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - September 17, 2010
A CHARITY group has raised its childcare fees within months of snapping up the nation's biggest daycare operator, the ABC Learning chain. GoodStart, a consortium of...

Ley backs Coalition's parental leave scheme

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:42:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 17, 2010
The Federal Coalition's new childcare spokeswomen Sussan Ley says she would like the party's 26-week paid parental leave scheme to remain part of its policy platform...

Nash, Ley join new shadow cabinet

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:29:00 +1000

ABC Local - September 15, 2010
Ms Ley says she is looking forward to her new role overseeing employment participation and child care responsibilities. "Well I've got two different...

Good Preschools May Prevent Problem Behaviors Later

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:29:00 +1000

BusinessWeek (USA) - September 15, 2010
American children from low-income families who are exposed to well-structured, attentive and stimulating preschool programs between the ages of 2 and 4 years are less likely...

'Question mark' over Ellis

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Lanai Vasek - September 15, 2010
...the Prime Minister's announcement" that she would serve as Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care and as Minister for the Status of Women...

Abbott's front bench wrongfooted by PM

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:12:00 +1000

The Australian - Dennis Shanahan and Patricia Karvelas - September 14, 2010
Other senior sources say Sharman Stone is set to be moved out of childcare, and communications spokesman Tony Smith will be moved to make room for former...

Octaviar liquidator sells Sunkids assets

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 13, 2010
The liquidator of the failed Octaviar Ltd says it has sold 20 childcare centres in Queensland and Victoria for $32 million. The 14 Sunkids Children Centres in...

Labor Rushes Childcare Legislation

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:11:00 +1000

News.com.ag - September 13, 2010
Australia’s families are set to face a contraction in the number of childcare places and much higher fees, if the Victorian Education and Care Services Law...

Queen-makers rewarded as Gillard names new-look ministry

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:52:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Josh Gordon - September 12, 2010
Tanya Plibersek becomes Human Services and Social Inclusion Minister, while Kate Ellis picks up Employment Participation and Childcare...

The daddy daycarers

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:51:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Jane Hansen - September 12, 2010
THESE young men are pioneers in child care, one of the few professions dominated by women. They have broken down the gender barrier, daily proving…

Early day care may promote eczema development

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 10:58:00 +1000

Montreal Gazette - September 7, 2010
Kids who spend their earliest years in day care may be at higher risk of eczema than kids cared for at home, according to a new study from Germany...

Row over childcare reform costs

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:50:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Elissa Doherty - August 25, 2010
The Child Care Centres Association of Victoria said many parents would not be able to afford care with the changes, and different ratios could cost 3000 places...

Parents let down - again

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:49:00 +1000

Herald Sun - August 25, 2010
FOLLOWING hard on the heels of the Federal Government's failure to honour its childcare election promises, parents have been dealt another blow...

Pledges favour parents

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:47:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - August 21, 2010
FAMILY policies such as paid parental leave, education rebates and cheaper childcare are on offer to attract the votes of Aussie mums and dads...

Phlegmatic response to our germ warfare

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Emma Tom - August 21, 2010
If, on the other hand, you've had contact with that haven of germ warfare known as the childcare centre, both you and your rhinoviruses are welcome...

Another Labor bungle looming in early childhood education and care

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:40:00 +1000

Australia.TO - August 19, 2010
Child Care New South Wales has after detailed research and surveying identified that there will be a significant contraction in the number of child care places...

A big chance to show we care about those too young to vote

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:14:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - August 14, 2010
It took a 20-year herculean struggle for state and federal governments to agree something had to be done about childcare. But agree they did last December...

Operators fear childcare fee hikes

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:13:00 +1000

ABC Online - Jennifer Macey - August 13, 2010
At a forum on child care in Sydney last night, childcare workers gave the politicians a grilling. Minister for Early Childhood Education Kate Ellis said...

Families face child care choices

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kim Christian - August 13, 2010
With more than 800 babies born daily in Australia, thousands of parents each week face the choice of staying at home with their children or placing them in child care...

Woman jailed over childcare fraud

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - August 13, 2010
A woman inflated attendance figures at her childcare centre in Adelaide to falsely claim almost $60000 from three government agencies, a court has heard...

Parents to quit, delay kids over rising cost of childcare

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - August 12, 2010
More than a third of parents relying on childcare say they will be forced to quit their jobs if the cost of care is pushed up. Another third say they will...

Time to get tough for our children's sake

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:35:00 +1000

The Age - Pam Cahir - August 12, 2010
The early education and care policies put forward at this election will have profound effects on Australia's future and differences are emerging between...

Union suggests childcare cost fears are 'alarmist'

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Margaret Wenham - August 10, 2010
PARENTS with children in daycare face only minimal out-of-pocket expenses under major federal government reforms, the childcare union claims...

Parents face $33-a-day rise for childcare

Mon, 9 Aug 2010 10:13:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - August 09, 2010
PARENTS face fee rises of up to $33 per child per day when the Federal Government requires childcare centres to employ more and better qualified staff...

Childcare on the table after birth-rate high

Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:27:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Rachel Browne - August 8, 2010
CHILDCARE is shaping as an election decider with services full or near capacity in a majority of marginal seats in NSW. In 2008 there were 296600 births...

Leaders pull out extra cash to woo families

Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Wright - August 8, 2010
The Coalition has also promised the reindexation of the childcare rebate, which would provide an extra $300 for families claiming the maximum tax rebate...

Parents get advance to cope with cost of living

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 09:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Ari Sharp - August 5, 2010
Labor's plan would also allow recipients of the Family Tax Benefit to get an advance on their payments of up to $1000, depending on their circumstances...

Dealing in family matters

Wed, 4 Aug 2010 10:49:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - August 4, 2010
But so far this campaign, childcare has amounted to little more than a front in the war of words over cost-of-living pressures. On taking office...

G8 continues growth spurt

Tue, 3 Aug 2010 10:34:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin - Nick Nichols - August 3rd, 2010
G8 Education continues to grow its childcare empire after yesterday buying another 20 centres in NSW and Queensland in a deal worth up to $20 million...

There's no harm done being a working mum

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 10:10:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Felicity Williams - August 02, 2010
MUMS can return to work within a year of giving birth without harming their babies' development, a landmark report shows...

Coalition ditches nanny rebate

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 31, 2010
THE Coalition has dumped a plan to give families a rebate for half the cost of nannies, au pairs or grandparents paid for childcare...

Experts urge childcare commitment

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:29:00 +1000

Herald Sun - July 30, 2010
A SLIDE in the nation's commitment to improving early childhood education would significantly damage Australia's economy, a leading advocacy group...

G8 buys two more childcare centres

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:04:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin - Nick Nichols - July 28, 2010
GOLD Coast-based childcare centre operator G8 Education has snared two more childcare centres, this time in Sydney. The company, headed by former S8 team...

Early starts translate well

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:04:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Candice Keller - July 27, 2010
A trial being conducted at nine preschools and childcare centres around South Australia is examining the benefit of introducing kindergarten students to a second language...

Abbott to stall childcare reforms

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Franklin - July 27, 2010
TONY Abbott has promised to delay introducing new rules requiring childcare providers to hire more teachers with better qualifications...

Coalition delay changes in childcare standards

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - July 27, 2010
The Coalition also wanted to find a way to keep older female workers without qualifications in the sector...

Rise in calls to experts about child-on-child sex abuse

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:43:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Robinson - July 27, 2010
"We've been getting a lot more phone calls, exponentially, from schools and childcare centres asking for our assistance dealing with kids perpetrating...

Margie Abbott appears with husband Tony to announce childcare indexation policy

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Joe Kelly - July 26, 2010
He said a Coalition government would consult on the "additional cost that will be faced by the sector in meeting these higher standards..."

Tony Abbott unveils $89 miillion childcare services plan

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:54:00 +1000

News.com.au - Ian Rakowski - July 26, 2010
OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott will funnel $89 million into childcare services if the Coalition wins the next federal election. Mr Abbott said...

Children sexually abusing children 'ignored and denied'

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Robinson - July 26, 2010
TEACHERS and childcare workers have raised the alarm over an increase in children coercing other children into sexual acts. The widespread increase...

Calls for more childcare support

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:27:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - July 21, 2010
Both major parties have been called on to do more to help parents struggling with rising childcare costs. Childcare Alliance Australia (CAA) will issue an...

Children entitled to more preschool time

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:26:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 20, 2010
The SA Government says it is part of a program to boost enrolments and increase children's access to preschool. Minister for Early Childhood Development...

Greens query childcare data

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:57:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - July 20, 2010
THE reliability of figures used to justify breaking a key 2007 federal election promise on childcare have come under attack, with an investigation by the Greens...

Leaders try to keep it all in family

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:56:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - July 19, 2010
There's the undertaking to pay the childcare rebate fortnightly, which will make a huge difference to many working families struggling to afford childcare...

School computer scheme probed

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - July 17, 2010
The auditor also plans to probe the administration of $2bn a year in childcare subsidies to families, as well as the Council of Australian Governments agreement...

Rudd and Gillard's wins, stuff-ups

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:51:00 +1000

Herald Sun - July 16, 2010
*Plan for 260 new childcare centres axed - Dumped 2007 election promise to build 260 childcare centres on school grounds to avoid the "dreaded double drop off"...

Major law firms in bidding war on parental leave

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicola Berkovic - July 16, 2010
"The cost of childcare and the lack of deductibility, together with the fact that rebates are for good reason targeted at lower and middle-income women...

Union attacks coalition childcare review

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:30:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - July 15, 2010
Opposition childcare spokeswoman Sharman Stone says fees will rise and centres will close if the government goes ahead with plans to lift quality standards...

PM warns of cuts in 'lean' campaign

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Joe Kelly - July 15, 2010
The Prime Minister dismissed an ideological "free-market" approach to the delivery of key services including hospitals, aged care facilities, childcare centres...

Family First - Don't believe the major political parties on Child Care

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:29:00 +1000

Australia.TO - July 15, 2010
Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding says you can't trust the two major parties when it comes to childcare. Senator Fielding''s comments came after the...

Libs promise swift action on childcare rebates

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 15, 2010
THE Coalition has vowed to deliver weekly childcare rebate payments to parents months earlier than Labor. The move came as the pre-election campaigning...

Rescuing centres from financial disaster

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Glenda Korporaal - July 15, 2010
McGRATHNICOL partners Chris Honey and Jason Ireland still remember the call that was to dominate their lives for the next 18 months. In October 2008, they were called to...

More control over hours the most important factor for working women

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 15, 2010
The survey of 1700 childcare workers and dental assistants found that having the ability to reduce or vary work hours, and to control start and finishing...

All childhood obesity programs are not created equal, study finds

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:37:00 +1000

Los Angeles Times - Jeannine Stein - July 14, 2010
This group included 12000 children in preschools, daycare facilities, homes and maternal and child health services. After three years, the prevalence of...

Household shift has politicians perplexed

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:01:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - July 13, 2010
Childcare subsidies, increased family tax benefits and paid parental leave, the policy fare of recent election campaigns, are meaningless to people who are childless...

Why is Labor ignoring child care cost blowouts?

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:01:00 +1000

Australia.TO - Dr Sharman Stone - July 13, 2010
For the sake of working families the Gillard Labor Government must do better with child care costs than its promise to pay child care rebate fortnightly in a year's time...

Childcare rebate changes ease home budget pain

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:20:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - July 10, 2010
FAMILIES can opt to have the childcare rebate paid fortnightly from next year or paid directly to a childcare centre to reduce fees, the federal government says...

Fortnightly childcare rebates hailed

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 10, 2010
JULIA Gillard has tried to win over families, promising parents they will get childcare rebate payments fortnightly from July 1 next year. The move to ease cost-of-living...

Childcare sector is not as simple as ABC

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Carolyn Cummins - July 10, 2010
THE collapse and consequent change in ownership of the former ABC Learning Group has opened up opportunities for other operators in the childcare sector but finding locations...

Year 7 school switch gets the nod

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:15:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott - July 09, 2010
... and private schools raise the possibility of establishing more kindergartens on their sites - signalling a potential battle with the childcare sector...

Childcare rebate to be paid fortnightly, or straight to children's carers

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 09, 2010
PARENTS will be able to receive childcare rebate payments fortnightly from July 1 next year to ease cost-of-living pressures. The reform was announced as the...

Weekly aim for care rebate

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 10:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 08, 2010
LABOR is set to introduce fortnightly or weekly payments of its childcare rebate but has failed to get cuts to the rebate through parliament...

Row over council's cut in childcare

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 10:19:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - July 7, 2010
THE federal government's controversial excuse for dumping its election promise to build more than 200 childcare centres has been used to justify a cut to...

Childcare staff must be made to feel valued

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:10:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - July 05, 2010
PARENTS struggling to return to the workforce after having children will get little comfort from news that childcare facilities are likely to remain packed...

Why South Australia's childcare waitlist is growing

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 09:08:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Tory Shepherd - July 04, 2010
SOUTH Australia's baby boom will put more pressure on an already struggling childcare system, experts say...

Government defends new childcare taxes

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 16:37:00 +1000

ABC Online - Stephen Dziedzic - July 2, 2010
The ACT Community Services Minister has rejected accusations that childcare costs will soar because centres are being hit with new regulations and taxes...

Coalition push on family daycare

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 10:40:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 02, 2010
TONY Abbott is framing a childcare policy that will boost family daycare, to shift the balance away from formal institutional long-day care...

Please, may we have some more?

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 08:43:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Felicity Williams - July 01, 2010
PARENTS of about 89,000 Australian children can't get adequate childcare services, government statistics show. About 28,000 children under 12 have a place in...

Welfare changes take effect from July

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 08:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - June 30, 2010
But more than 26000 families have been spared from a $300-a-year hike in childcare costs, after parliament ran out of time to pass the federal government's...

Survey shows migration not births driving growth

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:41:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 30, 2010
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show... the proportion of children in child care has risen from 17 to 22 per cent over the last decade...

G8 expansion spree nets 10 new childcare centres

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:29:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin News - Shannon Willoughby - June 29, 2010
GOLD Coast childcare group G8 Education Limited has expanded its empire further, snapping up 10 more centres Australia wide. Yesterday's announcement sees...

Childcare Must Have Stronger Representation

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:28:00 +1000

Australia.TO - Dr Sharman Stone - June 28, 2010
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, should use the opportunity of a ministerial reshuffle to give the childcare sector representation from a stronger advocate…

Digging deeper to cover costs of living

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danielle Teutsch and Matthew Benns - June 27, 2010
Childcare fees are also set to leap as the federal government's National Quality Framework comes into effect on July 1, requiring centres to lift...

Despite dozens of breaches, no childcare centre on 'shame' register

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:19:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Amanda Watt - June 25, 2010
A STATE Government online database established to "name and shame" rogue Queensland childcare centres remains empty five months after its launch...

Parents Left To Wonder

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:18:00 +1000

Australia.TO - Sharman Stone - June 25, 2010
The Gillard Government has let down parents on its first day by delaying consideration of amendments to pay the childcare rebate fortnightly...

Increase in childcare costs on hold

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - June 24, 2010
Cuts in the federal childcare rebate, which would have hit 26000 families from July, have been put on hold. The cost of child care will jump by $300 a year...

Government Must Act Quickly On Child Care Rebate

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:57:00 +1000

Australia.to - Sharman Stone - June 24, 2010
“The Coalition has been urging the government to pay the child care rebate fortnightly to help families who now often face fees of up to $100 per day...

Govt urged to improve gender equality

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - June 23, 2010
Ms Broderick said child care was too expensive for many parents and a universally accessible and affordable system was needed. "An ordinary family sending...

Daycare centre may have exposed children to lead, asbestos

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Saffron Howden - June 23, 2010
THE proposed demolition of a former Bondi Junction service station used as a family daycare centre for the past 21 years has raised fears...

Bus hits Goodna childcare centre

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:40:00 +1000

Courier Mail - June 22, 2010
The bus careered into the Kaleidoscope Child Care Centre smashing through a solid concrete fence and into the babies' room which normally has eight babies...

Slashing childcare rebate a cruel act - Fielding

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:39:00 +1000

Australia.TO - June 21, 2010
Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding says the Rudd Government's move to cut the childcare rebate is a kick in the guts to Australian families...

Queensland kindergartens face extinction

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:55:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Ellen Lutton - June 20, 2010
THE traditional model of a Queensland kindergarten is under serious threat of being completely annihilated by long-daycare centres...

Funding axed for remote indigenous childcare

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Tony Barrass - June 18, 2010
So they're astounded that the Rudd government has told everyone but them that their annual $30000 federal funding for their childcare centre will be scrapped...

Rudd Labor Government must increase funding for child care

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:57:00 +1000

Australia.TO - Dr Sharman Stone - June 17, 2010
The Rudd Labor Government must heed a plea from the Municipal Association of Victoria that they need dramatically increased funding for early childhood...

$600 million kindergarten shortfall

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:11:00 +1000

The Age - Jewel Topsfield - June 17, 2010
VICTORIAN children could miss out on kindergarten unless at least 600 new preschools are built within three years, with an audit revealing a...

Coalition vows to improve on 'theatrical' Rudd's family leave

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 16, 2010
THE Coalition has committed to replacing the government's paid parental leave scheme with its own more generous plan in its first year of government...

Govt told to amend parental scheme

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - June 15, 2010
They say the reduced payment will force more new parents into work, which, in turn, will increase the cost of the federal childcare rebate...

Childcare ''saviour'' honoured

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kate Lahey - June 14, 2010
A FORMER Macquarie Banker who helped rescue more than 550 childcare centres from the ABC Learning collapse is among members of the business community to be...

Daycare fees to increase

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:54:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Rachel Browne - June 13, 2010
THE families of more than 500,000 children in long-daycare centres could face fee increases of up to $120 a week under federal government changes…

Gillard trapped into childcare rebate review

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 11, 2010
JULIA Gillard has refused to cave in to demands to make the childcare rebate payable fortnightly to parents, but has vowed to investigate the option...

Greens step in over childcare cuts

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 09:12:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 09, 2010
MORE than 70000 families will have their childcare payments slashed in 2013-14 -- many more than the Rudd government indicated on budget night...

Childcare's good for your kids

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 09:26:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Katherine Firkin - June 08, 2010
Children who start attending under the age of two form better relationships at primary school, according to a UK study of more then 3000 children, started in 1996...

In-Need Child Care Centres to Receive Vital Upgrades

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 09:11:00 +1000

DEEWR Press Release - June 6, 2010
Grants of $20,000 will be provided to long day care services in disadvantaged areas from this month to help these providers improve the quality of their centres...

Childcare costs a work in progress

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall - June 05, 2010
THE price of childcare has become so great 40 per cent of parents believe it is not worth them working. About half would seriously consider giving up their job...

Pay childcare workers $10 per hour more: union

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 09:59:00 +1000

ABC Online - Eleni Roussos - June 04, 2010
An exodus of childcare workers will continue in the Northern Territory unless wages are improved, the Miscellaneous Workers Union says. The union's...

Liberals promise weekly rebate for childcare

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 04, 2010
THE Coalition will try to capitalise on the anger of parents at the Rudd government's backdowns on childcare promises by unveiling a series of policies...

$1 million lifeline for childcare

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:07:00 +1000

The Age - June 4, 2010
THE Victorian government has thrown a $1 million lifeline to childcare programs that care for almost 10000 children each week, after a federal funding cut...

Childcare costs to rise

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - June 3, 2010
Childcare costs are likely to rise for 26000 families from July after federal budget cuts were approved by parliament's lower house on Thursday...

Child Care and Child Stress: Some Clues about Quality Care

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:07:00 +1000

Psychology Today (USA) - Jean Mercer - June 2, 2010
Parents have plenty of different reasons for selecting particular child care settings for their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers...

Greens find childcare shortages

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 09:54:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - June 3, 2010
THE Greens have cast further doubt on the Rudd government's justification for scrapping its election promise to build 260 childcare centres...

ABC Learning Centres overstated assets by $1.2bn

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 09:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Andrew Fraser - June 02, 2010
A REPORT presented to creditors of failed childcare operator ABC Learning Centres has found that the company overstated the value of its assets by $1.2 billion...

Coalition backs cut childcare rebate

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 09:18:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - June 2, 2010
CHILDCARE payments will be cut for tens of thousands of families from July 1 after the Coalition yesterday walked away from a vow not to raise the cost of care...

Preschool junk food alert

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 09:17:00 +1000

The Age - Kate Hagan - June 2, 2010
PRESCHOOLS may need to consider sending letters home to parents who include junk food in their children's lunch boxes, academics say...

Creditors to vote on ABC Learning windup

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 09:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - June 1, 2010
Creditors of ABC Learning will on Wednesday vote on winding up the failed childcare giant. Administrators Greg Moloney and Peter Walker of Ferrier Hodgson...

Profit sector to dominate childcare

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 09:50:00 +1000

The Australian - Andrew Fraser - June 01, 2010
CHILDCARE is likely to remain dominated by the "for-profit" sector despite yesterday's transition of hundreds of centres once run by the failed ABC Learning...

Hiccups in takeover of ABC childcare centres

Mon, 31 May 2010 09:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - May 31, 2010
LANDLORDS are refusing to hand over to charity 100 childcare centres operated by the collapsed ABC Learning group. Today, 570 of the failed ABC centres will...

Collapsed ABC childcare centres now not-for-profit

Mon, 31 May 2010 09:21:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Alison Rehn - May 31, 2010
ALMOST 600 childcare centres will be transferred from collapsed ABC Learning to the not-for-profit company GoodStart today, with another 100 to follow...

Babies and battlers are Abbott's secret weapons

Sun, 30 May 2010 11:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Josh Gordon - May 30, 2010
Social demographer Bernard Salt said childcare and parental leave were "ascendant issues" in politics because of a boom in the number of babies...

It's cheaper to send kids to school early

Sat, 29 May 2010 07:22:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall - May 29, 2010
THE soaring cost of childcare is forcing thousands of parents to pack their children off to school before they turn five and can cope in the classroom...

New rule on activity for kids at after- school care

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:52:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 28, 2010
CHILDREN in before- and after-school childcare will be forced to play outside more and engage in games that involve interaction and imagination instead of...

G8 Education is child's play

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:51:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin - Nick Nichols - May 28, 2010
JENNY Hutson and Chris Scott, the formidable duo that built tourism empire S8, have started to make their mark at childcare centre operator Early Learning Services...

$300 more for childcare

Thu, 27 May 2010 10:48:00 +1000

Herald Sun - May 27, 2010
ABOUT 20,000 families could pay more for childcare from July because of the Federal Government's Budget cuts. Costs will jump by about $300 for families...

New lease on life for ABC Learning

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Bridget Carter - May 25, 2010
THE owners of about 670 former ABC Learning childcare centres have agreed to transfer leases to the new business operator, GoodStart, after an unexpected...

Cuts to childcare won't be opposed

Sat, 22 May 2010 08:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 22, 2010
THE Rudd government's attempt to cut childcare payments for tens of thousands of families will not be blocked by the Coalition despite its repeated attacks...

Those frontbench women have given mothers the drop-off

Sat, 22 May 2010 08:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Anne Summers - May 22, 2010
While the cost of childcare is set to rise, in large part as a result of government policy, the level of subsidy is to be reduced. What effects will they have...

Administrators confirm ABC was insolvent

Sat, 22 May 2010 08:56:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Lema Samandar - May 21, 2010
ABC Learning understated writedowns by more than $1 billion for the 2008 financial year, when it was already insolvent, the childcare operator's administrators say…

Childcare centre lets academic grill three-year-olds on their sexuality

Tue, 18 May 2010 09:32:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien and Marianne Betts - May 18, 2010
Monash University's Dr Mindy Blaise, who spent five days at an unnamed childcare centre, wants sexuality to be an official subject at kinders and preschool...

Child liars will become high-flyers

Tue, 18 May 2010 09:32:00 +1000

Herald Sun - May 18, 2010
CHILDREN who fib from an early age are more likely to become high-flying leaders and executives. The complex brain processes involved in formulating a lie are indicators...

New ABC childcare chief calls for calm

Tue, 18 May 2010 09:27:00 +1000

The Age - Adele Horin - May 15, 2010
Matthew Horton, who heads what is still the biggest childcare group in the country, said costs would rise as a result of better staff-child ratios required...

Study Sees Gains In Good Child Care

Tue, 18 May 2010 09:27:00 +1000

The Wall Street Journal - Shirley S. Wang - May 14, 2010
Having high-quality child care as a youngster can yield dividends when kids become teenagers, according to a new report. A study released Friday found that benefits...

Childcare centres want staff subsidy

Fri, 14 May 2010 11:00:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - May 13, 2010
CHILDCARE centres are threatening to raise fees by up to $22 a day unless the federal government subsidises the cost of hiring extra staff...

Childcare cuts could be defeated in Senate

Thu, 13 May 2010 09:47:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - May 13, 2010
LABOR'S bid to cut childcare payments for tens of thousands of families risks defeat in the Senate, with the opposition and minor parties vowing to fight...

Paid parental leave on track to start January

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:22:00 +1000

News.com.au - May 12, 2010
AUSTRALIA is on track to have national paid parental leave in place by January after the government introduced legislation for an 18-week scheme to parliament...

Wealthy parents will be targeted by freeze on the rebate of fees

Wed, 12 May 2010 10:36:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - May 12, 2010
HIGH-INCOME working mothers will be hit by a four-year freeze on the maximum amount they can claim under the childcare rebate, which will be subject to a...

Childcare rebate payment capped

Wed, 12 May 2010 10:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 11, 2010
THE childcare rebate payment covering 50 per cent of out of pocket fees will be capped and people trying to get onto the disability support pension will be...

Government spending big on boosting childcare

Wed, 12 May 2010 10:35:00 +1000

Herald Sun - May 11, 2010
The Government is spending $273.7 million to boost the quality of childcare, requiring providers to employ more and better qualified staff...

Mums weary but have no regrets

Sun, 9 May 2010 10:47:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Catherine Lambert - May 09, 2010
Confirming the growing day care trend, 64 per cent of families used grandparents as their main form of childcare while one third used other family members...

Feast or famine in day care hunt

Thu, 6 May 2010 09:34:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy and Rosemarie Lentini - May 06, 2010
Childcare groups have been asking governments to establish a planning regime for childcare for over a decade to ensure new centres are built where they are needed...

"No" to test on childcare rebate

Mon, 3 May 2010 10:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - May 03, 2010
WAYNE Swan has ruled out one of Ken Henry's key childcare reform proposals -- to combine all childcare benefits into one and means test them so that...

That sinking feeling

Sat, 1 May 2010 09:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - May 1, 2010
The marathon autopsy of ABC Learning is over, as might be many high-profile reputations associated with the collapse…

Govt standing firm on childcare backflip

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - April 28, 2010
Federal minister Tanya Plibersek says building new childcare centres in areas with shortages isn't necessarily sustainable. The minister for the status of women...

Rudd shame on childcare

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:45:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - April 27, 2010
YOU might not care about child care. But we should all care that our Government can't even be bothered to lie convincingly to us any more...

Defence Force child minders could lose payouts

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Paul Bibby - April 27, 2010
HUNDREDS of former ABC Learning staff working in Australian Defence Force childcare centres may not get redundancy entitlements because the company's...

Mums need better incentives to work

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:42:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - April 25, 2010
At this point they have to consider whether the cost of childcare, plus the amount of government payments they stand to lose, is worth the few extra dollars, not to mention...

Dumping child care places 'premature'

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:24:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - April 24, 2010
Dumping hundreds of childcare centres could undermine the federal government's planned paid parental leave scheme, Australia's largest business organisation...

Broken childcare, insulation promises humiliate PM

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:42:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Grattan and Dan Harrison - April 23, 2010
It has dropped its plan to build 260 childcare centres - saying figures show there are enough places. The 38 centres under way will be completed...

Hours in childcare on the climb

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - April 23, 2010
WORKING parents are leaving children in childcare centres for many more hours each week than five years ago. New figures show children now spend an average...

Smacking causes aggression, study shows

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:40:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Kate Sikora April 23, 2010
SMACKING disobedient three-year-olds can turn children into bullies before they reach school, with new research suggesting corporal punishment makes kids aggressive...

New staff ratios mean fewer childcare places

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 22, 2010
NEW national childcare standards will lead to the loss of thousands of places in centres across Australia, industry representatives say...

Researchers launch early education study

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - April 20, 2010
They'll look at how children develop in a range of environments including childcare centres, kindergartens, family day-care services and in-home care...

$100 a day per child - and rising

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danielle Teutsch - April 18, 2010‎
PAYING $100 a day for childcare in Sydney's inner suburbs is fast becoming the norm, fuelling calls for the federal government to pay the childcare rebate weekly...

Childcare centre now closed

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:56:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - April 15, 2010
A CHILDCARE centre that breached state regulations closed down last year, after the state government ordered it to improve the quality of care...

Time to tackle the elephant in the creche

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Irvine - April 14, 2010
Nearly a quarter of a million Australian women want more work but are not available or looking for it because they are caring for children, according to...

It's men who are increasingly left holding the baby

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:46:00 +1000

The Observer (UK) - Jamie Doward - Sunday 11 April 2010
The number of fathers in the UK staying at home to look after their children has risen 10 times in the past 10 years. This was the headline figure...

Childcare key to mums returning to work

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Peter Martin - April 10, 2010
IT HAS taken Treasury research to establish it beyond reasonable doubt, but childcare matters enormously to mothers considering whether to return to work...

Early rise in childcare fees

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 09:36:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - April 08, 2010
CHILDCARE centres in NSW will have to employ extra staff to care for the under twos from January 1 next year - 12 months before the rest of the country...

Pay Granny to nanny: union backs Coalition

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 09:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 08, 2010
GRANDPARENTS who help out as nannies would be eligible for the full childcare subsidy under a plan being investigated by Tony Abbott''s Coalition...

Libs eye nanny subsidies

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 11:26:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 03, 2010
The Coalition is exploring policy options for a new childcare approach, including extending benefit payments to all in-home carers, including nannies...

Families could claim for nannies under Coalition proposal

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 11:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Lenore Taylor - April 2, 2010
FAMILIES could get a government rebate for half the cost of nannies, au pairs or grandparents paid as child-minders under a policy being developed by the...

Early Learning to buy 10 more centres

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 11:25:00 +1000

News.com.au - April 01, 2010
CHILDCARE operator Early Learning Services plans to acquire 10 childcare centres and pay for it through a capital raising. The acquisitions are aimed...

$125 a day to care for kid as childcare costs soar

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:56:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - March 26, 2010
PARENTS are paying an average $100 a day for toddler childcare in Sydney's CBD, with the soaring charges far outstripping the Federal ...

ABC creditors to meet on wind-up

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:55:00 +1000

Herald Sun - March 25, 2010
ABC Learning creditors will meet in Brisbane on Friday to decide whether to take heed of administrators' advice to wind up the group of companies. But the meeting...

Austock delays ABC Learning childcare company handover

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Andrew Fraser - March 25, 2010
AUSTOCK, the company that originally underwrote the listing of failed childcare company ABC Learning is one of two delaying the handover of 678 childcare centres...

ABC Learning 'traded while insolvent'

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:05:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - March 18, 2010
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres traded while insolvent for at least five months in 2008, its administrators have determined in preliminary findings...

Labor promises children's minister

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:50:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 18, 2010
The Tasmanian Premier, David David Bartlett, says a re-elected Labor Government would appoint a minister for children. He says the new portfolio would be...

paid maternity leave

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:23:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danielle Teutsch - March 14, 2010
PAID maternity leave is precious time when women can just focus on their families, says Roxanne Elliott, who founded the online childcare directory careforkids.com.au...

Abbott is all at sea with maternity leave

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:22:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Paul Howes - March 14, 2010
One idea I've heard is extending some of the Child Care Tax Rebate to families who use non-centre-based childcare. This would have several beneficial outcomes...

Australia best for kids: expat survey

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - March 11, 2010
Respondents rated their adopted homes on quality of childcare, education, ease of integration, costs of raising children and time spent on outdoor...

Senate obstruction on baby leave? Hype and poppycock

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:05:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - March 11, 2010
Sometimes politicians talk an awful lot of rot. To hear Jenny Macklin tell it, the Senate is poised to scuttle Australia's first paid parental leave scheme...

Baby leave is not a women's issue

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:06:00 +1000

The Age - Leslie Cannold - March 10, 2010
By failing to talk about childcare and paid leave as something of critical importance to children, men and women, both political parties doom us to more of the same work/life crunch...

We must all pay for parental leave

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Julia Perry - March 10, 2010
Australia is one of two OECD countries without a paid parental leave system. Most schemes meet between 80-100 per cent of the parent's wage, funded through a levy on...

EU extends parental leave to four months

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:05:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - March 9, 2010
The new EU directive is aimed at providing a better balance between work and family life by allowing parents to transfer most of their time off to each other...

Groves earnings figure 'way off the mark'

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:38:00 +1000

The Courier-Mail - Liam Walsh - March 09, 2010
FORMER ABC Learning Centres boss Eddy Groves told bankers that raw earnings for 2009 would be $265 million - a forecast the childcare operator's new...

Childcare helps identify vulnerable children's needs

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:38:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - March 09, 2010
High-quality childcare helps identify the needs of vulnerable children early on, according to a new report. Ofsted inspectors visited 25 childminders...

Unions to push pay equity for women

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 09:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - March 04, 2010
UNIONS are considering running cases to lift the wages of the female-dominated aged care and childcare sectors after ACTU president Sharan Burrow yesterday...

Supervisor sacked after toddler escapes from Swinburne Childcare Centre

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 09:23:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Lucie van den Berg - March 04, 2010
A CHILDCARE worker has been sacked and two others cautioned after a two-year-old boy fled from a childcare centre. The toddler was playing in...

UK grandparents risk poverty caring for kids

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 09:22:00 +1000

Herald Sun - March 03, 2010
LOW-income families risk financial hardship by giving up work to look after their grandchildren, according to a new report just released.
The report, by British...

Gillard admits failure on childcare delivery

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 09:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Franklin - March 03, 2010
...government has failed to deliver on its 2007 election promise to "end the double drop-off" for parents by building childcare centres on school grounds...

PM unsure on progress of childcare plan

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:49:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - February 23, 2010
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he's unsure how the government's plan to build 260 new childcare centres is going. Labor promised to open centres in schools...

ABC centres to stay running until sold

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:07:00 +1000

The Dominion Post (NZ) - Catherine Harris - February 22, 2010
Childcare company ABC Learning Centres will be kept running till a suitable buyer is found, its Australian parent firm's receiver says...

Gillard blames ABC collapse for broken childcare promises

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:16:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 19, 2010
Ms Gillard says the Government is building 38 child care centres at schools. But she has told Channel Nine that the Government has not built the other 222...

Double drop-off falls by wayside

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:12:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Franklin - February 19, 2010
KEVIN Rudd's 2007 election vow to parents to "end the double-drop-off" by building 260 childcare centres at schools is in tatters, with only three completed...

Childcare close call

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:11:00 +1000

ntnews.com.au - Annie Sanson - February 19th, 2010
NEAR DISASTER: The semi stopped in the childcare centre sandpit. The driver had been trying to reverse the truck into the shed in the background...

Creche strike over childcare reforms

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:17:00 +1000

The Connexion (France) - February 17, 2010
The government announced big changes to the municipal childcare system earlier this month, dropping the legal minimum of fully qualified staff required in each centre from 50% to 40%...

ABC Learning board to face court probe

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:48:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - February 14, 2010
THE whole board of ABC Learning Centres and Eddy Groves's brother-in-law have been issued summons for a courtroom examination into the childcare operator's collapse...

Child care bill gives parents more information

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:25:00 +1000

ABC Online - Chris O'Brien - February 10, 2010
New laws have been introduced into Queensland Parliament to improve the standard of child care centres. When the changes are passed, centres will have to display log books...

Parents face childcare fees rise

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:24:00 +1000

BBC News - Katherine Sellgren - February 10, 2010
Childcare costs in England, Wales and Scotland are continuing to rise, a survey by the Daycare Trust suggests. The trust found parents in England paid an...

Just stay in the kitchen, ladies...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:46:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - February 10, 2010
It is one of a range of issues, including inadequate after-school childcare, non-existent vacation care and lack of flexible working working hours keeping women out of the work force...

Childcare website to name, shame

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 13:46:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - February 09, 2010
A NEW website to name and shame Queensland childcare centres in breach of standards has gone live. Premier Anna Bligh told state parliament today the website would...

Coalition to offer six-months paid leave

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 09:27:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - February 9, 2010
The Coalition will attempt to win over family and female voters by offering six-months paid parental leave and giving nannies similar pay and conditions as childcare workers...

DOCS to strip grandparents of payments for childcare

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - February 4, 2010
HUNDREDS of people who look after their grandchildren full-time risk losing a special payment worth between $400 and $600 per child a fortnight after the...

Children’s Services Recognition Program

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:07:00 +1000

Tasmanian Government Media Release - February 3, 2010
This program will provide a customised and supported journey, for unqualified Children’s Services staff, to achieve recognition of knowledge and skills gained in the workplace...

Sunkids and courtroom shadows

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 11:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Scott Rochfort - February 1, 2010
The liquidator of the financial engineer is expected to put the Sunkids childcare business officially up for sale. Bentleys Corporate Recovery is expected...

Balancing act

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:50:00 +1000

The Age - Annabel Stafford - January 31, 2010
Job plus kids plus house plus spouse - is the modern woman's dream of having it all really a nightmare? LAST year, researchers at the US National Bureau of Economic Research...

Day-care centres fail on hygiene and safety

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - January 29, 2010
ONE in five family day-care centres nationally fail hygiene and safety quality standards, a report has found. Child-care fees in the cities have...

Federal Government report shows state is failing our kids

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:15:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Stephen McMahon - January 29, 2010
MANY Victorian children are being left in filthy and dangerous conditions at day care, according to a Federal Government report. The 2010 Report...

We pay more, wait longer, get less

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:14:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Markus Mannheim - January 29, 2010
The report reveals Canberra parents pay the highest child-care fees in Australia, even though ACT centres have the least-qualified workers...

Queensland police deliver more for less

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Stefanie Balogh - January 29, 2010
Queensland has the highest proportion of any state or territory of children aged up to 12 using government-approved childcare and its spending...

Day care fined following toddler death

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:13:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - January 28, 2010
A northern NSW family day care association has been fined $26000 following the drowning of a 21-month-old boy. The toddler died in a retention pond...

Daycare kids twice as likely to pick up bugs

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 27, 2010
CHILDREN in daycare are twice as likely to suffer chronic infections as kids cared for at home, a government-backed study of 10,000 children has found...

Health spending to rise 12-fold: Rudd

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:28:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - January 25, 2010
... predicted health spending, which could be achieved by boosting workforce participation through measures like improved childcare and paid parental leave...

8.25am: meltdown time for modern mums

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:27:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Sharon Labi - January 24, 2010
A British study of 2000 mothers found stress levels peak at 8.25am as women juggle the drop-off with increasingly heavy traffic to get to work...

New laws - childcare fees rise

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:22:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Xanthe Kleinig - January 23, 2010
WORKING parents are facing a hefty rise in childcare fees of up to $200 a week because of a radical overhaul of childcare in NSW. Childcare centres are preparing...

Cash delay, merger push ELS shares to new heights

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:21:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin News - Nick Nichols - January 23, 2010
THE rising price of Early Learning Services' shares has prompted the merger deal with Payce Childcare to be an all-scrip affair. When the merger was revealed last month...

Perth Council convicted of child creche escape

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:08:00 +1000

WA today - Chris Thomson - January 20, 2010
The City of Perth has been convicted of letting a two-year-old boy escape from a council-run childcare centre to swing on the boomgate of a busy Northbridge carpark...

Childcare offenders exposed in new online service

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:23:00 +1000

PerthNow - January 20, 2010
PARENTS will be able to check whether childcare providers have been prosecuted or have breached childcare regulations, with the launch of a new online...

ABC faces March wind-up, but creditors will have to wait

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 18, 2010
THE longest administration in Australia's corporate history will almost certainly come to an end in March with ABC Learning's creditors expected to vote to wind up...

Holiday care is not a black and white issue for working mums

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:47:00 +1000

The Age - Carmel Egan - January 17, 2010
HOLIDAY care has fallen through the cracks of Australia's childcare debate but is looming as a flashpoint in workplace relations, as parents and unions push for greater flexibility...

Youth workers may pay $60 for security checks

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:47:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - January 17, 2010
People working with children could have to pay for their own criminal checks under changes to child protection laws being considered by the NSW Government...

Brumby sends super nanny squad to help failing families

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:46:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Peter Rolfe - January 17, 2010
"SUPER nanny" parent inspectors will be sent into the homes of failing Victorian families to teach them how to look after their children properly...

Childcare centres closed

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:25:00 +1000

The Age - Miki Perkins and Paul Austin - January 12, 2010
THE Education Department will close almost 200 kindergartens, childcare centres and school holiday programs in regions of Victoria that have been declared a code red...

Childcare group in liquidation

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:25:00 +1000

New Zealand Herald - January 12, 2010
A nationwide early childcare service has been put into liquidation. Easy Mind is a home-based service providing care for infants up to 5. It has 15 centres...

Opposition dismisses 'cheapskate' leave model

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - January 11, 2010
THE woman charged with crafting the Coalition's paid parental leave policy has dismissed Labor's proposed scheme as a ''cheapskate'' model which does not...

Education boost for indigenous families

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Mahar - January 11, 2010
Parents will be encouraged to spend 30 hours a week at their child's centre and work towards a formal qualification, while also spending one-on-one time...

New ABC Learning off to a flying start

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:36:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 11, 2010
ABC LEARNING'S receivers have offered the first glimpse of the group's financial health since its collapse in November 2008, showing that the remaining...

Parents told: go back to class before your child starts Prep

Sun, 3 Jan 2010 11:25:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Kathleen Donaghey - January 03, 2010
ALL mums and dads should undergo a special course before their children start Prep to stem an epidemic of violent behaviour in our schools...

ABC Learning logo stoush too much to bear

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 13:07:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - January 01, 2010
THE sale of ABC Learning Centres has sparked a dispute about the giant childcare operator's purple teddy bear logo. A man who says he designed the logo is...

Plan for daycare at shopping centres

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 28, 2009
GOODSTART, the charity taking over Australia's biggest childcare chain, ABC Learning, hopes to expand into shopping centres to offer educational daycare...

Centre to tame violent Preps

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:07:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Kathleen Donaghey - December 27, 2009
CHILDREN as young as four who are too violent to teach will be sent to Queensland's first behaviour school for Prep students...

ABC Learning sale contract signed

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:09:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - December 22, 2009
The receiver of collapsed child care group ABC Learning says a sales contract has been signed with the preferred purchaser, the not-for-profit company GoodStart...

Childcare empire

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:06:00 +1000

Gold Coast Bulletin - Nick Nichols - December 19th, 2009
Mr Scott will take over as managing director of Early Learning Services once shareholders approve the Gold Coast company's union with larger rival Payce Childcare...

ABC receivers want access to ASIC dossier

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - December 18, 2009
THE receivers for ABC Learning are seeking secret evidence that the corporate watchdog gathered to support its proposed lawsuit against the ABC founder, Eddy Groves, and...

Order in the creche - now for sense in the Senate

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - December 18, 2009
Its capacity is 30 children - 25 permanent and five casual places. But MPs are quick to say it is not a total solution. Ms King, the first MP to use the creche regularly...

Nanny state holds appeal for Liberal heartland

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - December 17, 2009
AUSTRALIA must overcome its "ideological abhorrence" to nannies if it is to fully utilise the nation's female talent, the Opposition's new childcare spokeswoman...

Kindy programs for childcare

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - December 15, 2009
NEARLY 150 childcare centres have been awarded Government funding to run kindergarten programs under a pilot which aims to provide universal access to early...

Daycare reform to cost $1.6bn

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 14, 2009
PARENTS will split a $1.6 billion childcare bill with taxpayers to improve the quality of daycare over the next decade. The costing -- which shows childcare...

For the love of children

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - December 13, 2009
IT HAS been a long time coming but the state and federal governments have finally agreed to higher standards for childcare centres...

Kindy fees set to spiral

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:05:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Jennifer Sexton - December 13, 2009
Childcare Alliance Australia, representing private child-care operators, warned that this would force them to increase fees and reduce the number of places...

IR watchdog cut childcare staff wages by mistake

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 11, 2009
THE Industrial Relations Commission made an error when it slashed low-paid childcare workers' wages by up to $92 a week. The Liquor Hospitality and...

Keeping it in the family

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:46:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Tony Moore - December 11, 2009
Eddy Groves' sister has told a Federal Court hearing in Brisbane she did not know how almost $23 million was paid to a company run by her husband in the lead-up...

ABC Learning Centres was warned fee hike could backfire

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:46:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - December 10, 2009
FORMER children's affairs minister and ABC Learning Centres director Larry Anthony warned the doomed childcare group last year that a hefty hike in fees...

Banks brace for big ABC losses

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger and Amelia Bentley - December 10, 2009
THE impending sale of 678 ABC Learning centres to the not-for-profit GoodStart syndicate will almost certainly result in Australia''s big banks taking a bath...

Parents worry for childcare future

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:14:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - James Massola - 10 Dec, 2009
But the Deakin centre is one of 26 left out of a deal designed to rescue 678 centres across the country after the collapse of ABC Learning in November...

Muddy kids are healthy kids, study shows

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:12:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - December 10, 2009
PARENTS who let their kids romp in the mud and eat food that has fallen on the floor could be helping to protect them against maladies like heart disease later in life...

Charity takeover of ABC Learning

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 10, 2009
THE Rudd government will provide $15 million in taxpayer funds for a loan to help fund a charitable takeover of the nation's biggest childcare chain...

Children come first at new ABC, owners vow

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - December 10, 2009
PARENTS have been promised stability and higher quality care after a consortium of four charities won the bidding war for 678 ABC Learning Centres...

The bell tolls for profit reapers

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 10, 2009
Once GoodStart takes charge of 678 ABC Learning centres next year, not-for-profit daycare operators will control 40 per cent of the market. Presently...

Computershare win in UK

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +1000

The Australian - John Durie - December 9, 2009
COMPUTERSHARE'S Chris Morris is on a roll, with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown reversing a previous decision on childcare vouchers. The original decision...

Mission Australia to buy ABC centres

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 11:02:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - December 9, 2009
... confirmed that the not-for-profit syndicate lead by Mission Australia has been selected as the preferred buyer for the remaining 705 child care centres...

Child care too expensive, not enough places

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:47:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Tory Shepherd - December 9, 2009
MORE than 27000 Australian women who want to work are being kept out of the workforce because they cannot access childcare, latest figures show...

ABC Learning in 'financial turmoil' before collapse: court

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:46:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Amelia Bentley - December 8, 2009
Financial turmoil in the Brisbane offices of business empire ABC Learning have been revealed at public examinations into the childcare operator's collapse...

Boost for childcare quality control

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 08, 2009
PARENTS will pay up to $50 a week more for full-time childcare under sweeping quality improvements agreed by the Council of Australian Governments yesterday...

Receivers to unveil new owners at ABC

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 8, 2009
ABC Learning's receivers, led by Chris Honey of McGrathNicol, are expected to announce their preferred bidder for the remaining centres, and the not-for-profit...

Nurseries to be graded

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - December 8, 2009
CHILDCARE centres will be graded from unsatisfactory to excellent and forced to display their rating as part of a national push to raise standards...

$14m deal for ABC-linked childcare chain

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:15:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liam Walsh - December 08, 2009
A LISTED cashbox is financing the $C14 million ($14.5 million) buyout of an 11-centre Canadian childcare operation with links to ABC Learning...

Parents hit with $110 childcare hike

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:15:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Ben Packham - December 08, 2009
Within 12 months, every childcare centre across Australia will have to have one carer for every four children aged under two. One staff member will be...

Leader promotes conservatives

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:14:00 +1000

The Australian - December 08, 2009
Sharman Stone... has been dropped from immigration and citizenship and appointed to childcare, women services and youth...

Child care to get new national standards

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:14:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Marszalek - December 7, 2009
A compulsory set of childcare standards including lower staff-to-child ratios and a quality rating system for parents will be brought in nationwide next year...

Call to pay childcare rebate weekly

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Dan Harrison - December 7, 2009
PRIVATE childcare providers are pressing the Federal Government to pay the rebate weekly to help parents cope with fee increases expected to flow from...

ABC salvage operation being kept under wraps

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 7, 2009
The receiver appointed to sell the unviable centres, PPB's Stephen Parbery, said his final report would not be made public until the remaining centres were sold...

Childcare rebates cost $3bn each year

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 09:38:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - December 6, 2009
HELPING parents with childcare fees now costs the Federal Government more than $3 billion a year, figures show. The Government's decision to raise the...

Parents face higher childcare fees

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 09:37:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Glenn Milne - December 06, 2009
PARENTS are set to be hit with rises in childcare costs of up to $22 a day with the state and federal governments expected to sign off on compulsory...

Bid to lift childcare standards

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 09:36:00 +1000

The Age - Josh Gordon, Stephanie Peatling - December 6, 2009
CHILDCARE centres will be forced to meet minimum staff ratios and will be ranked to allow parents to compare quality, under a sweeping overhaul...

Parents count cost of reform in child care

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:11:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 05, 2009
The states and territories appear set to sign off on new staffing regulations that COAG's own consultant, Access Economics, calculates could cost parents $50 a week...

Childcare staff facing pay cuts under new award

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 05, 2009
LOW-PAID childcare workers' wages will be whittled back by as much as $92 a week, under the first national childcare award handed down by the Industrial Relations...

Childcare isn't the problem, nor is it the panacea

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 09:56:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - December 3, 2009
PARENTS need not feel guilty about placing their children in childcare - youngsters are unlikely to be scarred by the experience. But nor will childcare have a dramatically positive...

Childcare kids are more naughty, new study shows

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 09:55:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Xanthe Kleinig - December 3, 2009
CHILDREN in childcare may be learning to throw tantrums from other youngsters, according to the author of a study that found children looked after by their parents are better behaved...

Study examines effects of child care

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 09:55:00 +1000

Australian National University - December 2, 2009
The effects of non-parental child care differ according to the quality of the care and the background of the parents, according to new research from The Australian National University...

Government backs down on childcare fees

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:31:00 +1000

ABC Online - Western Australia - December 2, 2009
The Government has dumped plans to charge almost 1,500 childcare providers the fees from next year, because the Federal Government has introduced its own licensing fee...

ArcherCapital has bid for ABC Learning Centres

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:30:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - December 01, 2009
UNIONS say private equity fund ArcherCapital is frontrunner to buy collapsed childcare operator ABC Learning Centres in a bid worth about $100 million. Archer could...

We're booking care before conception

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:25:00 +1000

AdelaideNow - November 30, 2009
WOMEN are booking childcare places before they are even pregnant.Community Children's Centres SA's Penny Thompson says it is "rare" but not unknown...

Charities aiming to rebrand ABC Learning childcare centres Good Start

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 30, 2009
CHARITIES bidding to buy the collapsed ABC Learning childcare chain want to rebrand the business as Good Start centres, offering daycare to the disadvantaged...

Affordable childcare is essential

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - November 30, 2009
Workers in the pre-school and childcare industry are paid less, trained less, viewed as less important and have less of a voice. Facilities are less well funded...

State seeks virtual answer to teacher crisis

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +1000

The Age - Farrah Tomzin - November 30, 2009
Helping childcare staff to obtain higher qualifications through a $3.6 million ''qualifications fund'', and new financial incentives to encourage early-childhood...

Fat chance

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:00 +1000

The Age - Geoff Maslen - November 30, 2009
The numbers are extraordinary and deeply worrying: among Victorian two-year-olds, one in every six is overweight or obese - and for children aged 3 the...

Shows promise - rating the revolution

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - November 30, 2009
Every school, tertiary institution and preschool in Australia is about to be hit by radical change. This year's federal budget and the economic stimulus...

Fear of backyard childcare as costs spiral up

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Tory Shepherd - November 29, 2009
ROCKETING childcare costs will force parents to turn to "backyard care", the head of Childcare South Australia says. The Federal Government is planning...

Qld childcare workers demand more staff

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - November 29, 2009
Childcare workers seeking improved staff-to-child ratios lobbied Queensland Premier Anna Bligh at a community cabinet meeting in Brisbane's southwest on Sunday...

No one cares about childcare: a modern day paradox

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:25:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Heidi Davoren - November 29, 2009
Any working parent can tell you this country has been suffering from a childcare crisis well before ABC Learning kicked the bucket. Now it's taken a senate...

Minnows nip at ABC carcass

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:58:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - November 27, 2009
SMALL childcare operators have lobbed bids for pieces of the ABC Learning empire, contrasting with impressions that only big players are in the race...

Women say pregnancy is 'career poison'

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:20:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Zsa-Zsa Bowie Wilson - November 25, 2009
A MAJORITY of women believe that pregnancy will harm their careers and that having a family was incompatible with climbing the corporate ladder...

Childcare union backs national regulations

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:09:00 +1000

ABC Online - Stephanie Smail - November 25, 2009
The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU), which represents childcare workers, will meet the Queensland Government today to lobby for national childcare...

Senate delivers a `guilt trip' on childcare

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 25, 2009
CHILDREN who spend long periods in childcare may be at risk of stunted social, emotional and cognitive development, a Senate inquiry into childcare has...

Inquiry swipe at ABC and policy makers

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - November 25, 2009
A SENATE inquiry into the provision of child care has issued a damning report on the deficient supervision of ABC Learning and the role this played in the....

Our childcare centres must not flounder

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:25:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Kate Ellis - November 24, 2009
The majority of childcare services do a great job of providing environments where children can grow and learn safely. But most is not good enough...

Child care doubles TV time for some children

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:20:00 +1000

Reuters UK - November 23, 2009
If you're not taking the time they spend in child care into account, you may be way off, according to a US study. Researchers from the University of Washington...

Profit-driven child care condemned

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:19:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Jane Chudleigh - November 23, 2009
CHILDCARE regulation should be overhauled to remove the profit-driven problems leading to the massive collapse of the ABC Learning empire...

Call to abolish child care rebate

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:38:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emma MacDonald - November 23, 2009
The Childcare Rebate, providing parents with 50 per cent of their out-of-pocket expenses, could be abolished, with money going directly to child-care operators...

Plea to keep ABC centres from predatory buyer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - November 20, 2009
THE union representing childcare workers is alarmed that a private equity company bidding for up to 705 ABC childcare centres has described itself as...

Combet flags ADF changes to attract and keep women

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - November 19, 2009
Mr Combet said the action plan would also review childcare options, particularly out of hours and off-base support, and short-term loan assistance for childcare fee...

Sole parents 'need bonus'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - November 19, 2009
In a paper published today to inform the Henry tax review, ACOSS also calls for a revamp of the childcare payment system, which it labels as "complex and inequitable"...

Parents fear mobile towers' exposure is a health risk

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:33:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Vikki Campion - November 17, 2009
TELECOMMUNICATIONS giants are covertly installing mobile phone towers around kindergartens, schools and childcare centres. Exploiting a loophole...

Andrew Fraser, Cameron Dick put fatherhood before politics

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:33:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Rodney Chester - November 17, 2009
It found that 62 per cent of fathers felt they should spend more time caring for their children and only about one in five felt childcare was the primary...

Early signs of success

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:51:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - November 16, 2009
Australia should try to learn from Britain's mistakes in rolling out its plan to give all four-year-olds access to kindergarten, a visiting educator has warned...

Unmasking an old childcare divide

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:50:00 +1000

The Australian - George Megalogenis - November 16, 2009
ALMOST half of all stay-at-home mothers are using formal or informal childcare by the time their youngest child is two, based on new figures that debunk the...

Bonuses for ABC Learning bosses

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:50:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 16, 2009
TOP executives at failed childcare chain ABC Learning will take home a $250000 end-of-year bonus, just weeks before the firesale of the of the company...

Parents get access to childcare log books

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:44:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 14, 2009
The State Government says Queensland childcare centres will be required to have a compliance log book from July next year. Centres will also have to make...

Children come first

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:43:00 +1000

Courier Mail - November 14, 2009
LOOKING after young children is serious business, in all its meanings, which is why the State Government's tightening of monitoring procedures for childcare...

Childcare operators notified of unhygienic conditions

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:08:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott - November 13, 2009
SHOCKING conditions have been uncovered in Queensland childcare centres, including animal faeces in play areas, floors in danger of collapse, dangerous...

Modest hikes needed for top child care

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:31:00 +1000

Ninemsn - Angela Harper - November 12, 2009
Parents will be hit with only "modest" childcare fee hikes after the federal government's overhaul of the industry, says acting prime minister Julia Gillard...

Childcare reforms will increase parents' costs

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 7, 2009
PARENTS could pay $50 a week more for childcare under federal government quality reforms negotiated with the states and territories yesterday...

Creditors, investors circle ABC's corpse

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:58:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - November 7, 2009
ONE year after the failure of ABC Learning Centres, the turbulence is finally subsiding for Australia's childcare industry. But for investors...

Trader junks offer for ABC Learning centres

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:54:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 06, 2009
A MULTINATIONAL childcare company owned by an American billionaire once jailed for white-collar crimes has pulled out of the race to buy the ABC Learning group...

Fears big banks won't sell ABC Learning to quality operator

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:52:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - David Barbeler - November 06, 2009
ON THE first anniversary of ABC Learning going into receivership, there are calls for the government to step in to ensure the remaining centres are sold to...

Mothers the losers with childcare costs

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:51:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 05, 2009
ARE we about to price the working mum out of the workforce? That’s what some childcare operators warn is about to happen. It’s caused by governments...

Tot's burns spark sun care law push

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:48:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Glenis Green - November 04, 2009
CALLS were renewed yesterday for mandatory sun protection laws in childcare centres and schools as a young mother said she planned legal action after...

Kids encouraged to play now or pay later

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 04, 2009
KIDS are "hard-wired" to play and pushy "trophy parents" only risk triggering teenage depression, a prominent child psychologist warned yesterday...

Mum to sue for second-degree sunburn after hot day at childcare centre

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Glenis Green - November 4, 2009
A YOUNG Queensland mum is planning legal action after her toddler suffered second-degree burns from being exposed to a day of blazing sunshine...

Woman faces court for alleged child bite

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - November 4, 2009
A woman accused of biting the lip of a seven-month-old baby at a Brisbane childcare centre is expected to face court on Wednesday. The staff member at...

Massive increase on childcare fees

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:38:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 02, 2009
CHILDCARE fees will have to rise by between $16 and $27 per child per day to pay for reforms that will dramatically increase the number of staff childcare...

Mothers pay for taking time out

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Milanda Rout - November 02, 2009
The demands on working mothers, including picking up children from childcare and schools, mean they are rarely chosen for management positions for which...

Reach for the stars: more staff to watch children

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 1, 2009
CHILDCARE centres need more staff with better qualifications - meaning costs for many parents will rise - under a Federal Government plan to improve the...

Numbers game makes for nurturing nursery

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 06:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Mahar - November 1, 2009
She said she was pleased KU Children's Services had announced its nurseries would operate at a maximum 1:4 ratio from next year. ''There's only a small number...

Opposition wants clarity on childcare

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Susanna Dunkerley - October 29, 2009
The federal government must tell parents by how much childcare fees will jump as a result of its plan to lift standards across the sector, the opposition...

Women fall victim to growing wage gap

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:04:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jonathan Dart - October 28, 2009
The relatively high cost of childcare and excessive time demands made it harder for women in Australia, as compared to overseas...

Charities contest with financier Michael Milken for ABC Learning group

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 28, 2009
A CONSORTIUM of charities is vying with former American junk bond king Michael Milken to buy Australia's biggest childcare chain, the failed ABC Learning...

Preschoolers not active enough

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:49:00 +1000

The Age - Julia Medew - October 27, 2009
THEY may look unstoppable, but most preschoolers spend 85 per cent of their waking hours inactive, research has found. A Deakin University study that...

First steps so critical to a smarter nation

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:02:00 +1000

The Advertiser - October 27, 2009
EARLY childhood education is undoubtedly one of the most critical first steps for our nation's future. Despite the doubters who...

Preschool hours boost

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:01:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Greg Kelton - October 27, 2009
Extra funding for 98 South Australian preschools will allow children to attend 15 hours of preschool a week - up from 11 hours...

Green ''brainwashing'' scaring preschoolers, say experts

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:51:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Xanthe Kleinig - October 26, 2009
PARENTS have accused early childhood centres of "greenwashing" their children by burdening them with the responsibility of saving the world. Tots as young as...

Dangers at play in uniform preschool learning

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:51:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 26, 2009
CHILDCARE centres that make kids wear uniforms and recite the alphabet are robbing them of their childhood, leading educators warned yesterday...

Union demands urgent reform of childcare

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:34:00 +1000

The Age - October 24, 2009
The federal government says higher staffing ratios will help lift the health and safety standards which are being breached by one in five childcare centres...

Childcare centres fail basic standards

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 24, 2009
CHILDCARE centres are routinely breaching health and safety rules, with one in 20 caught failing to protect and properly supervise young children...

Childcare centre tested as Logan toddler confirmed with meningococcal

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:35:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - David Barbeler - October 23, 2009
A 15-month-old Logan boy has been taken to hospital and health authorities are visiting his childcare centre after it was confirmed he has meningococcal...

Former ABC Learning directors face $1b claim

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:34:00 +1000

The Age - Michael Evans - October 23, 2009
THE administrators of ABC Learning, backed by the deep pockets of litigation funders IMF Australia, are investigating a $1 billion damages claim against...

ABC Learning childcare worker allegedly bit baby on face

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:34:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Robyn Ironside - October 23, 2009
A BRISBANE childcare worker who allegedly bit a seven-month-old baby on the face has been stood down from her position and charged by police...

Surprise inspections of childcare centres to end

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - October 22, 2009
SURPRISE visits for checks on childcare services will end next month under changes announced yesterday by the National Childcare Accreditation Council...

Draft award accused of cutting workers' pay

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - October 22, 2009
SOCIAL workers, childcare workers and fast-food staff in NSW would have their pay cut under the Federal Government's overhaul of workplace awards...

No forced feeding for Aussie kids, Get Up And Grow guides recommends

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:02:00 +1000

The Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - October 22, 2009
The Get up and Grow guide, available free to every parent and childcare centre, says under twos should be banned from TV or using computers...

Directors on notice as ASIC files case

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Bridget Carter and Chris Merritt - October 22, 2009
... the directors of other fallen companies, such as investment banks Allco Finance Group and Babcock & Brown, and childcare centre operator ABC Learning Centres...

Funding rule may force cut in preschool hours

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - October 19, 2009
CHILDREN who attend pre-school for three or more days a week may have their days cut as NSW struggles to implement the Federal Government's...

Childcare puts the squeeze on kindergarten

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +1000

The Age - Fiona Hehir - October 19, 2009
The need for early childhood education is being undervalued. Last week desperate parents blew the whistle on Victoria's kindergarten secret: there aren't...

Queensland daycare changes improve services

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott - October 18, 2009
CHILDREN in long-daycare centres will be given access to a qualified teacher and kindergarten services from next year under a State Government pilot and shake-up of the sector...

$5000 to enrol a toddler in preschool

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:11:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - October 18, 2009
PARENTS are being charged one-off fees of $5000 to reserve enrolments for toddlers at Sydney's most exclusive pre-schools...

Parents lose homes for not paying fees

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:10:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Miawling Lam - October 17, 2009
SCHOOL and childcare fees are crippling Australian families and emerging as a major cause of household debt...

Childcare centres should be 'more macho'

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:44:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - October 17, 2009
CHILDCARE centres should be painted in bold colours and hold regular barbecue, camping and woodworking programs to make dads feel welcome...

Kids held back with 'over-organised' play, says Shane Gould

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:13:00 +1000

The Australian - Pia Akerman - October 14, 2009
OLYMPIC golden girl Shane Gould has blasted children's sports programs as "over-organised" and holding back the natural development of physical skills…

Ellis favours parents ruling kids' TV habits

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:12:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 14, 2009
Early Childhood Education Minister Kate Ellis says the Federal Government is not backing the idea of formal restrictions on toddlers' television viewing...

780 new university places for early childhood teachers

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:12:00 +1000

DEEWR - October 14, 2009
500 new places will be available in 2010, with an initial allocation of 280 places in 2011. This builds on the 500 places provided in 2009. Additional places for...

ABC Learning Centres value of $650m written off

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:11:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 13, 2009
IN the dying days of ABC Learning Centres, the global operator wrote down almost $650 million of the controversial book value given to its childcare centre licences...

IMF extends funding to ABC Learning administrators

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:30:00 +1000

Business Spectator - October 13, 2009
The litigation funder said the examinations would principally address charges granted by ABC Learning to a syndicate of banks shortly prior...

Managing the box

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +1000

The Australian - October 13, 2009
But guidelines drawn up for childcare centres suggesting children should not watch any TV before the age of two should be put in perspective...

Warnings issued after childcare centre blitz

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Clennell - October 12, 2009
EIGHTEEN NSW childcare centres have been given warnings after a government crackdown in which 37 centres were randomly inspected and many were found to be...

Guidelines call for television ban for children until age two

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 12, 2009
The Get up and Grow report - being finalised for release by federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon next week - is designed for childcare centres...

Some childcare centres failing: minister

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:01:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 10, 2009
Dozens of childcare centres are failing to meet safety standards and supervise children poorly, NSW Minister for Community Services Linda Burney says...

Insolvency expert retains confidence in ABC model

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Stevens - October 10, 2009
ON Monday Steve Parbery will take a short stroll from his Martin Place office to Sydney's Supreme Court to tie off one more loose end in his year-long adventure with ABC Learning…

Childcare centres named, shamed

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:44:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Patrick Lion - October 06, 2009
CHILDCARE centres putting children at risk will be publicly named and shamed under new laws aimed at helping parents choose where to send their kids...

Call to scrap childcare subsidy

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:56:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Carly Hennessy - October 04, 2009
The Kids First Parent Association of Australia will be launched on... "If you re-distribute all funding for child care direct to parents based on a per-child basis...

Childcare rebate system abused

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:54:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Kay Dibben - October 04, 2009
SOME parents are exploiting a loophole in the childcare rebate system, claiming back government cash despite not having paid childcare centre fees...

Complaints about maternity leave on the rise

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:53:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph - Carmel Melouney - October 04, 2009
Bligh Park mother Kirsty Haines lost her job at a defence childcare centre in Richmond earlier this year while she was on maternity leave with her...

Study riles working mothers

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:52:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Carly Hennessy - October 03, 2009
"At childcare centres there are rules around what they can prepare and what parents can put in their lunchboxes," Ms Hourigan said...

Managing maternity

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - David Wilson - September 29, 2009
A recent story exposed the frequency with which women are sacked for taking maternity leave and told to quit if they cannot juggle work and childcare...

Preschool for at-risk kids

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:50:00 +1000

The Age - Sarah-Jane Collins - September 29, 2009
VULNERABLE three-year-olds will have access to free kindergarten spots under a funding arrangement announced yesterday. Community Services Minister Lisa Neville...

Unions, preschool teachers raise qualification concerns

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:38:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 21, 2009
The ACT Education Department and unions are meeting concerned preschool teachers today about their qualifications and the change-over to longer operating...

Home alone: term break no holiday for children

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Keeli Cambourne - September 20, 2009
One-third of children aged five to 15 will be left at home alone during the school holidays in two weeks’ time while their parents have to work…

All kids to get preschool access by 2013

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Sep 17, 2009
All children will have access to preschool services by 2013 after the states and territories signed onto the federal government's proposal...

26 ABC Learning centres will close: govt

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:23:00 +1000

The Age - September 15, 2009
Child Care Minister Kate Ellis told parliament on Tuesday that new operators had been found for a majority of the centres but twenty six will have to close...

Payce sells childcare business

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Florence Chong - September 15, 2009
SYDNEY-BASED property developer Payce Consolidated has sold 75 per cent of its childcare business to the privately owned Wallace Infrastructure for an...

ABC Learning warns Rudd of childcare fee blowout

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:21:00 +1000

Courier Mail - September 14, 2009
THE MANAGEMENT of failed ABC Learning has warned the Federal Government its plans to increase the quality of child care could drive fees up by as much as $20 a day...

Call to overhaul education system

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:34:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 11, 2009
The paper by the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls for children to be tested before they start child care and for international rather than national...

Cabinet orders end to child escape loophole

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:14:00 +1000

WA today - Chris Thomson - September 11, 2009
The spokeswoman said Ms McSweeney would, before the end of 2009, introduce legislation to Parliament to amend the Child Care Services Act to make day care...

Backing for portable leave scheme

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:13:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 11, 2009
The Government will table a bill in the Legislative Assembly next week to allow community workers and child care employees to accrue long service leave as...

More than 150000 women out of work

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:59:00 +1000

The Australian - September 10, 2009
"There are lots of women who would like a job but can't immediately look for work because of things such as childcare responsibilities...

After school care in jeopardy

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - September 10, 2009
THOUSANDS of parents face uncertainty over childcare options due to the Rudd Government's $14 billion school infrastructure program...

Cleanliness link to asthma takes a hit

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 09:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Adam Cresswell - September 09, 2009
A THEORY that excessive cleanliness may be to blame for soaring cases of asthma has taken a knock from research that found children sent to daycare were not...

Children's care boost planned by SA Govt

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 09:20:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 08, 2009
Proposed legislation by the South Australian Government would allow for an independent authority with power to investigate sub-standard care in education and childcare...

Victoria's child care centre's show increasing accidents

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:13:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Ellen Whinnett - September 06, 2009
HUNDREDS of Victorian children have been lost, injured, or given wrong medication while under the supervision of child care centres...

Safety fears about home day care operators

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:11:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Paul Weston - September 06, 2009
ALMOST half of the regulated family day care services operating legally in private homes are failing to provide a safe environment for children, according to a new survey…

Pincipals have to sit an exam to show they can...

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:10:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Stephen Drill - September 06, 2009
PRINCIPALS will have to prove they are "fit and proper" people to run before-and-after school care programs under changes they describe as pointless red tape…

Whooping cough infections triple

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 18:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 5, 2009
The public awareness campaign will urge new parents, grandparents and childcare workers to get vaccinated. It will also ask parents to immunise their chilkdren...

ABC childcare sale given go-ahead

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 09:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - September 04, 2009
THE federal government has washed its hands of the fire sale of 715 ABC Learning childcare centres, giving the receivers carte blanche to sell to the highest bidder...

Age cuts to family benefits on cards

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 09:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jacob Saulwick - September 4, 2009
He also canvassed partly replacing payments to disadvantaged families with an increase in the direct provision of services, such as childcare and parenting programs...

700 ABC Learning centres for sale

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 1, 2009
Ads have been placed in national newspapers today calling for expressions of interest from potential buyers for more than 700 ABC Learning childcare centres...

Autism centre opens in Adelaide

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +1000

The Age - September 1, 2009
The centre has just opened in Adelaide as part of the government's commitment to deliver up to 260 early learning and care centres nationally...

Funtastic loses $25.34 million

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - September 01, 2009
THE financial collapse of a key customer ABC Learning Centres pushed Funtastic into a first-half loss, with the full-year result expected to be...

Indigenous kids 'need free pre-school'

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:58:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - August 31, 2009
ALL indigenous children should have access to free pre-school education to help close the literacy and numeracy gap, says Save the Children Australia...

ABC Learning receivers start sell off

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:57:00 +1000

The Age - August 31, 2009
ABC Learning Centres Ltd receivers say have started a sales process for the remaining 715 child care centres of Australia's largest childcare operator...

ABC receivers poised for sale

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:01:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger and Vanda Carson - August 31, 2009
The receivers, led by McGrathNicol's Chris Honey, have until March 31 next year to sell the remaining 715 childcare centres or face eviction by its 19 landlords...

Auditors of childcare group may be sued

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - August 29, 2009
ABC LEARNING'S former auditors may be sued for negligently breaching their duties to the failed childcare company and its investors as part of attempts to claw back...

Mistakes not child's play for workers

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:40:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Gerard McManus - August 26, 2009
CHILDCARE workers could lose their entire annual salary for silly little computer mistakes, including typing a child's name incorrectly...

Women shun promotion for sake of children

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - August 24, 2009
WOMEN are knocking back pay rises and promotions because of concerns over childcare, the Australia Institute has warned in a study on the way recessions affect female workers...

Australian women 'underpaid, underemployed'

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:48:00 +1000

ABC Online - August 24, 2009
The report also finds more women are opting out of the labour market because of child care and other caring responsibilities. ACTU president Sharan Burrow...

Learning from ABC mess

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:57:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Miles Kemp - August 21, 2009
THE ABC Learning childcare collapse has created anxiety in former students and parents as well as uncertainty in the industry, a State Government study has found...

Canberra sides with banks

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Susannah Moran - August 20, 2009 THE federal government has sided with receivers acting for a consortium of banks trying to get more time to sell hundreds of profitable ABC Learning...

Groves may face a public grilling

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:48:00 +1000

The Australian - Susannah Moran and Etan Smallman - August 18, 2009
ABC Learning founder Eddy Groves could face a public examination over his dealings with the collapsed childcare company he founded, while future court...

ABC administrator seeks extension

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:55:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Margaret Scheikowski - August 17, 2009
ABC Learning has already been in administration longer than any other company in Australia's corporate history, a judge has been told. Anthony Morris QC...

Govt won't put price on childcare reform

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:28:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - August 17, 2009
Creating the best childcare industry in the world will hit parents in the hip pocket, the federal government admits. But any potential increases will be shared...

Childcare costs to rise under federal revamp

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Gerard McManus and Cheryl Critchley - August 17, 2009
QUEENSLAND parents could soon be paying $5000 more a year for child care, under a Federal Government plan to lift preschool education standards...

Childcare report backs part-time work

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - August 13, 2009
THE federal government hopes to lure more mothers back to work by making childcare more appealing, a study reveals. The Department of Education...

Childcare is a disgrace

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:57:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - August 04, 2009
WOULD you hand your kids over to a stranger you've never met and don't know anything about? Thousands of Aussie parents do every time they drop their kids off at...

Stay-home mums seek childcare

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:56:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - August 04, 2009
ONE third of kids are placed in childcare even though their parents are not working, figures show. Work is still the main reason for youngsters to be in...

Corporate watchdog ASIC rejected query on ABC Learning

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 18:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - August 03, 2009
THE corporate watchdog dismissed a whistleblower's complaint about ABC Learning's 'questionable' accounts two years before the world's largest childcare company crashed...

Oh baby, the budget's blown

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 11:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Caroline Marcus - August 2, 2009
The founder of childcare website www.careforkids.com.au, Roxanne Elliott, thought the averages seemed "expensive" but reflected the site's own findings that...

Subsidies lower child care costs

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:03:00 +1000

The Age - Stephanie Peatling - July 30, 2009
THE average weekly cost of childcare for a family is now less than $40 a week for each child, thanks to subsidies worth billions of dollars paid by the Federal...

Childcare firm alleges ASIC damage

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - July 29, 2009
THE new wife of embattled entrepreneur Eddy Groves has accused the corporate watchdog of damaging her childcare business in its pursuit of her husband...

Child care industry losing workers: inquiry

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:06:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 20, 2009 A Senate Committee has heard there has been a big decline in people wanting to work in the child care industry in Tasmania...

Childcare jobs lost in Tas, Victoria

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - July 20, 2009
A Tasmanian childcare provider with services in Tasmania and Victoria has begun shedding almost one-tenth of its staff because of a payroll tax dispute with...

Childcare swine flu fear

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:15:00 +1000

The Sunday Telegraph Marnie O'Neill and Lisa Mayoh - July 18, 2009
SYDNEY childcare centres are feeling the brunt of the swine flu pandemic, with youngsters at high risk of infecting their peers. Health Department figures...

Claims tax bill will force child care closure

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:01:00 +1000

ABC Online - Jul 17, 2009
A Tasmanian child care operator says it plans to sack 32 staff on Monday and close some of its centres because it can no longer afford its payroll tax bill...

Defence raises pay for a chosen few

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - July 17, 2009
THE operator of 21 Defence Department-owned childcare centres has broken ranks and will give one-sixth of its staff a $15-a-week minimum wage increase...

Greens want childcare funding probe

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:21:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 17, 2009
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says it is becoming clear that the current funding models do not work as effectively as they could in providing high quality care...

Play's the thing for tots to learn

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - July 16, 2009
Trials of the National Learning Framework in 29 childcare centres in April resulted in a complete rewrite of the curriculum, which is being rolled out in...

More childcare bailouts feared

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:12:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - July 16, 2009
TAXPAYERS may be forced to bail out more failed childcare centres because the federal government has failed to regulate the sector, a Senate inquiry was...

Tougher laws to protect children

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:12:00 +1000

Adelaide Now - Greg Kelton - July 15, 2009
SPORTING and recreational bodies, as well as church groups, will have to put in place stronger child protection policies under proposed new laws...

Federal govt 'should shape childcare'

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:15:00 +1000

The Age - Paul Osborne - July 15, 2009
A Senate inquiry into childcare took evidence at a public hearing in Brisbane on Wednesday. The Queensland Commission for Children and Young People's...

Childcare centre hit with $54999 rent rise

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:08:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Christine Kellett - July 15, 2009
A not-for-profit childcare operator says it will be evicted from its south Brisbane premises of 20 years after shopping centre giant and landlord Westfield...

Price rise of $40 with 'Rolls-Royce' child care

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:11:00 +1000

The Age - Stephanie Peatling - July 15, 2009
CHILD-CARE costs could rise by nearly $40 a week if the Federal Government moves towards a high-quality system employing more staff with better qualifications...

DOCS toughens child-care stance with prosecutions

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 11,2009
CHILD-CARE centres that fail to lift poor standards are being prosecuted and closed by the Department of Community Services under an aggressive strategy...

Busy Parents put babys nose to the grindstone

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Michelle Epstein - July 10, 2009
Kate Ellis, the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare, recently announced initiatives that recognise early child care as part of a child''s...

ABC Learning receivers prepare to sell profitable centres

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 10:15:00 +1000

Business Spectator - July 9, 2009
The child-care company's receiver mcgrath Nicol has been working with investment bank UBS to arrange the sale, having earlier stabilised enrolments and sold...

First three years key to school success: study

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 6, 2009
The Child Care Choices study is unique in Australia for having followed an initial group of children - more than 670 - from child care to school for six years...

Childcare centres bursting but some still struggle

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:18:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Rodney Chester - July 06, 2009
There are many centres which are struggling financially because they cannot attract enough children and, on the other side, there are parents up in arms because...

Parents not starting kids at school until six

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:17:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Cheryl Critchley - July 06, 2009
SOME children do not start school until they're almost six-and-a-half as parents agonise over when to send them. Experts are also divided about...

Child care shambles a disgrace

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:16:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Susan Hocking - July 06, 2009
ALMOST 30 years ago, newly pregnant with my first baby and as the major breadwinner of our family, I made my first foray into the world of child care...

Parental say on child care

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 15:56:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kerry-Anne Walsh - July 5, 2009
PUBLIC consultations will be held across Australia so parents can have their say on early childhood education and child care. Early Childhood Education...

Pay childcare workers more: union

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 15:54:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 5, 2009
The union representing childcare workers says improving skill levels would encourage more people to take up the profession, but they also need to be paid...

Women stretched to snapping point

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 13:55:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 4, 2009
Despite their high academic achievements over the decade, women are now less likely than in 1997 to work full-time while their children are young. And when they do...

Child care call aims to get babies to school

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 13:54:00 +1000

The Age - Stephanie Peatling - July 4, 2009
ALL child-care staff would be trained either to TAFE or university level and more staff employed at each centre under recommendations put to the Federal Government...

Child care costs set to increase

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 13:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - July 3, 2009
The cost of child care is expected to increase if recommendations being considered by the federal government are adopted. The government is considering...

Over $9 million for five early learning and care centres in Queensland

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 17:43:00 +1000

Media Release - The Hon Kate Ellis MP - July 3, 2009
The early learning and care centres will be established in Amberley, Cairns, Gladstone, Townsville and Weipa. The Australian Government has provided over...

Child care to get young school-ready

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 12:32:00 +1000

The Age - Stephanie Peatling - July 3, 2009
ALL child-care centres will be required to begin baby learning and child development programs as soon as possible as part of a Federal Government push to make sure...

COAG signs off on childhood strategy

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 09:23:00 +1000

The Age - July 2, 2009
A new rating system giving parents information on the quality of their child's early education and child care services will be considered by the federal...

Union backs plan to raise bar in childcare sector

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 09:23:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 2, 2009
The union representing childcare workers, the Liquor Hospitality Miscellaneous Union (LHMU), has applauded the Council of Australian Governments for making...

Future looking brighter for troubled kids

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 10:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 2, 2009
The most common forms of help include home visiting, child care, playgroups, counselling and parent education. The interim evaluation, by the social policy...

Kindy switch to cost Brisbane City Council $3000 a child

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 09:32:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Bruce McMahon - July 01, 2009
BRISBANE ratepayers will pay up to $3000 each for kindergarten kids to move from City Hall after the collapse of negotiations for a $14m childcare centre in...

Taxes cut, benefits boosted from today

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 09:31:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Gerard McManus - July 01, 2009
CHILDCARE benefits for one child using full-time care will increase by $6.50 a week to $180 and the maximum childcare rebate will rise by $278 to $7778 a...

Working mums spend as much time holding their kids - study

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:47:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Cheryl Critchley - June 30, 2009
Research has found that babies with full-time working mothers spend just as much time being held and cuddled as those whose mums stay home...

Anger at sale of school

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jennie Curtin - June 26, 2009
Residents say there is a desperate need for child-care places with existing preschools full and waiting lists long. They suspect the State Government...

Groves fire sale as regulator pounces

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson and Daniel Hurst - June 26, 2009
THE founder of ABC Learning, Eddy Groves, has sold two rural estates, and a third is on the market, triggering fears he is conducting a fire sale of his assets...

Groves' asset sale provokes watchdog freeze bid

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:18:00 +1000

The Age - Vanda Carson - June 25, 2009
THE corporate regulator has moved to freeze the assets of ABC Learning Centres founder Eddy Groves, and seized his passport - indicating he may be considered...

Parents hit by $100 day care

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:38:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Cheryl Critchley - June 22, 2009
PARENTS will pay more than $100 a day at an exclusive Brighton childcare centre from July 1. But Bambini Early Learning Centre claims it is worth every cent...

ABC Learning's UK business sold - Receiver

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:42:00 +1000

The Australian - June 19, 2009
THE receiver of ABC Learning Centres has sold the childcare group's UK arm for an undisclosed sum. ABC's UK business, called Busy Bees Group, was purchased by...

Swine flu to force unpaid leave

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita and Lauren Wilson - June 15, 2009
With staff absences on the rise, the federal government has suggested businesses consider organising childcare for key workers, in their own home...

Babysitting ads puts girls at risk

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:31:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - June 14, 2009
YOUNG girls looking for babysitting work on job websites are being preyed on by sleazy men seeking nude models or sexual favours...

Hong Kong primary schools in swine flu lockdown

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:15:00 +1000

ABC Online - Stephen McDonell - June 11, 2009
Hong Kong has closed all primary schools, kindergartens and child care centres for two weeks in an attempt to control the spread of the AH1N1 swine flu virus...

New curriculum to let kids be kids, says Kate Ellis

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:06:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 11, 2009
NEW Childcare Minister Kate Ellis has promised to create a curriculum for four-year-olds that "allows kids to be kids", while ensuring they don't miss out...

Queensland Health closes third childcare centre because of swine flu

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:06:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Janelle Miles - June 10, 2009
Queensland Health said the Centenary Child Care and Early Learning Centre at Mt Ommaney in Brisbane's west would close after a youngster tested positive for...

Ellis still on the rise

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 08:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Pia Akerman - June 08, 2009
"Obviously childcare is such a central need for so many families across Australia, that making sure we've got the best solutions in place is really important."...

Rudd opts for new blood in reshuffle

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 10:02:00 +1000

The Age - Josh Gordon - June 7, 2009
Minister for Sport Kate Ellis will also take on the freshly created ministry of Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth. Mr Rudd said the creation...

Centres not up to standard

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 10:01:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Paul Weston - June 07, 2009
AT LEAST 67 childcare centres in Queensland have failed to meet national standards.They fell short of providing proper health and safety...

Property developer says he's frontrunner in race for ABC

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 09:09:00 +1000

NZ Herald - Maria Slade - Jun 05, 2009
Christchurch property developer Hamish Ireland says he is the preferred bidder for the New Zealand arm of the ABC childcare chain...

Childcare centre closed after swine flu case

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 17:02:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 04, 2009
HEALTH authorities have shut a southern New South Wales childcare centre after a young girl tested positive to swine flu. NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant has...

Victorian health authorities abandon pig flu testing

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 09:28:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Ben Packham and Grant McArthur - June 04, 2009
Kensington Community Childcare Co-operative became the first Victorian child care centre to close after two pre-schoolers were confirmed with the virus...

Increase to Child Care Benefit and Child Care Tax Rebate

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 09:27:00 +1000

Minister's Media Centre - The Hon Julia Gillard MP - June 03, 2009
The maximum rate of CCB for one child using full-time approved child care will increase by $6.50 per week to $180.00, while the maximum amount of CCTR will...

Childcare subsidies to rise by up to $6.50 a week

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:44:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Sue Dunlevy - June 03, 2009
CHILDCARE subsidies will rise by up to $6.50 a week from July 1, and parents will be able to get the payments faster under a new computerised rebate system...

Study finds TV bad for baby brain development

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 11:02:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 02, 2009
HAVING the television on constantly in a household with infants and toddlers is bad for brain and language development, a US study claims...

Nine more Early Learning and Care Centres for NSW

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 11:02:00 +1000

Minister's Media Centre - The Hon Maxine McKew MP - June 01, 2009
Today I am announcing arrangements for a total of nine early learning and care centres in New South Wales to which the Rudd Government is...

Sites for childcare centres revealed

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 11:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - June 01, 2009
NINE childcare centres will be build on the grounds of NSW primary schools after the Rudd Government pulled off a deal to create 450 places...

Three people linked to huge childcare loans

Sat, 30 May 2009 09:23:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - May 30, 2009
A KEY contractor for ABC Learning Centres has detailed more than $5 million worth of loans to three men including a former top manager of the childcare giant...

Pregnant Defence childcare workers get their jobs back

Fri, 29 May 2009 09:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - May 29, 2009
FIVE workers on maternity leave who were sacked from their jobs at Defence Department-owned childcare centres have regained their positions after an outcry...

More daycare centres caught breaking the rules

Mon, 25 May 2009 09:48:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Steven Wardill - May 25, 2009
DODGY daycare centres in Queensland are being busted at a rate of more than one a week. New figures reveal 69 compliance notices were issued to daycare centres...

Ask Nanny McPhee

Sat, 23 May 2009 08:17:00 +1000

The Australian - May 23, 2009
Less sensible than storybook nannies, the bureaucratic ones who run the National Childcare Accreditation Council have issued a Factsheet for Families, Dressing your Child for Care...

Code for childcare centres on hold

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - May 22, 2009
TOUGH new standards for childcare centres have been put on ice after the federal Government's quality watchdog warned that some centres would fail them...

Victorian childcare staff ratio drops to 1-4 from 2012

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:43:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Cheryl Critchley - May 22, 2009
INFANTS in childcare will gain more attention from staff after changes announced yesterday. New State Government regulations will ensure a staff-child ratio...

July start for $3.6b childcare reforms

Thu, 21 May 2009 14:11:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 21, 2009
The Government is spending the money over the next three years to bring all day care and early learning centres into line with a new national accreditation system...

Child care rules move

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:09:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - May 21, 2009
MAXINE mckew has vowed to drag substandard child-care centres - "kicking and screaming" if necessary - up to a higher standard of care to ensure children aren't...

Child-care centres to focus on preparing children for school

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - May 21, 2009
ALL child-care centres will be required to begin baby learning and child development programs from July as part of a Federal Government push to make sure children are...

New fee will push up cost of child care

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:08:00 +1000

The West Australian - Dawn Gibson - May 21, 2009
Almost 1500 WA child care providers, from big corporate centres to tiny home-run operations, will be charged a minimum of $350 for new licences or renewals...

Introduction of child care licensing fees

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:07:00 +1000

wa.gov.au - May 20, 2009
Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney today announced the introduction of child care licensing fees payable by 1,492 licensed child care services across the State...

Vic preschool teachers to get pay rise

Tue, 19 May 2009 10:46:00 +1000

The Age - May 19, 2009
The four year agreement provides teachers and assistants with a 4.9 per cent pay increase immediately and 2.7 per cent increases each subsequent year...

Childcare staff to check kids' lunches under proposed rules

Tue, 19 May 2009 10:46:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - May 19, 2009
STAFF will examine children's lunchboxes to ensure the contents are healthy, under new federal guidelines. As part of a $4.5 million war on obesity...

Don't tell us how to bring up our children

Tue, 19 May 2009 10:45:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - May 19, 2009
Looking through the guidelines for kinders and childcare centres, which are being considered by the Federal Government, there's a long list of nasties...

Defence childcare staff quit over conditions

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:49:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 18, 2009
Nearly half the childcare workers employed at a Defence Department centre at Russell have quit, as a row brews over working conditions...

Early childhood education 'increasingly unaffordable'

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:49:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 15, 2009
A new report has found pre-school education in New South Wales is becoming increasingly unaffordable for parents because of inadequate state Government funding...

Workers 'forced to sign away conditions'

Sat, 16 May 2009 08:48:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 15, 2009
Childcare workers at defence department-owned centres are being forced to sign away their unfair dismissal protection, the childcare workers' union says...

Imperilled child-care centres to stay open

Sat, 16 May 2009 08:47:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - May 15, 2009
THREE Melbourne child-care centres that had been expected to close due to the collapse of ABC Learning will now stay open after receivers found new...

Childcare centre ''within rights'' to sack workers

Sat, 16 May 2009 08:46:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 15, 2009
The Federal Government has refused to save the jobs of two workers who were sacked from a Defence Department-owned childcare centre while on maternity leave...

Greens push Govt to halt childcare fallout

Fri, 15 May 2009 15:48:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 15, 2009
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Government needs to intervene to prevent continuing fallout from the collapse of childcare provider ABC Learning...

Hope for ABC childcare centres

Fri, 15 May 2009 09:02:00 +1000

The Age - May 15, 2009
As a number of ABC Learning childcare centres face closure today there are reports some could still be saved as the company's receivers continue last-minute talks...

Government ''must get own house in order''

Fri, 15 May 2009 09:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - May 15, 2009
TWO workers on maternity leave have been sacked from their jobs at a Defence Department-owned childcare centre, just as the Rudd Government trumpets its plans...

Childcare centres reject government obesity plan

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:20:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Miles Kemp - May 14, 2009
MORE than half of the state's childcare centres have shunned a Health Department obesity-fighting initiative, complaining the restrictions are too difficult...

Free care for abused kids

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:34:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Georgie Pilcher - May 13, 2009
CHILDCARE payments have been saved from the Budget razor and the Government will provide free child care for children at risk of serious abuse and neglect...

Family payments tightened in welfare crackdown

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Misha Schubert - May 13, 2009
But the same households will still be able to claim a generous rebate on child care after the cabinet ruled out means-testing the 50 per cent child care tax rebate...

Budget at a glance

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 13, 2009
Families will be able to access via the internet in 2009-10 a "child care estimator" to help them make decisions about child care, including out-of-pocket costs...

Working mothers win the jackpot

Mon, 11 May 2009 10:49:00 +1000

The Age - Phillip Coorey and Stephanie Peatling - May 11, 2009
THE budget tomorrow will aim to encourage women to stay in the workforce by promising them paid maternity leave and sparing the child-care rebate from Wayne Swan's axe...

18 weeks paid maternity leave

Sun, 10 May 2009 15:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Josh Gordon - May 10, 2009
The Federal government has committed to paid parental leave from January 2011 for those earning less that $150,000 a year, federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says...

Means-testing is painful but fair

Sun, 10 May 2009 15:20:00 +1000

The Age - May 10, 2009
But it is also expected to take away - by reducing access to the baby bonus, family tax benefits and the child-care rebate, and reducing the amount...

BHP Billiton unveils nation's most generous paid maternity leave

Sat, 9 May 2009 10:43:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Felicity Williams and Sarah Martin - May 09, 2009
From July 1, BHP staff will be able to take 18 weeks off work on full pay to look after their new arrivals. The leave applies to mums and dads who are the family's...

Childcare subsidies may be on the block

Sat, 9 May 2009 10:42:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Franklin - May 09, 2009
WAYNE Swan's attack on middle-class welfare in next week's budget could extend to childcare amid an angry political backlash against his planned means tests...

Maternity leave shortfall warning: report

Fri, 8 May 2009 09:49:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - May 07, 2009
UP to 40 per cent of working women will never have access to paid maternity leave without the federal Government committing to a publicly funded...

McKew spruiks child care affordability

Thu, 7 May 2009 09:56:00 +1000

Illawara Mercury - Alex Arnold - May 7, 2009
Ms McKew said the biggest issue facing child care in Australia was how to address the huge staff turnover at child-care centres...

Stop another ABC Learning fiasco

Wed, 6 May 2009 16:23:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - May 6, 2009
COMPETITION laws could be changed to prevent another ABC Learning scenario, where a big company buys smaller ones to entrench its market power...

Australia fails Save the Children's early childhood test

Tue, 5 May 2009 09:51:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 05, 2009
AUSTRALIA is falling behind most of the developed world in early childhood development, ranking third last of 25 in a new international report...

What to do with paid maternity leave

Tue, 5 May 2009 09:47:00 +1000

ABC Online - Jessica Brown - May 05, 2009
Almost $20 billion of taxpayers' money goes towards payments such as Family Tax Benefit, Childcare Benefit and the Baby Bonus each year...

Tax cuts safe but childcare at risk

Tue, 5 May 2009 09:47:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Franklin - May 05, 2009
...will not renege on promised tax cuts for middle and high-income earners but has left open the option of welshing on his promise not to means-test childcare subsidies...

Hospital Hill preschool wins top award

Tue, 5 May 2009 09:46:00 +1000

Illawara Mercury - Emma Shaw - May 05, 2009
A Wollongong preschool has been named best child-care service in Australia. Hospital Hill Occasional Care and Preschool won the title...

DoCS plans child-care check blitz

Mon, 4 May 2009 17:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 4, 2009
The NSW government plans a blitz on child-care centres, pre-schools and other children's services to ensure they comply with protection regulations...

Swine flu fears for Tasmanian childcare centre

Mon, 4 May 2009 16:02:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 04, 2009
The baby was in childcare when it would have been infectious on Thursday and Friday, Dr Pickin said. "We are providing advice to the child care centre involved...

Parents urged to keep sick kids at home during flu season

Fri, 1 May 2009 15:16:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 1, 2009
Childcare Queensland says keeping sick children home is essential to prevent the spread of viruses this winter. President Gwynn Bridge says it is shaping up...

Paid leave plan 'critical' for mothers

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicola Berkovic and Matthew Franklin - April 30, 2009
A PAID parental leave scheme must be included in next month's budget because it is "absolutely critical" to keep women in the workforce and ensure tens of billions...

Paid maternity leave latest casualty of recession

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:29:00 +1000

ABC TV 7.30 Report - Heather Ewart - April 29, 2009
Key government ministers involved in budget deliberations have signalled the global economic crisis puts areas like paid maternity leave under threat...

Sex Discrimination Commissioner discusses paid parental leave

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:29:00 +1000

ABC TV Lateline - Leigh Sales - April 29, 2009
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick talks about paid parental leave, which Federal Government ministers have hinted may be off the agenda in the upcoming budget...

Pay deficit for WA child-care staff revealed

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:28:00 +1000

The West Australian - Phillipa Perry - 29th April 2009
WA child-care workers were underpaid $260,000 last year, with one young female short-changed $18,000, according to figures from the Federal Workplace Ombudsman...

Kids incorporated sets the scene

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:28:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - April 28, 2009
The British Government estimates one in four families and half of all single parents use grandparents for free childcare, a service worth about pound stg. 3.5 billion...

St Vincents de Paul wants no child care near gaming venues

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:27:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Melanie Christiansen - April 25, 2009
CLUBS and pubs with poker machines should not be allowed to offer free child care, the Productivity Commission gambling inquiry has been told...

Governments must act on childcare: MAV

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:27:00 +1000

GovernmentNews.com.au - April 24, 2009
A report prepared for the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has warned the future of child care is at a crossroads and governments must seize the opportunity to reform...

ABC Learning centres sold to charity for $1 each

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:26:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 23, 2009
Mission Australia paid a token $1 each for several of the 29 ABC Learning centres it bought from the collapsed childcare chain's receiver, PPB...

ABC centres 'may have to raise fees' to make profits

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:26:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 21, 2009
CHILDCARE operators might have to raise fees to squeeze profits out of the 210 ABC Learning centres sold last week, former childcare king Michael Gordon predicts...

Early learning is no game: it's a bumper start in life

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:07:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader and Farrah Tomazin - April 20, 2009
Get those years right, and a child has a good chance of doing well at school. But if damaged in the early years, a child risks falling far behind...

ABC Learning forum draws parent anger

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kerry-Anne Walsh - April 19, 2009
A NEW website launched by the embattled child-care provider ABC Learning to help restore its battered image has been swamped with complaints from parents...

Childcare at $1.18 a day

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:04:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Elissa Lawrence - April 19, 2009
The cheap childcare rate is available to eligible families including those who receive Newstart or parenting payments. With the global financial crisis...

Promises broken on maternity leave

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Peter van Onselen - April 18, 2009
THE Labor Government is trying to tiptoe away from its commitment last year to introduce a paid maternity leave scheme...

Report shows paid maternity leave would boost economy, create new jobs

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:22:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Susanna Dunkerley - April 17, 2009
LABOR is under growing pressure to fund paid maternity leave in the budget with new modelling showing it would boost economic activity...

ABC Learning disaster could happen again: union

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:17:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - April 17, 2009
The sale of failed ABC Learning centres has brought some diversity back into the childcare sector but there are concerns it won't be enough to prevent a...

Will child care profit from ABC lesson?

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:19:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - April 17, 2009
THE Federal Government has been accused of missing an opportunity to transform the nation's child-care industry by allowing most of the unviable ABC...

Receivers wield axe over ABC childcare workers

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Siobhain Ryan and Chip Le Grand - April 16, 2009
UP to 450 staff face the axe and 685 children will have their care disrupted after ABC Learning receivers announced that 19 of its centres would close and another 210...

Minister rips up leases after child-care rent fiasco

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Nick Galvin - April 16, 2009
THE State Government has been forced to back-down after the Department of Education imposed massive rent increases on many non-profit child-care groups...

ABC failure a lesson in supporting community childcare - advocate

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:00:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Matthew Schulz - April 15, 2009
THE failure of ABC centres across the country shows the need to skew the childcare system back to a non-profit system, community childcare advocates say...

Childcare profit motive gives way to quality

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Frances Stewart and Maria Moscaritolo - April 15, 2009
QUALITY of care, not profit, will be the priority at former ABC Learning Centres under new management, industry body Childcare SA says...

ABC Learning says 19 centres to close

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:13:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 15, 2009
FAILED childcare operator, ABC Learning says 19 centres will close with 210 to remain operating following a meeting today...

Govt working to reassure ABC parents

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - April 14, 2009
The receiver appointed to the debt-stricken company will announce on Wednesday the future of 241 centres that had been deemed unviable...

Racism lessons planned for the under fives

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:34:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Susie O'Brien and Gemma Jones - April 14, 2009
CHILDCARE centres could be forced to fly the Aboriginal flag and use "persona dolls" to teach youngsters about exclusion and ethical issues...

Working mothers find child care a bore

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 09:30:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Sherrill Nixon - January 12, 2008
A study of parents'' moods as they go about their days has found child care is the only activity that mothers dislike significantly more than fathers do...

When kids can't be kids - superheroes banned from childcare

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 10:43:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Cheryl Critchley and Peter Familiari - April 07, 2009
"Child care professionals need to be continuously aware of keeping children safe while also acknowledging that the children's interest in superheroes is meaningful."...

Childcare curriculum could include career counselling

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 12:09:00 +1000

The Australian - April 4, 2009
THE committee drawing up the nation's first childcare curriculum has been told that toddlers in daycare should be given early career counselling...

Turnbull plan to 'carry back' tax losses

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 09:24:00 +1000

The Age - Peter Martin - April 3, 2009
Professor Disney will propose axing the child-care tax rebate and the fringe benefit tax concessions for workplace child care, replacing them with a strengthened but means-tested child-care benefit and direct grants to non-profit centres...

Play in, politics out for new early learning manifesto

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 17:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - April 02, 2009
THE federal Government has torn up its politically correct curriculum for children in daycare, quietly replacing it with a family-friendly guide for carers and parents...

Child-care rebate doesn't affect job decisions for rich

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 09:20:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - April 2, 2009
GOVERNMENT child-care subsidies that lower the cost of formal child care have no influence on married women's decision to work, controversial new research shows...

Government urged to axe 'middle-class welfare'

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 09:20:00 +1000

ABC Online - April 2, 2009
An academic is urging the Federal Government to scrap so-called middle-class welfare measures such as the baby bonus and child care...

Early Learning Services boss John Hutchison resigns

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:49:00 +1000

Business Spectator - March 30, 2009
Early Learning Services Ltd boss John Hutchison has resigned and will leave at the end of next month, with chief financial officer Chris Sacre to step into the role...

Childcare workers threatened to cut off boy's genitals

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:49:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 30, 2009
A mother and daughter have pleaded guilty to assaulting a four-year-old boy while working at a childcare centre in the Perth suburb of Kelmscott...

Childcare pay hot topic for for Tony and Margie Abbott

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - March 28, 2009
HER husband may be a right-wing poster boy for workplace reform, yet childcare worker Margie Abbott is passionate about improving conditions for her low-paid colleagues...

Childcare costs to soar after reforms

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - March 27, 2009
CHILDCARE costs are set to climb as the states and territories look at forcing centres to hire more staff, and as the federal Government's quality watchdog...

Govt hands out choking hazards to preschoolers

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:15:00 +1000

ABC Online - Mark Douglass - March 26, 2009
Water bottles distributed to preschool children across Sydney as part of a New South Wales Government health promotion have been recalled because they pose a...

Operators urge pay cuts for childcare workers

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Ewin Hannan - March 26, 2009
PRIVATE childcare operators have advocated childcare workers -- among the nation's lowest-paid employees -- have their pay cut, claiming the economy has "basically gone broke"...

ABC receivers in bid to recover $40m

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:33:00 +1000

Business Spectator - March 26, 2009
Receivers for collapsed child-care operator ABC Learning, McGrath Nicol, have launched legal action against a property developer in the United States in a...

Childcare in bush given extra funding

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - March 25, 2009
LONG daycare centres in rural and remote Australia will get grants to upgrade their facilities so they can accommodate more children, under a federal Government...

Infants to take part in flu trial

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:40:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - March 24, 2009
INFANTS in 40 child-care centres in Sydney will take part in a trial of the influenza vaccine to try to cut the number of children admitted to hospital with the illness each winter...

ABC collapse costs 700 their jobs

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:40:00 +1000

The Age - Matt O'Sullivan and Vanda Carson - March 24, 2009
Taxpayers will wear the burden of the lay-offs, as ABC's receivers seek $50 million from the Federal Government to pay employee entitlements...

Wage freeze call for 1.3m low-paid

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:39:00 +1000

The Age - Ben Schneiders - March 24, 2009
The decision affects a number of other pay scales, covering 1.3 million workers, including security guards, child-care workers and cleaners...

ABC assets may be in hands of third parties

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:09:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson and Matt O'Sullivan - March 21, 2009
ASSETS of the failed ABC Learning Centres may have been improperly transferred to "third parties", the Federal Court heard yesterday...

Early Learning boss John Hutchison quits as director

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:35:00 +1000

Gold Coast News - Shannon Willoughby - March 20th, 2009
Mr Hutchison, who founded the business in 2007, will remain as head of the company, but made the decision to resign as director to 'improve corporate governance'...

Small boy choked on blind cord during childcare, court hears

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:09:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Lisa Davies - March 18, 2009
A CHILDCARE centre was fined more than $50000 yesterday after a three-year-old boy choked on a broken blind cord, a court was told. Childcare operator...

Companies must pay ABC child care staff: union

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:36:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 16, 2009
The child care workers' union has warned it expects companies taking over ABC Learning centres to pay workers' entitlements. The receivers of the failed...

Govt pushes for $70m more in redundancy support

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:53:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 15, 2009
The majority of the new funding would go to ABC Learning workers, as the receivers of the childcare company say it cannot cover costs such as unpaid annual...

New ABC closures as time extended

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:00:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - March 14, 2009
MORE ABC Learning childcare centres face closure next month, after the federal Government admitted yesterday that not all could be sold...

Cough killer outbreak

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:52:00 +1000

Tasmania Mercury - Anne Mather - March 14, 2009
Parents of babies should get a booster vaccine against whooping cough, as should grandparents, child care workers and others in contact with babies...

Kinder surprise

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:26:00 +1000

The Age - Margaret Cook - March 13, 2009
Amid this wave of reform, one question lingers: where are we going to get all the preschool teachers needed to deal with this wave of new students...

Sale of ABC centres needs more time

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:42:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - March 13, 2009
The receivers managing the sale of ABC Learning's unprofitable child-care centres have asked for more time to sell off the 241 centres but said they will not need further funding...

Minister admits WA child escape loophole

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:41:00 +1000

WA today - Chris Thomson - March 13, 2009
Child Protection Minister has conceded for the first time that the failure to compel day care centres to report when children go missing is a loophole in WA law...

Landlord claims Groves spent money for no reason

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:40:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - March 13, 2009
EDDY Groves and a childcare centre landlord are at loggerheads over whether ABC Learning needlessly spent money on renovations and equipment...

Child costs 'only $1300 a year'

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:42:00 +1000

The Age - Adele Horin - March 12, 2009
As well, when couples chose to have children, they understood they would have to switch their expenditure from fancy restaurants to nappies and child care...

Keep kids at school longer for core skills

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicola Berkovic - March 10, 2009
It also criticised pay and training of childcare staff. Recommending a shake-up of the early childhood education sector, the report says Australians had...

Teachers 'can't cope with prep'

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 13:17:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Daniel Hurst - March 9, 2009
Queensland's peak childcare industry organisation has called on the State Government to scrap its plan to spend $300 million on 240 new kindergartens by 2014...

Tougher guidelines to avoid disaster

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 13:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew West - March 9, 2009
CHILD-CARE providers in NSW would need to demonstrate they are financially viable and located in areas of need, under a plan drawn up by the State Opposition...

Online ideas help child-care policy

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 13:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Phillip Hudson - March 9, 2009
The parliamentary secretary for child care and early childhood education, Maxine McKew, said the online forum would provide valuable insight for the Government from teachers and carers…

Kindergarten plan threatens day care: Childcare Qld

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 16:23:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 6, 2009
Childcare Queensland says Labor's plan to go ahead with 240 new kindergartens across Queensland will threaten the survival and standards of existing long day care centres...

Pork barrelling alleged as kindies promised to ALP seats

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 09:21:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Patrick Lion - March 05, 2009
PREMIER Anna Bligh has been accused of pork barrelling marginal Labor electorates after promising several new kindergartens for government seats...

Costings boost paid parental leave

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 11:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and George Megalogenis - March 03, 2009
THE push to include universal paid parental leave in the May budget strengthened yesterday after new calculations by the Productivity Commission reduced the cost of implementing...

Children's services suffering from murky info: study

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 11:32:00 +1000

ABC Online - Nic MacBean - March 3, 2009
Australia's children's services sector is still suffering from major inconsistencies in information across the states and territories...

Buyers for ABC scared off

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - February 27, 2009
TAXPAYERS are unlikely to claw back the $56 million spent propping up failed ABC Learning Centres, as high rents and plunging enrolments scare off potential buyers...

Hundreds of schools to close because of fire threat

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:02:00 +1000

Herald Sun - February 27, 2009
UP to 400 schools, kindergartens and child minding centres in Victoria will be closed today because of the heightened bushfires threat...

Maxine McKew waits in the wings with non-speaking role

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Christian Kerr - February 27, 2009
She is the parliamentary secretary for early childhood education and childcare. Parliamentary secretary status can be the first step towards a cabinet berth...

Bids lodged for ABC childcare centres

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Tony Bartlett - February 26, 2009
Around 180 formal binding offers have been lodged for the 241 ABC Learning Centres which were previously described as unviable...

Five child-care centres now in doubt

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:14:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - February 26, 2009
THE Federal Government will rethink 18 planned new child-care centres following the collapse of ABC Learning. The centres — including five planned for...

Third appropriations bill before Assembly today

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:14:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 26, 2009
The ACT Government says its third appropriations bill will include about $2.5 million for upgrading childcare centres in Canberra...

Non-profit group wants unviable ABC Learning Centres

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:25:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 25, 2009
The not-for-profit childcare consortium, Children-21, has confirmed it is bidding to take control of 241 ABC Learning Centres...

Offers due for ABC childcare centres

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:17:00 +1000

The Age - Julian Drape - February 25, 2009
Binding offers for 241 failed ABC Learning childcare centres are due on Wednesday, but a key government official has refused to say if he thinks they will all be sold...

Local govt should take over child care: unions

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:47:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - February 23, 2009
CANBERRA - Local government should become responsible for child care following the collapse of the nation's biggest private operator, a union that covers...

Further 700 preschool places for Hunter tots

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:47:00 +1000

Newcastle Herald - Gabriel Wingate-Pearse - February 23, 2009
CLOSE to 700 new preschool places have been allocated to the Hunter Region, an increase of more than one-third on the existing 2000 places...

Preschool priced out of play

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:28:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danielle Teutsch - February 22, 2009
NSW preschools are facing a funding crisis that may lead to mass closures or fee hikes in the next few years...

43 former ABC Childcare centres hit the market

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:19:00 +1000

Business Spectator - February 20, 2009
By a staff reporter A commercial property services firm is offering 43 former ABC Learning childcare centres to the market following the group's collapse...

ABC collapse forces Funtastic to change

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:18:00 +1000

The Australian - Blair Speedy - February 20, 2009
TOY wholesaler Funtastic has revealed plans to restructure its operations after the collapse of major customer ABC Learning slashed $63.5 million from its balance sheet...

Carers not surprised by protection crisis

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:18:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 20, 2009
A former rostered child care worker is not surprised by the large numbers of compensation claims due to stress within the child protection sector...

Baby boom to bust & parents learn the hard way

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Heath Gilmore - February 19, 2009
KINDERGARTEN numbers are hitting levels unseen for a generation as cash-strapped parents seek relief from high child-care fees. The collapse of ABC Learning and a baby boom...

Child protection facing crisis

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:51:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 19, 2009
Tasmania's head of child protection admits there are serious problems with out of home child care in the state. The Director of Child Protection Services...

Free child care for Victorian bushfire victims

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:18:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Cheryl Critchley - February 18, 2009
FIRE-affected families have been offered free child care so they can organise their affairs. Victorian Child Care Centres have found 1185 new places for the...

Call for binding offers on ABC centres

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:26:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - February 16, 2009
ALMOST 400 parties have been invited to lodge binding offers for ABC Learning centres that were deemed unviable under the collapsed child-care giant's business model...

Families fear child care closure

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:31:00 +1000

ABC News - February 12, 2009
Up to 1000 Newcastle families are on edge, due to fears their child care provider could be forced to close, after failing its accreditation...

Children do less well with granny than in a nursery, study finds

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:16:00 +1000

The Times (UK) - Rosemary Bennett - February 10, 2009
Children looked after by grandparents while their mothers are at work would be better off in nurseries or with childminders, according to a new study...

Childcare locations rethink

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 13:40:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 09, 2009
THE Rudd Government will reconsider where to build some of its 38 new childcare centres following the collapse of the ABC Learning childcare giant...

A Senate inquiry has been told of ABC Learning's bullying tactics

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 09:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - February 06, 2009
COLLAPSED childcare corporation ABC Learning expanded its empire by bullying smaller daycare operators into selling up, a Senate inquiry has been told...

ABC childcare centres to shut despite 500 bids

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 14:48:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - February 05, 2009
FAILED ABC childcare centres may shut down next month despite bids from nearly 500 would-be buyers vying to take them over. PPB partner Stephen Parbery...

Bids fly in to purchase 241 remaining ABC Learning childcare centres

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 13:22:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - February 05, 2009
RECIEVERS for the 241 ABC Learning childcare centres up for sale say they have had almost 500 offers to buy them. The Federal Government has provided $34 million...

Funding support for early years initiatives

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 14:00:00 +1000

Tasmanian Government - February 3, 2009
A Transition Toolkit will be developed by Lady Gowrie Child Centre to help children make a successful transition from child care to school...

Call for childcare industry shakeup

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 11:06:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - February 03, 2009
CHILDCARE benefits for parents should be abolished and the money given instead to centres with the highest standards, the nation's commissioners for children have said in an attack on profit-driven daycare operations...

Tough new child-care ratios on the table

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 11:05:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - February 3, 2009
CHILD-CARE centres would be required to have a staff member for every three babies, under tough new quality standards being considered by the Rudd Government...

Rudd child care ratings promise put on ice

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 13:47:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - February 2, 2009
THE Rudd Government's election promise to rate child-care centres from A to E appears in doubt after its expert advisory panel warned such a scheme could...

High rents blamed for ABC's end

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 13:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - February 02, 2009
SKY-HIGH rents may have contributed to the demise of ABC Learning, as one of the bidders for part of the failed giant childcare chain has revealed that...

More schools rely on private carers

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 11:13:00 +1000

The Age - Annie Lawson , February 1, 2009
The increase in commercial operators managing before and after-school care in Victorian primary schools ignites fears that pupils are forced into 'one-size-fits-all' programs...

ASIC in probe of childcare suppliers

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 31, 2009
COMPANIES watchdog ASIC is examining the contracts of suppliers to collapsed childcare chain ABC Learning. ABC Learning's receiver, McGrathNicol partner...

Holding him back can do just that

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:01:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Miranda Devine - January 31, 2009
Every fad has its use-by date, and it seems the middle-class phenomenon of holding children back from starting school may be on the wane. As the latest batch of kindy...

Con Sciacca on $10000 a month from ABC Learning

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 30, 2009
FAILED childcare giant ABC Learning paid former Labor minister Con Sciacca $10000 a month to lobby the federal Government in the lead-up to its collapse...

Union seeks talks on child-care staff

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:13:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emily Sherlock - January 29, 2009
The child-care workers' union has asked to meet the ACT Government urgently after parents had to collect their children from the ABC in Garran this week because it lacked staff...

Former childcare minister Larry Anthony lobbied for ABC Learning

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 29, 2009
FAILED childcare chain ABC Learning paid one of its directors, former childcare minister Larry Anthony, more than $235000 to lobby governments on its behalf...

Confidence ABC key

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - January 28, 2009
RECEIVERS controlling the bulk of ABC Learning centres are pitching a "don't worry" message to parents and staff, saying they have reined in a business bent on "out-of-control expansion"...

Baby locked inside childcare centre

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +1000

Northern Territory News - January 28th, 2009
A WOMAN was forced to throw a rock through the window of a Darwin childcare centre after her eight-month-old baby was locked inside. Police said the woman went to the childcare...

Receivers to sell off 720 of ABC's finest

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:33:00 +1000

Australian Financial Review - Nabila Ahmed - January 28, 2009
Receivers for collapsed child-care empire ABC Learning Centres are preparing to launch a sale process for the company's 720 profitable centres in about two months, with the future of the business expected to be decided in the second half of the year...

Families stranded by ABC walkout

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:32:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Louis Andrews and Natasha Rudra - January 28, 2009
It is understood at least five child-care workers walked away from the Garran centre last week, leaving it unable to meet the required child-to-staff ratio...

Foreigners show interest in ABC Learning centres

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:16:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - January 25, 2009
CANADIANS, Singaporeans and Britons are among bidders for 241 ''unviable'' ABC Learning childcare centres put up for sale by PPB. PPB, which runs the sales...

Groves claims $3.3m from receiver

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 26, 2009
ABC Learning founder Eddy Groves is claiming $3.3 million inunpaid wages, holiday pay and long-service leave from the receiver of his collapsed childcare...

Staggered start for kindy kids

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danielle Teutsch - January 25, 2009
PARENTS would have an easier choice to make about when their children start school if intakes were staggered throughout the year, a leading expert in school transitions believes...

Former rival Mike Gordon weighs ABC childcare centres

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:49:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 24, 2009
Just four years ago, he amassed a fortune flogging his Peppercorn chain of childcare centres to his rival, Eddy Groves. Today the multi-millionaire grazier...

Three killed in childcare stabbings

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:48:00 +1000

The Australian - January 24, 2009
DENDERMONDE, Belgium: A man armed with a knife went on a rampage at a daycare centre in Belgium last night, killing two children and an adult. Eleven children were wounded...

Childcare group linked to ABC goes into administration

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:47:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - January 23, 2009
A CHILDCARE company whose owners bought a Canadian ski property with Eddy Groves has collapsed amid doubts over a $7 million debt repayment to ABC Learning...

Average cost of raising a child nears £200000

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:46:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - James Meikle - January 23, 2009
Childcare and education make up the brunt of the potential costs. Over the years the cost of the former comes to an average of £53818 nationally...

More Parents Face a Child Care Crisis

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:45:00 +1000

ABC News (USA) - Annie Pleshette Murphy and Laura Lacy - January 23, 2009
Parents facing layoffs and reduced hours often can't afford child care costs, and child care centers are closing because of the lack of business...

Childcare firms circle ABC Learning centres

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 23, 2009
MORE than 600 childcare operators are vying to take over failed ABC Learning centres, but some want them handed over free. The receiver of 241 unviable...

Wanted: paid maternity leave

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:36:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Danielle Cronin - January 23, 2009
Australia has gone from world leader to backwater in one crucial area paid maternity leave...

Strong discipline in schools can lead to lasting harm - study

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:35:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - January 23, 2009
STRONG disciplinary regimes in schools can cause lasting harm to new preps, an Australian study has found. School starters may find their teachers...

Just 'a dollar a day' can help childcare

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:38:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - January 22, 2009
Reducing child-to-staff ratios at childcare centres will cost parents about a dollar a day, the federal government says. Victoria is about to adopt the West...

$6000-a-day profits at ABC childcare centres before axe

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 22, 2009
ABC Learning was pocketing at least $6000 a day in profits from a group of childcare centres it shut down after Christmas. The 21 centres - leased from...

Better care proposed for tots, but parents will pay for it

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:16:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - January 22, 2009
PROPOSED State Government child-care regulations could increase fees by hundreds of dollars a year for parents with more than one child in care...

ABC Learning receivers offer money-back guarantee

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:57:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 21, 2009
COLLAPSED childcare chain ABC Learning is offering parents a 30-day "money-back guarantee" in a bid to lure more children to the failed centres as they are prepared for sale...

State pledges tougher rules for child-care workers

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:57:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - January 21, 2009
EVERY child-care worker will have to gain a minimum qualification and the ratios of staff to children will be improved under changes proposed by the State...

Parents slugged extra for childcare

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:56:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Kylie Hansen, Karen Collier and Kate Presst - January 21, 2009
CHILDCARE prices have risen by as much as $100 a week in suburbs where ABC centres have closed. Parents looking for spots for their children in areas such...

The scandal in childcare

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:55:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - January 21, 2009
GOUGING money from desperate parents is a mean way to make money. When it happens during a severe financial downturn it shows a ruthless opportunism...

Call for more male nursery staff

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:55:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - January 20, 2009
Men are being urged to take jobs in nurseries after a survey suggested many parents want their toddlers to have more contact with male role models...

Children 21 bid for ABC Learning Centres

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:10:00 +1000

The Age – January 20, 2009
A group of non-profit organisations have formed a consortium to bid for the 241 former ABC Learning Centres Ltd deemed financially unviable and hope to...

Stricter kindergarten rules rough on children

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:56:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - January 20, 2009
The analysis of policy documents from 40 child-care centres, preschools and schools across Sydney shows that kindergarten teachers were often more impersonal and punitive in their approach to children...

Families caught by childcare collapse: ABC Learning, CFK

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:34:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Angela Saurine - January 19, 2009
Ms Cronberfer said she was "irate" the Federal Government was keeping ABC centres open until March, but CFK was not given the same opportunity...

Community group and Bendigo Bank eye unviable ABC childcare centres

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 17, 2009
A CONSORTIUM of charities and community childcare operators has teamed up with a bank to swoop on all 241 failed ABC childcare centres on the market...

Why healthy eating starts in the nursery

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:28:00 +1000

The Times (UK) - Caroline Stacey - January 17, 2009
With obesity on the rise pressure is growing for children to learn about good diet before they start school...

Govt should buy ABC centres, says union

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:50:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - January 16, 2009
The Australian Education Union (AEU) says the federal government should work with the states and territories on a strategy to secure the childcare centres...

Childcare licensing delays an 'outrage and disgrace'

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:55:00 +1000

ABC Online - January 15, 2009
The Federal Opposition has accused the Government of a licensing bungle involving ABC Learning childcare centres. Receivers for the failed company closed 55...

Childcare staff encouraged to set up home-based services

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:39:00 +1000

The Advertiser - Valerina Changarathil - January 14, 2009
CHILDCARE workers made redundant by the collapse of ABC Learning and other childcare centres are being encouraged to set up shop at home...

ABC Learning centres up for sale

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:58:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Petrina Berry - January 14, 2009
The futures of nearly 12,000 children go under the hammer as more than 200 ABC childcare centres go up for sale on Wednesday. The sale of the 241 centres...

Non-profit buyers targeted for child care centres

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:43:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - January 14, 2009
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard told The Age she had asked the receivers to look favourably on offers that would inject diversity into child care, particularly from non-profit groups...

Federal Parliament child-care centre full

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:42:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emma MacDonald - January 14, 2009
The Anglicare-run Capital Hill Early Childhood Centre will open on February 2, after almost two decades of lobbying for child care in Federal Parliament by generations of female politicians...

Families prepare to make ABC change

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Malcolm Brown - January 13, 2009
KAREN ROACH, a single mother with a full-time job and a 21-month-old daughter, does not want to join the exodus from ABC Learning child-care centres...

Fourth childcare group hit by ABC collapse

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 13, 2009
A FOURTH childcare chain with links to the collapsed ABC Learning is set to close more centres. TenFour Pty Ltd is talking to parents and staff about them...

Working parents cop criticism

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:18:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Lisa Tait - January 12, 2009
FIRST it was the Mummy Wars. Now workplaces are the flashpoint of tension between those with flexible working hours and on the traditional nine-to-five grind...

One in 10 childcare centres a failure

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:16:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Tim Vollmer - January 12, 2009
ALMOST 10 per cent of the state's childcare centres are failing to meet quality standards, with more than 100 at risk of having their childcare benefit approval cancelled...

Child-care situation laughable, but not funny

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:02:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - January 11, 2009
Child-care availability. For years now, the ACT has, anecdotally, suffered from a lack of available spaces for young children in qualified professional child-care facilities...

Full house

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emily Sherlock - January 11, 2009
MORE THAN 80 per cent of child-care centres in Canberra are full and the rest nearing capacity, in a situation described as ''ridiculous'' for working parents...

ABC receiver threatens to sue for toys

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 10, 2009
ABC Learning's receiver is threatening to sue a rival childcare operator for the return of toys and playground equipment, after parents rallied to rescue...

Receiver seeks quick CFK sale

Fri, 9 Jan 2009 09:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 9, 2009
THE receivers of the failed child care provider, CFK Childcare Centres, said they are working through a shortlist of 40 buyers looking to acquire some...

Closures, mergers looming for ABC Learning childcare centres

Fri, 9 Jan 2009 09:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - January 09, 2009
CHILDCARE centres that are being propped up with taxpayer funds may end up closing, the receiver running 241 unprofitable ABC Learning centres admitted yesterday...

Contract apology by ABC

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 11:03:00 +1000

The Australian - January 08, 2009
RECEIVERS for ABC Learning centres have apologised over new employment contracts sent to workers providing for reduced job security and benefits...

ABC corpse lures vultures

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 16:05:00 +1000

The Age - Michael Pascoe - January 7, 2009
While the corpse of the ABC Learning business continues to be picked over, someone believes there's a big premium to be had over what the market is presently valuing the actual child care centres...

Little time for ABC rescue

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 10:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Malcolm Brown - January 6, 2009
ABOUT 20000 children and 4000 staff from ABC Learning centres remain in urgent need of help following the child-care group's demise, the Liquor...

ABC Learning link to Japan's childcare closures

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 09:25:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - January 04, 2009
THE collapse of ABC Learning has spread to Japan with the closure of a fledgling operation with links to the Australian childcare giant...

Lessons to be learnt from ABC Learning's collapse

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 11:54:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - January 2, 2009
Executives are running for cover after the child-care operator's failure, but they are not the only ones in the firing line...

And the battle of the Groves goes on and on

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 11:54:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danny John - January 2, 2009
EDDY GROVES has resolved to continue fighting his estranged wife's legal claims that he "unjustly enriched" himself at her expense...

Anger as ABC child centres close

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:59:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Alice Coster and Geraldine Mitchell - January 01, 2009
The doors were closed after the giant childcare group went into receivership in November with debts of almost $1.6 billion. Julie-Anne Winzer held back...

All children catered for after ABC closures: Govt

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:58:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 31, 2008
The Federal Government says alternative places have been found for all the children affected by the closure of ABC learning childcare centres...

ABC Learning saga an industry cry for help: LHMU

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:54:00 +1000

ABC Online - Adrian Crawford - December 30, 2008
The head of the union representing childcare workers says the crisis that has plagued embattled provider ABC Learning shows the industry can no longer be ignored by policymakers...

'Attractive' ABC contractor deal easy as 123

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:17:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - December 26, 2008
Details about the 123 Group were revealed for the first time in the creditors' report by administrators John Greig and Richard Hughes of Deloitte...

Eddy Groves rejects legal claims in Supreme Court

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:16:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - December 26, 2008
FALLEN childcare entrepreneur Eddy Groves has rejected bitter legal claims he wrongly enriched himself at the expense of estranged wife Le Neve...

Brief reprieve for child-care centres

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:50:00 +1000

The Age - Dewi Cooke - December 23, 2008
FOURTEEN child-care centres linked to ABC Learning that were threatened with closure by the end of the year will remain open for another three weeks...

Unions compete for childcare staff

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:48:00 +1000

The Australian - Brad Norington - December 22, 2008
AS the future of failed childcare chain ABC Learning remains in doubt, unions have started a turf war over which should represent thousands of workers left in limbo...

ABC link to more childcare centre closures

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 20, 2008
THE lover and the brother-in-law of failed childcare entrepreneur Eddy Groves have ties to the company that announced the sudden closure of 14 childcare centres yesterday...

Child-care centres to close without explanation

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:52:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - December 20, 2008
THE Federal Government has demanded an explanation from a company with close ties to Eddy Groves that told parents on Thursday it would close 14 child-care...

Mum's word on day care

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:51:00 +1000

The Sunday Times - Colleen Egan - December 19, 2008
In reviewing the nation's childcare responsibilities, Gillard needs to put herself in the booties of our tiniest citizens. She needs to carefully read the report produced by...

Crisis hits another childcare group

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:06:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 19, 2008
Another childcare company is in trouble, with the Neighbourhood Early Learning Centre closing 14 of its sites. The company is owned by the brother-in-law of ABC...

ABC sale proceeds to refund taxpayer

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:14:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 19, 2008
TAXPAYERS will receive proceeds from the sale of 249 failed ABC childcare centres, the new receiver said yesterday. The Supreme Court of NSW yesterday...

Plan to teach tots calls for PC play

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 18, 2008
POLITICAL correctness in the playground is the theme of the nation's first curriculum for childcare centres. A draft "early years learning framework"...

Cant takes magic out

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 18, 2008
Trust the bureaucracy to spoil it by writing a childcare curriculum infested with politically correct jargon and philosophical gobbledygook...

Executives among 80 jobs axed at ABC childcare

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:08:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - December 17, 2008
DOZENS of jobs have been culled from headquarters at collapsed childcare operator ABC Learning Centres - even among executive ranks...

Baby care ratio to cost parents

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita and Sarah Elks - December 17, 2008
CHILDCARE costs will soar if centres are forced to hire extra staff to meet proposed new staffing ratios, industry leaders have warned...

Child care has the chance to rise like the phoenix

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:26:00 +1000

The Age - Paul Slape - December 17, 2008
It may be odd for a union leader to say that good can come from such a collapse, but there is now a real opportunity to reassess where we are heading, perhaps without the ideological blinkers attached...

Group wants ABC Learning control by March

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:39:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 15, 2008
He has told ABC 702 Breakfast although making a profit is a long term goal of the takeover, maintaining child-care services is the group's first priority...

Push to boost childcare staffing

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 15, 2008
CHILDCARE centres will have to hire more qualified staff or turn children away to comply with a proposed federal government ban on carers looking after more than three babies...

Receivers sitting on offers for ABC

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 15, 2008
TWO THOUSAND potential buyers have flooded ABC Learning's receivers with expressions of interest to take over all or part of the failed childcare chain...

Shade cloth 'cancer risk' for children

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:37:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Tory Shepherd - December 15
CHILDREN are being exposed to cancer-causing ultraviolet rays because of "gaping holes" in shadecloth design and installation, consumer group CHOICE warns...

Army of unpaid carers

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:35:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Sarah Marinos - December 14, 2008
MORE couples are turning to their parents to care for the grandchildren as working families struggle to find scarce and expensive child care...

Childcare group welcomes Govt action on UNICEF report

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:35:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 13, 2008
Queensland's largest childcare provider has welcomed the Federal Government's response to a UNICEF report on child care. The organisation ranked Australia...

Child care third rate: Gillard

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - December 13, 2008
...Julia Gillard, said she was not surprised Australia's early childhood services were ranked so poorly, failing eight of the 10 international benchmarks...

Trust us parents, says ABC

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:05:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Peter Jean - December 13, 2008
THE beleaguered ABC Learning group has launched a campaign to persuade parents to enrol their children in 720 centres that are free of the risk of closure...

Union outrage over redundancies

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:03:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - December 13, 2008
THE union representing ABC Learning workers is outraged that the failed company's banking syndicate is refusing to pay for the redundancies and entitlements of about 100 staff who will lose their jobs...

'Outrage warranted' after childcare failings highlighted

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:02:00 +1000

ABC Online - Alison Caldwell - December 12, 2008
It also expresses concerns about Australia's reliance on corporate childcare. The Federal Government says it is already moving to address the problems...

Hope for ABC childcare families

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:01:00 +1000

ABC Online - Friday, 12 December
There's better news for parents with children at the failed ABC childcare centres today with childcare providers jockeying for the right to take over hundreds of the company's centres...

Gillard defends childcare improvement plans

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:55:00 +1000

ABC Online - Alexandra Kirk - Friday, 12 December
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education Julia Gillard says the Government is already moving to address serious shortcomings in Australia's childcare...

One-stop childcare model to save ABC Learning Centres

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:54:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott, Liliana Molina and Liam Walsh - December 12, 2008
ONE-stop childcare centres based on a revolutionary British model are being proposed to help keep the 241 unviable ABC Learning Centres open...

Labor to open centres where ABC closes

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 12, 2008
THE federal Government plans to build childcare centres in the same neighbourhoods where ABC Learning wants to close them. Six of the 38 new "early learning and care centres" to be built...

UNICEF report slates Australia's failing childcare

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - December 12, 2008
AUSTRALIA has the third-worst childcare and early learning system in the developed world, a new international report finds. Our early childhood services sit above only Canada and Ireland...

Business-as-usual model for child care not viable

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:58:00 +1000

The Age - December 12, 2008
THE Rudd Government came to office last year promising an "education revolution", which included an extra 260 child-care centres. Its first budget committed...

Gillard talks up prospects for ABC centres

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - December 12, 2008
THE 241 ABC Learning child-care centres identified as unviable face closure unless buyers can be found or the Federal Government is prepared to spend more to keep them open...

YMCA may step in over ABC

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:55:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - December 12, 2008
ABOUT 100 ABC Learning child-care centres whose futures remain precarious could be rescued by the YMCA. The not-for-profit organisation, which already...

ABC Learning outcome 'disappointing' - Eddie Groves

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:54:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - December 11, 2008
FORMER ABC Learning boss Eddy Groves has spoken out on his failed childcare empire, saying the company should never have gone into administration...

Rudd points finger over ABC Learning woes

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:54:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 11, 2008
Mr Rudd says the previous government allowed ABC Learning to gain control of 25 per cent of the long day care market. The Federal Government announced...

Childcare is bad for babies, UN warns

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:20:00 +1000

The Australian - Alexandra Frean - December 11, 2008
PARNETS and governments are taking a "high-stakes gamble" with the long-term wellbeing of children by subjecting them to long hours of formal childcare from a very young age...

Receivers confident buyers can be found for ABC centres

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:38:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 11, 2008
However Barrie Elvish of community-based childcare provider C&K says unless there is a diverse number of owners to take over the centres there could be another collapse...

ABC creditors sweat on return

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:36:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 11, 2008
...child-care centres yesterday but it may be months before creditors get an estimate of how much of a return they will receive on the $1.66 billion owed to them...

An illustration of all that is wrong in the corporate world

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:36:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Ian Verrender - December 11, 2008
If there are any regrets from Eddy Groves about the workers in 55 ABC Learning child-care centres declared uneconomic by the receiver, he certainly isn't showing it...

Gillard on ABC Learning closures

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:35:00 +1000

7.30 Report (ABC TV) - Kerry O'Brien - December 10, 2008
Kerry O’Brien interviews Education Minister Julia Gillard following announcements that many centres of the embattled ABC Learning childcare provider are set to close...

ABC childcare bailout we had to have

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 10, 2008
THE Rudd Government had no choice but to inject another $34 million into life-support for the ailing ABC Learning group. The only other option - to shut down 241 unprofitable centres - would...

Qld govt will 'help with childcare'

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:58:00 +1000

The Age - December 10, 2008
Premier Anna Bligh on Wednesday said the government would help any family in need to find alternative care in their local area as soon as possible...

Federal Government to give $34m to keep ABC Learning centres afloat

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - December 10, 2008
THE federal government will provide an additional $34 million to keep 241 unprofitable ABC Learning centres open until March next year. The decision follows...

ABC Learning to close 55 centres

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 10, 2008
Only 55 ABC Learning child care centres will close, and care is expected to be available for all 110000 children attending its centres into next year...

ABC parents need to know their children's future

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:35:00 +1000

The Age - December 10, 2008
The difficulties facing the receiver must be acknowledged, but it is only two weeks till Christmas and the families caught up in the ABC debacle need to know now what awaits them in 2009...

Staff at ABC Belvedere Learning Centre says Olivia Villella is 'fat and obese'

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:34:00 +1000

The Australian - Nikki Protyniak - December 10, 2008
Olivia Villella is a healthy, thriving baby girl, according to her mother and the experts - but staff at her childcare centre described her as "fat" and "obese"...

Desperate parents mount rescue appeal over ABC

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:34:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - December 10, 2008
THEY may be just 30 signatures scrawled on two pieces of paper, but they epitomise the anxiety of thousands of parents. The signatures were collected by...

Child-care rescue plea rejected

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 12:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - December 9, 2008
THE immediate future of CFK Child Care's 39 centres in NSW is in peril after the Federal Government refused to provide financial support for the failed chain...

ABC childcare staff angry over jobs

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 12:02:00 +1000

The Age - December 9, 2008
The union representing ABC Learning childcare staff is demanding the company's receiver clarify which workers will have a job next year...

Preschools to receive $21m state injection

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 14:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Clennell - December 8, 2008
THE State Government will spend $21 million on creating 10,500 extra preschool places and will soon finalise details of an agreement with the Council of Australian Governments...

Oppn calls for detail on receiver's ABC Learning plans

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 14:57:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 6, 2008
The Federal Opposition says parents of children at hundreds of ABC Learning child care centres need more information about a plan to secure their places...

Discovery of secret deals adds to woes at ABC

Sat, 6 Dec 2008 10:50:00 +1000

The Age - December 6, 2008
The extraordinary deal, for Kemp to sell to ABC three child-care centres he owned, is one of a host of related-party transactions involving key executives ...

No guarantee for ABC Learning centres: receiver

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 16:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 05, 2008
ABC Learning's receiver says it is drawing up a plan to provide alternative care next year for children in centres facing closure...

Administrative delays hinder childcare rebate

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 11:54:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - December 05, 2008
ALMOST half the 600000 families promised a new childcare tax rebate worth up to $1875 a quarter have not received their first payment...

Childcare crisis to keep fathers at home

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 09:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 03, 2008
Mr Warren expects he will have to quit his job to care for the kids, aged three and one, if ABC's receivers shut down the centre after federal government rescue funding runs out...

Early Learning Services eyes ABC

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 09:01:00 +1000

Gold Coast News - Nick Nichols - December 2nd, 2008
Chief executive John Hutchison yesterday said the collapse of ABC Learning had given ELS 'a once in a lifetime opportunity' to grow its business...

ABC failure doesn't condemn corporate child care

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:46:00 +1000

The Age - Julie Novak - December 2, 2008
The private sector has played an important role in expanding the supply of Australian child-care places, in response to the increasing workforce participation of women...

Parents defy experts on television and computers

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:45:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - December 02, 2008
By the time kids are two, 65 per cent are in some form of child care. Against the advice of many experts, one in nine kids aged three to four do not go to any type of child care...

Toddlers are too dear to care for

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:45:00 +1000

The Australian - Katie Hardie-Buckley and Angus Hohenboken - December 02, 2008
CHILDCARE centres that cater for a large number of zero to two-year-olds are being targeted for closure by the receivers of ABC Learning because they are too expensive to run...

Big banks urged to support ABC Learning

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:44:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 2, 2008
A union representing childcare workers is calling on the major banks to financially support the troubled ABC Learning. The receivers for the failed company...

Early childhood ABC centres targeted for closure: LHMU

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 16:56:00 +1000

ABC Online - December 1, 2008
The union representing childcare workers says it believes several ABC Learning centres have been targeted for closure because they cater for very young children...

Parental leave no panacea to boost women in workforce: managers

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:04:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - December 01, 2008
Only a third of executives believe a compulsory paid maternity leave scheme would encourage women to join or return to the workforce. In fact, paid parental leave ranked...

ABC receivers to spell out child-care viability

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:04:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - December 1, 2008
ABC Learning's receivers are expected to whittle down the list of unviable child-care centres this Wednesday from the 386 that were named as "under review" last week...

ABC's landlord rescue talks to rivals

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:01:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - December 01, 2008
Listed property trust Austock - which owns one in four of the childcare centres occupied by ABC Learning - is already negotiating with potential new managers for its properties to prevent them closing...

Child-care centre in court over strangling

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kate McClymont - December 1, 2008
THE child-care operator CFK Childcare Centres is being prosecuted after an investigation into the accidental strangulation of a three-year-old at its Brookvale...

Two year wait for child care after ABC learning collapse

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:04:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 30, 2008
DOZENS of childcare centres have already closed their books for next year and warned parents affected by the collapse of ABC Learning they have no hope of getting a place...

Secret social lives of babies

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:03:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sharon Labi - November 30, 2008
The ground-breaking research by psychologist Professor Ben Bradley, at Charles Sturt University, could revolutionise the way child-care centres are set up...

Time to let the watchdog bark

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:02:00 +1000

The Age - Alan Fels & Fred Brenchley - November 29, 2008
"I'VE spent a lot of time thinking how did we get to this?" Education Minister Julia Gillard reflected recently on the collapse of child-care providers ABC Learning and CFK, both liberally funded with taxpayer...

Another blow to child care

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:01:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Mitch Gaynor - November 29, 2008
DEVELOPERS have shelved dozens of planned daycare projects in 2008, prompting warnings that parents may struggle to find places for their children towards...

Parents pay $23,000 a year for top-class child care

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:12:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Kamahl Cogdon - November 29, 2008
VICTORIA'S most expensive childcare centres are charging more than elite private schools. Parents are billed almost $23,000 a year...

It takes a village

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:05:00 +1000

Business Spectator - Robert Gottliebsen - November 28, 2008
Large numbers of community groups will now be looking into the possibility of operating former ABC Learning Centres. If they get it right the whole community will benefit...

Frantic hunt for places as childcare crisis worsens

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:39:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Brooke Newstead - November 28, 2008
PARENTS hoping to avoid a scramble caused by closure of ABC childcare centres have started relocating their children to new care providers...

ABC child-care crisis hits Defence

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:38:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger and Stephanie Peatling - November 28, 2008
THE Department of Defence was ABC Learning's single biggest customer and the 41 Defence child-care centres are under a cloud - all are on the list...

More child-care aid requested

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:37:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - November 28, 2008
The receiver of NSW-based CFK Childcare, Max Donnelly of Ferrier Hodgson, yesterday said he had submitted a funding request to the Government to keep the...

YMCA makes play for ABC Learning child centres

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:37:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Ben Packham - November 28, 2008
THE YMCA has launched a bid to take over about 100 ABC Learning Centres, including 50 in Victoria. The not-for-profit agency, which operates 550 childcare...

Fears over ABC childcare centres sparks rescue plan

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:36:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott and Liam Walsh - November 27, 2008
FEARS of a shortage of childcare places in Queensland next year if some ABC Learning Centres shut down have sparked a massive contingency plan. Childcare Queensland...

Future of 60 Qld-based ABC Learning centres uncertain

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:35:00 +1000

ABC - November 27, 2008
Australia's largest state childcare organisation, Childcare Queensland, has welcomed the announcement ABC Learning's receivers about the future of the company's childcare centres...

CFK Childcare to sell 32 centres

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:31:00 +1000

The Age - November 27, 2008
The receivers of Australia's second largest childcare group, CFK Childcare Centres Ltd, are selling 32 centres, with an advertising campaign to begin on Friday...

ABC's receiver won't commit on unlisted centres

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:30:00 +1000

Sunrise - November 27, 2008
Chris Honey from McGrathNicol, the appointed receiver for ABC Learning Centres, has told Sunrise he understands the concern of parents but cannot be certain what will happen...

30000 ABC child care kids could lose places

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:32:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 26, 2008
PARENTS of 80000 children using ABC Learning childcare centres have been told their centres will remain open but another 386 centres are still under review...

Child-care group has not sought help

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 26, 2008
NO FINANCIAL assistance has been sought from the Federal Government by the child-care organisation CFK, which last week became the second chain to go into...

Paid maternity leave scheme appears to be dead in the water

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:07:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 25, 2008
THE paid maternity leave scheme appears to be dead in the water with even the minister in charge of the status of women warning it may be put off as the country can't afford it...

ABC Learning employees lobby for entitlements

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:35:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 25, 2008
ABC Learning childcare workers and their union are in Canberra to lobby the Federal Government to guarantee their entitlements. The biggest player in the...

Greens call for child care sector inquiry

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:35:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 25, 2008
The Greens say a Senate inquiry is needed to set out the future of childcare in Australia. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will introduce a motion to the Senate ...

Empty playroom at ABC

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:31:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Michael Pascoe - November 24, 2008
With the exception of Victoria, state governments do not allow the transfer of child care licences. The only way the ABC Learning "business" can be sold is if a single party buys the whole thing...

Firm CFK accused of cutting back quality of care

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:42:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 24, 2008
PRIVATE childcare operator CFK has been accused of slashing standards of care for children in the months before it went into administration...

Tim Vollmer's son Uriah left at Penrith's Nepean Pre-School alone

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:42:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Tim Vollmer - November 24, 2008
THE shocking state of Australia's childcare system has been revealed in the most personal way, with my 18-month-old son left abandoned by staff inside a locked centre...

Parents demand lock-up changes at childcare centres

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:40:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Rhett Watson - November 24, 2008
CALLS have been made for the Government to immediately review lock-up procedures for childcare outlets after a second case of a child being left in an empty centre...

Future of childcare uncertain

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:17:00 +1000

Inside Business (ABC TV) - Kathy Swan - November 23, 2008
This week the nation's second largest child-care group CFK joined its bigger role model ABC Learning in the hands of the corporate undertakers...

Children sent overseas as child-care crisis worsens

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Erik Jensen - November 23, 2008
FAMILIES are sending children overseas for child care as the critical shortage of places worsens. Waiting lists of three years or more have lengthened in...

Coalition MP fails to declare interest in ABC

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +1000

The Age - Michael Bachelard - November 23, 2008
A COALITION backbencher who is owed money by collapsed child-care giant ABC Learning has urged the Federal Government to support the business despite the...

ABC childcare sell-off looms

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +1000

The Sunday Mail - November 23, 2008
INDEPENDENT childcare operators are eyeing several centres of the failed ABC Learning, which will likely be put on the market soon...

George was ignored over child-care fear

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Alan Ramsey - November 22, 2008
Now that Fast Eddy's career has collapsed, leaving chaos and family heartache in the child-care industry in this country, George's speech is worth recalling...

Kids in alphabet soup

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 21, 2008
Gillard yesterday flagged a much more interventionist approach to running child care, with controls on where centres are built and the introduction of new national standards....

ABC Learning Centre's woes engulf 123 Group

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:24:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - November 21, 2008
Yesterday's move into voluntary administration and liquidation of companies in the Brisbane-based 123 Group means the potential loss of almost 120 jobs...

Govt pressed to guarantee childcare worker entitlements

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:24:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 21, 2008
Childcare workers' union the LHMU is pressing the Federal Government to ensure workers at collapsed centres get all their entitlements...

ELS probes child care acquisitions

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:23:00 +1000

The Age - November 20, 2008
Childcare operator Early Learning Services Ltd (ELS) has been approached by a number of child care industry stakeholders looking to join forces...

Gillard warned against CFK bailout

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:33:00 +1000

ABC Online – November 20, 2008
The chief executive of Community Child Care NSW, Carol Lymbery, says the Government should not provide any more funds. "I believe that the receiver is going to try and trade through,"...

We won't hold the baby: non-profits

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin, Stephanie Peatling and Erik Jensen - November 20, 2008
But the sector fears the most profitable centres will be sold to commercial buyers, leaving it and the Government with up to 400 marginal centres...

Staff levels, rent could have caused centres' collapse

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:31:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - November 20, 2008
The major misunderstanding with child-care organisations is how expensive they are to operate. Labour costs are high due to the intensive needs of young children...

Paid maternity leave 'not negotiable'

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:31:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 20, 2008
THE ACTU has warned the Federal Government that paid maternity leave is not negotiable and must be delivered in next year's Budget...

Gillard to meet receivers

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:30:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - November 20, 2008
EDUCATION Minister Julia Gillard has refused to rule out spending more taxpayer money to prop up a second child-care company. CFK Childcare, which runs...

Community groups want ABC centres

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:29:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Joanna Vaughn - November 20, 2008
SOUTH Australia's community-based childcare providers have called on the Federal Government to help them take over the failed ABC Learning Centres...

Childcare on the auction block

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:29:00 +1000

Business Spectator - Robert Gottliebsen - November 19, 2008
ABC Learning is shaping up as one of the biggest losses the Australian banking sector has seen. Bank exposure to the company is around $1 billion...

Urgent talks to help CFK Childcare

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - November 19, 2008
URGENT government talks are under way with CFK Childcare, the second major chain to collapse this month, but there are no guarantees of a bailout to keep...

Second child-care company sinks into mire

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:59:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger and Vanda Carson - November 19, 2008
THE crisis in the child-care sector deepened last night after a second chain fell into the hands of administrators, succumbing to similar problems as those...

ABC Learning's debt revealed as rival CFK Childcare Centres collapses

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:59:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 19, 2008
And now dozens more childcare centres are facing closure after the domino-like collapse of a rival company. CFK Childcare Centres, which runs 43 creches in NSW...

Child care wrecking easy as ... ABC Learning

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:58:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - November 19, 2008
For a start, not enough people were listening to warnings that there was no place for corporate giants in the childcare sector...

Greens host childcare summit

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - November 19, 2008
CHILDCARE providers in South Australia will get to have their say about the future of the sector at meeting today...

Potential lawsuit from ABC Learning ally looms

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:57:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - November 19, 2008
MORGAN Stanley, one of ABC Learning Centres' most recent investment allies, has turned against the childcare giant. A creditors meeting in Brisbane...

Families need quality, affordable child care

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:57:00 +1000

The Age - Catherine Deveny - November 19, 2008
The term child care needs to be qualified. There are different types and different amounts. Good-quality child care is what we're after...

ABC link spells end for CFK Childcare

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:56:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - November 18, 2008
The operator of 43 child-care centres in NSW, CFK Childcare Centres, has gone into voluntary administration due to a failed asset sell-off to ABC Learning ...

ABC Learning's future known in a week

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:15:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Evan Schwarten and Lea Emery - November 18, 2008
PARENTS with children at ABC Learning centres should know within a week whether the company plans to close centres from next year...

ABC Learning in race against time

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:18:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - November 18, 2008
The receivers of ABC Learning have vowed to keep the failed child-care giant alive, in a race against time as more parents pull their children out of ABC centres...

ABC Learning owes 2000 creditors almost $1.67bn

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:17:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 18, 2008
Banks are owed $955 million, plus $600 million in convertible notes, and ABC's 1600 childcare workers are owed $31 million in holiday pay and long-service leave. Other unsecured creditors...

ABC Learning centres 'can't be closed overnight'

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:16:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 18, 2008
DEPUTY Prime Minister Julia Gillard has accused the owner of 15 ABC Learning centres of scaremongering, after he threatened to shut the facilities down before Christmas...

Office workers caring for ABC kids

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 18, 2008
ABC Learning has admitted clerical staff are caring for children, as the owner of 15 of the collapsed childcare giant's centres threatens to shut them down...

Families deserve a simpler method

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Jessica Brown - November 18, 2008
FINANCE Minister Lindsay Tanner's recent signals that taxpayer-funded parental leave may be left out of next year's budget because of the financial crisis will be a blow to...

ABC Learning's administrator to address creditors

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:22:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 18, 2008
The administrator of the ABC Learning Group will address creditors for the first time today. Representatives from Ferrier Hodgson will advise the meeting in Brisbane...

Blend of owners sought for ABC

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 18, 2008
LOCAL governments will not be given carte blanche to take over the child-care centres of the failed ABC Learning, with the Federal Government insisting a mix of private and community groups run the centres...

Australian Navy orders two-month shutdown

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:21:00 +1000

The Australian - November 18, 2008
All local commanders have been ordered to allow personnel affected by the ABC Learning childcare crisis more flexible working arrangements...

Government childcare places could cause oversupply

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:20:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Melanie Christiansen - November 17, 2008
CHILDCARE Queensland has warned that government plans for hundreds of new childcare places will threaten the viability of existing operators...

Councils eye-off ABC Learning Centres

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:12:00 +1000

Government News - Angela Dorizas - November 17, 2008
The Australian Services Union (ASU) has called on the Federal Government to give priority to councils interested in taking over childcare...

Funtastic reveals $8.5m exposure to ABC

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - November 17, 2008
Toy supplier Funtastic Ltd says trading exposure so far to the financially troubled ABC Learning Centre Ltd is about $8.5 million...

Non-bank growth? It's child's play

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:29:00 +1000

Business Spectator - Robert Gottliebsen - November 17, 2008
A number of Bendigo Bank community branches are looking at acquiring ABC Learning child-minding centres in their area. Bendigo Bank chief executive Rob Hunt did not spell out specific...

Children miss out on skills

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:24:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Karen Collier - November 17, 2008
KIDS are being starved of learning opportunities in childcare centres and at home, leaving them at risk of poor performance when they reach school...

Collapse of ABC to fuel legal overhaul

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - November 17, 2008
THE collapse of childcare giant ABC Learning has fast-tracked Rudd Government plans to overhaul corporate law to block creeping acquisitions, by which large...

Toddlers forced out by ABC Learning crisis

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:23:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 17, 2008
FAMILIES with children aged under two are likely to be the hardest hit by the collapse of childcare provider ABC Learning. The shortage of childcare places for the under-twos...

Kids at risk in child care

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:59:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Fiona Hudson - November 16, 2008
VICTORIAN childcare centres have received formal cautions for incidents including falling skylight covers, broken glass doors and roaming children...

Staff call on parents to stand by ABC

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Leesha McKenny - November 16, 2008
ABC Learning staff have appealed for parents to stick with their centres as they await news on their futures into next year. Child-care worker Kim Sandford...

ABC Learning debacle pits money against care

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:58:00 +1000

The Age - James Kirby - November 16, 2008
THE spectacular collapse of child-care company ABC Learning Centres raises a lot more urgent questions than the obvious one about whether privatisation is...

Buyers size up ABC Learning as parents weigh options

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 15, 2008
FOUR operators have expressed interest in taking over some child-care centres run by ABC Learning. The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, said yesterday that private and not-for-profit...

Time to rethink ABCs of child care, say experts

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:27:00 +1000

THe Age - Tom Arup and Dan Harrison - November 15, 2008
LEADING child-care experts believe the collapse of ABC Learning gives the Federal Government the perfect opportunity to restructure child-care policy...

Class-action lawsuit readied on child-care company demise

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:26:00 +1000

The Age - Tom Arup - November 15, 2008
IMF Australia is preparing a potential class-action lawsuit against ABC Learning's receivers, auditors and former directors...

Gillard to clarify ABC Learning's status next month

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:25:00 +1000

ABC Online - Bill Bainbridge - November 15, 2008
Some parents aren't prepared to wait that long, they're already looking for alternative child care centres. The company receiver is urging parents to...

Govt won't increase ABC Learning funding: Gillard

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:52:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 14, 2008
The Federal Government has ruled out topping up its rescue package for ABC Learning, saying the money already given to the struggling child care provider is sufficient...

CBA considers action over ABC

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:21:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - George Lekakis and Liam Walsh - November 14, 2008
Mr Norris hinted the bank may consider taking legal action against former directors and auditors of ABC Learning but he refused to say what form such action may take...

Commonwealth Bank lost $440m in ABC childcare collapse

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita,Richard Gluyas - November 14, 2008
The bank's annual general meeting in Melbourne yesterday heard that it had written off its entire $440million unsecured exposure to ABC Learning Centres...

High Court cautious in ruling work expenses

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:20:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicola Berkovic - November 14, 2008
THE High Court has carefully avoided opening the door to new claims for deductibility of expenses such as childcare and travel to work in a ruling...

$30m lifeline as ABC funds run dry

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:19:00 +1000

The Age - Tom Arup and Dan Harrison - November 14, 2008
A SYNDICATE of ABC Learning's banking creditors has lent the failed company a further $30 million to keep child-care centres open until the end of the year...

Parents buckle up for race to flee ABC

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Erik Jensen and Vanda Carson - November 14, 2008
Parents at a centre in the Hills District were told by the centre director on Monday to look elsewhere for places - possibly for a closure before Christmas...

The business of caring

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:35:00 +1000

The Age - Prof Deborah Brennan - November 13, 2008
THE collapse of ABC Learning is an opportunity for the Rudd Government to rethink the fundamentals of Australian early education and care...

Challenges and opportunities: the demise of ABC Learning

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:34:00 +1000

ABC Online - Helen Kenneally (CAA) - November 13, 2008
Australian children and families deserve an early childhood education and care framework that drives quality outcomes and genuine choice...

ABC Learning accounts in a mess: Julia Gillard

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - November 13, 2008
JULIA Gillard has warned that deciding the future of ABC Learning Centres will be time-consuming because the company's accounts are in such poor shape investigators will have to...

Spotlight on ABC's grip on child care

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - November 13, 2008
THE concentration of the child-care industry will be addressed by the Federal Government as part of its long-term plans for the sector...

Most ABC Centres are safe: Treasury chief

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:32:00 +1000

The Age - November 12, 2008
Most ABC Learning centres will stay open - even if they have to change their name, Treasury boss Ken Henry says. Dr Henry today moved to reassure parents...

Mopping up the ABC Learning Centres mess

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:01:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Ben Packham and Susie O'Brien - November 12, 2008
About 126 ABC centres in the state, almost half, have vacancies according to careforkids.com.au. Many centres have places available for every day of the...

Parent fury at childcare fees increase in mini-Budget

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:00:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Kate Sikora and Vikki Campion - November 12, 2008
STRUGGLING families will be hit by higher childcare fees as the State Government slugs operators an extra $1100 a year. Fees are expected to rise by $11 a week...

Family day care seeks to capitalise on ABC woes

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:58:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 12, 2008
Parents and childcare workers are being urged to consider a switch to family day care amid the difficulties being experienced by ABC Learning...

Gillard widens childcare probe

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Dennis Shanahan - November 12, 2008
JULIA Gillard has sent forensic accountants into failed childcare group ABC Learning as part of a growing investigation into the company's collapse that includes the corporate watchdog...

ACCC stops proceedings against ABC Learning

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:52:00 +1000

Business Spectator - November 11, 2008
By a staff reporter The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has stopped proceedings against ABC Leanings Centres, after the troubled child care...

ABC reassures parents that services will be provided in 2009

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:52:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Michael Madigan and Liam Walsh - November 11, 2008
EMBATTLED childcare giant ABC Learning Centres is trying to reassure parents it is making plans for services to be provided into next year...

ABC centres won't close this year - Gillard

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 11, 2008
ALL debt-stricken ABC Learning centres are expected to operate into the new year, federal Education Minister Julia Gillard said today...

Buyers sought for ABC Learning centres

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:54:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 11, 2008
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard today called on the childcare sector to register their interest in the future operation of the centres...

New claims about ABC Learning

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:53:00 +1000

ABC Online - Simon Santow - November 11, 2008
The Federal government is trying to keep the childcare centres of the collapsed company, ABC Learning, running. But now an industry insider has made serious allegations...

Investor doubted ABC's viability

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:44:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - November 11, 2008
TEMASEK, the Government of Singapore's investment fund and ABC Learning Centre's second biggest shareholder, expressed concern about the ongoing viability...

Unprofitable ABC Learning centres will shut

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:04:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Brad Watts - November 11, 2008
CHILDCARE leaders will meet for crisis talks today after the Federal Government revealed vacancy rates, staffing and running costs will be considered by ABC Learning's receivers to determine...

ABC of better childcare

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Henry Ergas - November 11, 2008
There is a compelling case for regulating the quality of childcare services, as already occurs, but a "Moscow on the Molonglo" approach to managing child care is likely to make matters worse rather than better...

Early Learning Services (ELY) 15c

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Tim Boreham - November 11, 2008
THE lingering question from the ABC Learning fiasco is whether the listed childcare model works -- under any circumstances...

Defining the Grandma Effect

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:02:00 +1000

ABC News (USA) - Lauren Cox - November 10, 2008
In the past few years, researchers have begun to study the "grandma effect": the unique psychological benefits of having grandparents care for a child when parents can't...

Greed sours enterprise

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:01:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Paul Syvret - November 10, 2008
What must be remembered is that, in 21st-century Australia, child care is an essential social service. For countless thousands of Kevin Rudd's ubiquitous working families...

Business soars for private childcare centres

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:19:00 +1000

The Age - Stacey Lobo - November 10, 2008
Privately owned child care centres have reported a surge in business, with parents scrambling to find a place for their children after the collapse of ABC Learing...

Child care company offers to buy ABC centres in Vic

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:38:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 10, 2008
A not-for-profit Victorian child-care provider has offered to buy up to 40 centres operated by ABC Learning which went into administration last week...

Greens push for emergency child-care summit

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:38:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 10, 2008
"It's not an appropriate contingency plan, what we need to be doing is engaging and calling together those service providers on the ground, the child-care...

Gillard defends $22m ABC rescue

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Sean Parnell - November 10, 2008
As parents wait for any news on childcare places for next year and beyond, and creditors show similar anxiety over money owed by ABC Learning...

Julia Gillard slams Malcolm Turnbull over ABC childcare

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:35:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Alison Rehn and James McCullough - November 10, 2008
DEPUTY Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull are in a slanging match over 120,000 children in childcare...

Kinders are in super market after all

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:35:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - November 10, 2008
An article in Putting Children First, a journal published by the federally-funded National Childcare Accreditation Council, argues superhero play leads to complex, imaginative games...

Turnbull condemns ABC bailout

Sun, 9 Nov 2008 11:46:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kerry-Anne Walsh and Rachel Browne - November 9, 2008
Under the Federal Government's rescue package, taxpayers will fork out $22 million to prop up the child-care giant until December 31...

400 ABC Learning centres may shut their doors next year

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:21:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Michael Madigan, David Earley, Matthew Ogg and Liam Walsh - November 08, 2008
Ms Gillard said preliminary data from the receivers showed about 40 per cent of ABC Learning's 1040 centres were believed to be unprofitable...

Shareholders demand ABC Learning compensation

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:20:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 8, 2008
The Australian Shareholders' Association says it does not accept shareholders will be the last in line from any break-up of ABC Learning Centres...

Eight banks going all out to hold ABC together

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:19:00 +1000

The Age - Tom Arup and Dan Harrison - November 8, 2008
EIGHT banks with exposure to ABC Learning have banded together to ensure the failed child-care company keeps operating as normal, in part because they hope for a sale...

Eddy cops it as ABC blame game begins

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:17:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - November 08, 2008
IN the blame game over the collapse of ABC Learning Centres, co-founder Eddy Groves says he's behaved ethically...

Women tolled warning bells but no one wanted to listen

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - November 8, 2008
For some time ABC Learning Centres had troubled the child-care experts. The company's baffling balance sheets did not make sense and the labyrinthine...

We pay for childcare domination

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:15:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Angela Saurine - November 08, 2008
Up until the 1990s, most childcare in Australia was offered by non-profit, community-based organisations. These days, about three quarters of childcare centres are operated privately...

Govt urged to buy embattled ABC Learning

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 18:14:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 7, 2008
The not-for-profit child care sector is urging the Federal Government to buy ABC Learning, which has been put into voluntary administration and has revealed it is $1 billion in debt...

Community operators keen to step into ABC void

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 11:23:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 7, 2008
The community childcare sector should take over the running of ABC Learning centres in the wake of the company's collapse, a community childcare advocate...

Government to give $22m to keep ABC Learning going

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 14:04:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - November 07, 2008
THE Federal Government will give up to $22 million to keep ABC Learning childcare centres open until the end of the year. Education Minister Julia Gillard said...

Gillard flags childcare rethink

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:28:00 +1000

ABC Online - Emma Rodgers - November 7, 2008
Education Minister Julia Gillard has indicated the Government may seek tighter controls over the childcare industry in the wake of yesterday's collapse of ABC Learning...

Union calls for ABC employee rescue package

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:27:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 7, 2008
The union representing child care workers is calling for a rescue package to ensure that employees of failed child care provider ABC Learning receive their entitlements...

Big four banks have more than $1bn at stake in ABC Learning Centres

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:26:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Liam Walsh and George Lekakis - November 07, 2008
THE 20-year-old childcare empire of ABC Learning Centres is facing a potentially slow and painful break-up that may leave the country's biggest banks facing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses...

Funding black hole at ABC Learning

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - November 7, 2008
THE receivers of ABC Learning Centres are still trying to work out how much cash will need to be injected into the business to ensure the doors of centres remain open...

Families devastated as receivers threaten to close ABC care centres

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita and Michael Sainsbury - November 07, 2008
RECEIVERS of ABC Learning want banks and taxpayers to provide a $60million funding lifeline to keep its childcare centres open until Christmas...

Child-care rescue

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:23:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Elizabeth Knight - November 7, 2008
Make no mistake: this company is not only broke but it is not in a position to pay the ongoing costs of keeping these child-care centres open...

Business as usual at ABC learning centres

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:22:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Brad Watts and Tim Vollmer - November 07, 2008
The Federal Government and administrators reassured parents it would be "business as usual" for ABC Learning's 1100 childcare centres - including those in...

Never as easy as ABC

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:21:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Terry McCrann - November 07, 2008
EDDY Groves changed the entire face of child care in Australia. It is now going to change again with the fall of his ABC Learning Centres...

ABC calls in administrators

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 12:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - November 6, 2008
ABC Learning's board has appointed voluntary administrators Ferrier Hodgson whose first task will be to see if the company can be saved...

Federal government won't run ABC Learning centres if it collapses

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 12:07:00 +1000

The Australian - November 06, 2008
THE Federal Government will not be involved directly in running the centres owned by the nation's biggest childcare provider, Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner...

No TV in first two years, says childhood expert

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 11:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - November 06, 2008
US childhood expert Michael Rich can recite, chapter and verse, the research linking children's overuse of media to health issues such as obesity, anxiety and aggression...

Receivers poised to take over ABC Learning

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 11:09:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liliana Molina - November 06, 2008
THE childcare empire built by former milkman Eddy Groves is expected to reach its lowest point today by being placed in the hands of administrators and receivers...

Shared care: quality is what matters most

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 11:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - November 6, 2008
...it makes no difference to children's wellbeing whether they see the non-resident parent half the time or every second weekend. What counts is how well parents get on...

Child-care firm in battle to survive

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:17:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa O'Shaughnessy and Dan Harrison - November 6, 2008
STAFF at some ABC Learning centres are considering management buy-outs as the distressed child-care company fights for survival. And companies which offer employer-sponsored child care through ABC Learning are contemplating their options...

ABC Learning Centres shareholders set to lose entire investments

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:16:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Andrew Carswell - November 06, 2008
SEETHING ABC Learning Centres shareholders are likely to lose their entire investments if the childcare operator sinks into administration, analysts have warned...

Contingency plan for kids, workers of ABC Learning centres

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:13:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy and Tim Vollmer - November 06, 2008
The childcare union warned 12000 jobs could be at risk and tens of thousands of parents would be unable to work if the company folds...

Julia Gillard mother superior at ABC Learning's child centres

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:12:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Peter Gosnell - November 06, 2008
Twelve hundred child care centres all shutting at the same time is a lot of working mothers out of the workforce in one go - a consequence that's ideologically and politically unpalatable...

ABC Learning Centres says childcare access will remain

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:11:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liam Walsh - November 05, 2008
ABC Learning Centres is expected to be placed into voluntary administration today even as it reassures parents they will still have access to childcare...

Parents worried about ABC

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:10:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liliana Molina - November 05, 2008
SPECULATION about the future of Australia's biggest childcare chain, ABC Learning Centres, continued last night, causing concern among client parents...

ABC childcare centres unlikely to close, union says

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:37:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 5, 2008
The union representing childcare workers at centres run by ABC Learning says parents will not be left in the lurch if the troubled company collapses...

ABC Learning 'talking with stakeholders'

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:36:00 +1000

The Age - November 5, 2008
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the company said it was continuing discussions with stakeholders, including banks and the federal government, to secure the future of its operations...

McGrath seen as ABC Learning receiver

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:36:00 +1000

The Australian - John Durie - November 05, 2008
MCGRATH Nicol is likely to be appointed by the banks as the receiver of beleaguered childcare operator ABC Learning Centres. Rival forensic accounting firm Ferrier Hodgson...

Receivers to take over ABC Learning

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:22:00 +1000

The Australian - John Durie - November 05, 2008
ABC Learning, the childcare centre operator that looks after 100,000 Australian infants and toddlers, is today expected to be swept into receivership...

Julia Gillard ready to step in if ABC Learning falls

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - November 05, 2008
THE Government is ready to step in to assist families if Australia's largest childcare provider, ABC Learning, goes into receivership today...

Qld Govt says 'business as usual' for ABC childcare

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:21:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 05, 2008
The Queensland Government says it is business as usual at ABC Learning, despite speculation the childcare provider is on the brink of collapse...

The grandparents always know best

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 13:58:00 +1000

The Times (UK) - David Rose - November 3, 2008
The grandparent who plays babysitter is not only the cheapest and most easily exploited form of childcare but also the safest, research suggests...

Eddy staggered by wife's legal action

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 11:32:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - November 03, 2008
TOPPLED childcare kingpin Eddy Groves lashed out at his estranged wife, Le Neve, yesterday after she sued him for $44million. Mr Groves said he could not believe the mother of his...

Eddy Groves gets hit with huge lawsuit

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:13:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Kay Dibben - November 02, 2008
Dr Le Neve Groves is suing her husband and co-founder of ABC Learning Centres and two margin lenders for $64.2 million she says she is owed...

ABC operations feel pinch

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:11:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - November 1, 2008
Another agency offering temporary staff to ABC, Select Education, withdrew its staff yesterday, citing issues at the child-care provider...

What's delaying the ABC audit?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:02:00 +1000

Business Spectator - Robert Gottliebsen - October 31, 2008
Every day that goes by without ABC announcing its results and revealing what has happened fuels the most incredible rumours in the accounting and legal professions as well as the market...

ABC Learning delays results a third time

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:49:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 31, 2008
Childcare provider ABC Learning Centres has delayed its annual results for fiscal 2008 for the third time this year...

ABC Learning, 123 Careers battle over 8000 staff

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 30, 2008
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres and its staffing agency 123 Careers will battle for control over 8000 staff in Queensland's Supreme Court tomorrow...

Deadline near for child-care group

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 28, 2008
WITH the clock counting down to the latest deadline for ABC Learning Centres to lodge its financial accounts, the embattled child-care operator has offered...

Child-care company makes plea to parents

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:43:00 +1000

The Age - Dan Harrison - October 25, 2008
TROUBLED child-care giant ABC learning has sought to allay the fears of parents as speculation continues that the company could go under...

More me time for under twos in care centres

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:42:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - October 25, 2008
CHILD-CARE fees could rise by several dollars a day because of a State Government decision to reduce the ratio of children to staff, but advocates have...

Concerns as ABC calls off 123 takeover

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:41:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - October 25, 2008
ABC Learning Centres has called off the $70 million acquisition of the child-care recruitment company 123 Careers and cancelled plans for further...

Drugs found in Fortitude Valley childcare centre

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:40:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anna Caldwell - October 24, 2008
A DRUG scare has hit a childcare centre in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, where anti-convulsant pills were discovered in a play area...

ABC Learning casuals under cloud as agency staff sent home

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 24, 2008
CHILDCARE jobs are under threat after a staffing agency linked with ABC Learning yesterday refused to guarantee all jobs would be safe...

NSW improves child-carer ratio

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:52:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 23, 2008
Under the plan, childcare services in New South Wales will be required to have one carer for every four children aged under two. The law currently requires...

Community sector warns against ABC Learning bailout

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:51:00 +1000

ABC Online - Nic MacBean - October 23, 2008
ABC Learning should not receive Government assistance, instead community-based operators should be allowed to take over its centres if it is indeed in danger...

Queensland Government sets up ABC Learning Centres taskforce

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:49:00 +1000

The Australian - October 23, 2008
THE Queensland Government has set up a task force to develop a contingency plan in case childcare provider ABC Learning collapses. Premier Anna Bligh said...

Mem Fox sparks new row claiming care hurts baby brains

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:45:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Matthew Fynes-Clinton - October 23, 2008
"Putting babies as young as two weeks into child care for the first year of their life, for 60 hours a week, will cause their brains damage," she said in...

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 23, 2008

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:45:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 23, 2008
But Mr Groves, who left the beleaguered childcare giant last month following a loss of key shareholder backing, said there was no conflict....

Gillard moves to ease ABC Learning fears

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:59:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 23, 2008
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has urged parents not to panic about a potential collapse of troubled childcare provider ABC Learning...

ABC's costly debut on childcare site

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:06:00 +1000

The Australian - Matthew Clayfield and Patricia Karvelas - October 23, 2008
FOR 24 hours, it was the most expensive childcare facility in the country. The only problem was, it actually wasn't. Rather, the ABC Developmental Learning...

Govt considers options in case of ABC Learning collapse

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:05:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 22, 2008
The Department of Education is looking at a range of contingency plans in case child care provider ABC Learning collapses, leaving the parents of 100000...

Union warns of more childcare centre closures

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:05:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 22, 2008
The union representing Northern Territory childcare workers is warning more childcare centres could close unless wages and working conditions are improved...

ABC Learning fails in bid for cash

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Sainsbury - October 22, 2008
BELEAGURED childcare group ABC Learning has failed in a desperate approach to the federal Government for funds as it attempts to prop up its 1100-centre network...

Children don't come first in lucky country, says OECD report

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - October 21, 2008
AUSTRALIA'S prosperity is masking an unpalatable truth - the health and wellbeing of our children lag unacceptably behind those of many developed countries...

Mummy wars are not a choice use of words

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:55:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Monica Dux - October 21, 2008
We hear a lot about "mummy wars"; the idea that modern mothers are at odds with one another. The most acute example is the supposed tension between stay-at-home and career mums...

ABC Learning may face Govt intervention

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +1000

ABC TV Lateline - Ticky Fullerton - October 17, 2008
The Federal Government may be considering intervening in the private sector, as concerns grow for troubled firms such as ABC Learning...

Millionaires can claim $7500

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:07:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - October 17, 2008
Likewise, millionaire families can claim up to $7500 in tax rebates on their childcare expenses from the Government because they are not means tested...

Maxine McKew staffer in 'conflict of interest'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Christian Kerr - October 16, 2008
...Forrester owned shares in a company that was awarded contracts by the Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Childcare's department...

It was ambition, not greed: former ABC Learning chief Eddy Groves

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 15, 2008
EDDY Groves still harbours hopes of buying back into ABC Learning, the crashed childcare conglomerate he founded in Brisbane 20 years ago...

ACCC eyes ABC's 123 buy

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:50:00 +1000

Business Spectator - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating ABC Learnings Centres proposed purchase of child-care recruitment group 123 Careers...

OECD suggests pay boost for teachers

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:50:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 10, 2008
Spending on early childhood education in Australia is about 0.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the OECD average of 0.5 per cent...

Fears for future of ABC Learning

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +1000

ABC TV Lateline - Ticky Fullerton - October 9, 2008
There are growing concerns about the stability of Australian childcare company ABC Learning in the global financial crisis...

ABC Learning renegotiates debt terms

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 13:18:00 +1000

Business Spectator - October 9, 2008
Child-care operator ABC Learning Centres has been forced to renegotiate the terms of its debt with its syndicate of eight banks in order to finalise the release of its long-overdue accounts...

Holding the Baby

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 11:49:00 +1000

SBS Insight - Jennie Brockie - October 7, 2008
There is conflicting evidence from Australia and across the world of the negative effects that child care has on children. Researchers in the UK and US have...

Professor claims babies benefit in child care

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 11:13:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - October 06, 2008
Belgian Professor Ferre Laevers said children who attend good childcare centres reap social and employment benefits later in life...

Child-care rebate due in weeks

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 12:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kerry-Anne Walsh - October 5, 2008
FAMILIES with children in child care will receive a windfall worth thousands of dollars in their pay packets this month. Changes to government pay dates for...

Simple plan turns sour: rise and fall of Eddy Groves

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 11:31:00 +1000

The Australian - Andrew Fraser - October 04, 2008
EDDY Groves always had his critics, but until last year's annual general meeting of ABC Learning Centres, one group had stuck by him through thick and thin -- the shareholders...

Fall and fall of Eddy Groves

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 11:30:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 04, 2008
But many of ABC's issues extend further back. Some were raised long ago, others are just emerging. They include disclosure, accounting and third-party dealings...

It's hard for families not to fall into the generation gap

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 11:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - October 4, 2008
Increasingly, working families rely on grandparents to contribute to the child care. In some ways this has empowered grandparents, and alone with the...

Maternity leave is OK for some

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 11:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela Shanahan - October 04, 2008
But a family expecting their first child with a combined income the same or higher than the large family will get the present childcare rebate and another...

Mummy wars are upon us

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 11:27:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 04, 2008
...being able to potentially provide child care on site: these sorts of things might be more attractive to employees rather than providing paid leave...

Tots tested on junk mail

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:55:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Karen Collier - October 03, 2008
Shopping lists and junk mail and an emphasis on reading books may be used to assess children's development in child care and kindergarten...

Vicious circle for ABC staff as hours cut

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:51:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicky Trup and Anthony Klan - October 03, 2008
But her love of the job is being sorely tested after her employer, ABC Learning - the world's biggest childcare operation - cut her work hours claiming falling enrolments...

Staffing group saved ABC 'a few million'

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:26:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 03, 2008
Mr Groves last year had ruled out running something like 123 Careers, saying: "We're not recruiters, we're childcare operators." But ABC this year reviewed...

Govt boosts early childhood education places

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 2, 2008
The extra places will be available next year and another 1000 places will follow in 2010 and 2011. Education Minister Julia Gillard says the Government will...

CFK childcare slapped with trading suspension

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 07:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Rebecca Urban - October 2, 2008
ABC LEARNING Centres isn't the only company in the childcare space that is struggling with life in the playground. CFK Childcare Centres was slapped with a trading suspension...

ABC told to front IRC over staff cuts

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 07:36:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - October 2, 2008
ABC Learning, the world's biggest childcare corporation, will be hauled before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission today over staffing cuts...

New boss takes the reins

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 07:35:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 2, 2008
ABC Learning Centres says the man replacing Eddy Groves could earn $1.6million running the struggling childcare group for a year...

ABC Learning facing ASIC questions

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 07:34:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - October 2, 2008
...looking at the massive discrepancy between ABC's forecast of a 15 per cent profit increase at the start of this year and the present expectations for a loss exceeding...

Unions seek baby bonus rise

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 07:33:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Kate Hannon - October 2, 2008
New stay-at-home mothers have found a friend in the ACTU, which plans to campaign for a higher baby bonus payment so they do not miss out...

Children are in good hands

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 11:46:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tony Wellington - October 02, 2008
researchers concluded that children who are put into child care appear to end up better equipped to socialise with others, resulting in improved emotional wellbeing...

Kids thrive on parental care

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 11:45:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - October 01, 2008
YOUNG children and babies looked after by their parents at home are healthier than those in childcare, a report shows. But kids who stay at home with mum or dad...

Grandparents' involvement helps children become smarter

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 11:45:00 +1000

Michelle Cazzulino - October 01, 2008
Now research has revealed that grandparents who play a greater role in family life also produce smarter grandchildren, thanks to the heightened interaction...

ABC buys 123 Careers for $70m

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:18:00 +1000

The Australian - September 30, 2008
ABC Learning Centres has acquired the 123 Careers childcare recruitment business in Australia and New Zealand for $70 million. ABC said 123 Careers is the...

ABC Learning delays results - again

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:18:00 +1000

The Australian - September 30, 2008
ABC Learning Centres has delayed the release of its annual results for a second time, saying it will now be announced in October. Originally due in August...

ABC Learning expels Groves

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Clancy Yeates - September 30, 2008
The founder of ABC Learning, Eddy Groves, has been removed from his role as chief executive of the embattled child care provider. As the company continues...

ABC Childcare court wrangle with ACCC

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:34:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - September 30, 2008
Documents filed in the Federal Court in Victoria show childcare giant ABC is defending claims it broke an undertaking to off-load childcare centres in...

Time's up for ABC accounts

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - September 30, 2008
The child-care provider is offering no guarantees it will release the information to meet today's filing deadline. A spokeswoman would not comment yesterday...

Rudd backs paid maternity leave but won't commit to 18 weeks

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - September 29, 2008
Stay-at-home mums would still be paid an equivalent to the $5000 baby bonus but working mums would get more under the proposal to deliver 18 weeks' pay at the adult minimum wage of $544 weekly...

Some mothers worth more than others

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - September 29, 2008
SHOULD a working woman earning more than $100,000-a-year with a husband on a similar wicket get $5000 more upfront under a taxpayer-funded paid maternity scheme than a struggling stay-at-home mum...

Investors will finally know the state of the group

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Tim Boreham - September 29, 2008
DON'T bet your children on it, but within the next two days ABC Learning investors should finally be told about the real extent of red ink flowing from the embattled childcare group...

Mums return to work too soon

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:55:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy and Renee Viellaris - September 29, 2008
A national survey of Australian families conducted for the Government has found 8 per cent of the nation's mothers went back to work one month after the birth of their babies...

A small smack is not child abuse

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:54:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Robyn Riley - September 28, 2008
BRINGING up balanced children is getting more difficult because of the push for parenting to be so politically correct...

Not all children are created equal

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:54:00 +1000

The Sunday Times (UK) - Charles Murray - September 28, 2008
Both left and right say every child can excel academically. Nonsense, says a leading social analyst, that’s like thinking we can all be gymnasts...

Fiona Stanley says 1 in 5 unfit to be parents

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:46:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Evonne Barry - September 28, 2008
She says they either lack the means or the life skills to raise children or cannot devote enough time to their kids because of excessive work commitments...

Consulting group takes on policy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:23:00 +1000

The Australian - Lenore Taylor - September 25, 2008
..the Government had also asked Boston Consulting to develop the new Australian national early childhood development strategy...

Shareholders hit ABC with $100m lawsuit

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:38:00 +1000

The Australian - Natasha Bita - September 24, 2008
ABC Learning is facing a $100million class action from furious shareholders as it prepares to restate its financial accounts for the past two years...

Childcare centres caught underpaying staff

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:38:00 +1000

Courier Mail - James O'Loan - September 24, 2008
THE public has the right to question 26 'trusted' Queensland childcare centres caught underpaying valuable staff, the childcare sector union says...

Childcare lists too long - so children miss out

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:36:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Tory Shepherd - September 24, 2008
SOME children will "never get in" to child care because of "huge" waiting lists, Community Children's Centres SA says. Spokeswoman Penny Thompson...

UK's Brown urges party to stick with him

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:36:00 +1000

ABC Online - Emma Alberici - September 24, 2008
Mr Brown promised free child care for all two to four-year-olds and said his Government would eradicate child poverty. He said the Conservative Party...

Childcare costs keep single mum at home on pension

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:35:00 +1000

The Australian - Padraic Murphy - September 24, 2008
"What's going to stop me getting back in the workforce is trouble getting care for my kids. There's plenty of jobs out there...

WA childcare workers underpaid

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:34:00 +1000

ABC Online - September 23, 2008
About 90 West Australian child care workers will be reimbursed $35,000 after random audits found they were being underpaid...

Side benefit of having three children

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Verity Edwards - September 23, 2008
The Gerlachs are among a record 42 per cent of families who receive more in benefits from the government than they pay in income tax...

Cheers turn to jeers as Brown's ovation dies

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Paola Totaro - September 22, 2008
£1 billion program to provide free nursery places for all British two-year-olds. At present, only three- and four-year-olds receive up to 15 hours of free child care a week...

Ear infections soaring in day care

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:05:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Suellen Hinde - September 21, 2008
EAR infections are rampant among Australian children attending day care centres who are developing a resistance to antibiotics, medical experts say...

Child carers in stress distress

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:26:00 +1000

The Mercury - Sally Glaetzer - September 19, 2008
LIFE for Tasmania's childcare workers is like "running a marathon every day" and the stress is causing many to leave the industry, workers say...

A fair compromise in the parental leave debate

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:26:00 +1000

ABC Online - Jessica Brown - September 18, 2008
Current research about childcare is mixed. Some studies show it has a positive effect on kids, and some show it has a negative effect...

Bogus teacher in child care job

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:34:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - David Nankervis - September 14, 2008
THE State Government has demanded an urgent review of how a convicted fraudster was given clearance to work at a childcare centre in Adelaide's south...

Hard yards of child's play

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - September 13, 2008
The Government wants to lift child-care standards, but that will bears its own cost, writes Stephanie Peatling. When Nesha O'Neil arrives at work each...

Rise and rise of care demand

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:34:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - September 13, 2008
THE child-care industry has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. The dramatic increase of women in the workforce as well as the shift in family...

ACT four-year-olds gain 15 free preschool hours

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:39:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emma McDonald - September 12, 2008
The ACT Government provides 12 hours of universal access to preschool, but the Rudd Government approved a $2.3million two-year package yesterday to pay...

Boy, 4, forced to clean urine with bare hands

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:45:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Karen Collier - September 11, 2008
A CHILDCARE worker is being investigated over claims she forced a boy, 4, to wipe urine off the floor with a paper towel and bare hands...

Loud, proud and wrong

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:45:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - September 11, 2008
Like most, I am not an advocate of child care for kids under six months, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it child abuse. If women choose to put their...

ASIC didn't act on ABC complaint

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:43:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - September 11, 2008
In May 2006, a letter of complaint was mailed to ASIC questioning the value of child-care licences on ABC's balance sheet — which effectively accounts for...

Abuse reporting course goes online

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:41:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - September 11, 2008
It can be used by child care workers who cannot attend the face-to-face course, especially those in remote locations. Mr Mullighan says the online course...

Children in daycare less likely to develop asthma

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:15:00 +1000

CTV.ca (Canada) September 9, 2008
If parents want to protect their kids from developing asthma later in life they should consider enrolling them in daycare, particularly before age one...

Director jumps off child-care board

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:20:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa O'Shaughnessy - September 10, 2008
STRUGGLING child-care company ABC Learning has lost one of its high-profile new directors before it could formalise the appointment...

Glitches, hitches, ditches

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:20:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Elizabeth Knight - September 10, 2008
The fact is that even with banks and auditors crawling all over ABC, there are plenty of structural problems that must be addressed...

Shocking childhoods

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:19:00 +1000

On Line opinion - Dr Alice Hill - September 10, 2008
...children in our community who would most benefit from long term access to high quality childcare have the least opportunity to use it...

ABC Learning Centres no closer to filing

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:20:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Kerrie Sinclair - September 09, 2008
ABC spokesman Andrew Barber yesterday said the company had not set a time for the release of its results and could not comment on the process involved in finalising...

SA childcare centres are under investigation

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 11:24:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Lauren Novak - September 8, 2008
CHILDCARE centres in South Australia are being investigated over staff ratios, unexplained injuries to children and staff using physical force and bad language...

Morris hits at 'brutal' babycare books

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 11:23:00 +1000

The Observer (UK) - Amelia Hill - September 7, 2008
Babies are for nurturing, not breaking in, insists Naked Ape author in a new guide to parenting. Too many help books for parents advocated 'unnatural' and 'brutal' childcare techniques...

Think tank: Mums need help to stay at home

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 11:23:00 +1000

The Sunday Times (UK) - Iain Duncan Smith - September 7, 2008
Professor Margot Sunderland, a child mental health expert on the commission, unambiguously stated that the quality of childcare has lifelong consequences...

Give new mums a year's leave

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 12:33:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - Elissa Lawrence - September 7, 2008
Psychologist and best-selling author Steve Biddulph, an advocate of no childcare at all for children under one... national paid maternity scheme of at least 12 months...

Mem's loud call gives kids a voice

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 12:32:00 +1000

Adelaide Advertiser - September 7, 2008
THE furore triggered by Mem Fox's comments likening full-time child care of newborns to child abuse is the debate we had to have...

Someone has to speak up for the babies

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:09:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Mem Fox - September 06, 2008
THE aim of my recent raw-nerve comment on child care was not to distress parents, it was merely to speak up for all the babies. In most debates about child care...

Operator C&K plans to cut nursery ratios next year

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:08:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tanya Chilcott - September 06, 2008
CHILD care is set for a shakeup with operator C&K saying it will cut ratios in its nurseries next year to one carer for every three babies...

How the numbers stacked up in ABC's labyrinthine structure

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Colin Kruger - September 6, 2008
The transactions took place through a labyrinthine structure of companies that benefited significantly from ABC's huge outlay on new child-care centres...

End of a fairytale

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - September 6, 2008
The rise of Eddy Groves to the big league was meteoric - and his fall has been just as swift and spectacular. "I like to have a punt - blackjack...

Clients pin hopes on loan return

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:04:00 +1000

The Age - Eric Johnston and Ian McIlwraith - September 6, 2008
Among those that owe the most to Primebroker are Queensland-based child-care centre developer Doug Lomas and his Adelaide-based child-care company Local Kids...

ABC Learning investigated by ASIC

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 14:26:00 +1000

Smart Company - Patrick Stafford - September 5, 2008
Troubled childcare group ABC Learning Centres is being investigated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for possible breaches...

Eddy Groves’s embarrassing audit mess: Kohler

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 14:26:00 +1000

Smart Company - Alan Kohler - September 4, 2008
With ABC's share price having collapsed from $5 to 54 cents this year, and questions being raised about the company's solvency, Long's decision was the last thing Eddy needed...

Territory care system has 'serious flaws'

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 09:57:00 +1000

The Australian - Stuart Rintoul - September 4, 2008
ONE year after the intervention, the Northern Territory still has the least responsive child care system in the nation despite widespread and entrenched...

Expert backs parental, professional care

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 09:56:00 +1000

The West Australian - September 3, 2008
Keeping children out of care could compromise educational development as school curriculum is designed for youngsters with prior knowledge, an academic says...

Parents can't care more

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:49:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Karen Brooks - September 03, 2008
The reasons for care are as diverse as the children and facilities themselves, and we may not all agree with them, but wouldn't it be nicer if we erred on the side of lending support...

Pay mums for two years to stay at home

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:49:00 +1000

The Australian - Sue Dunlevy - September 03, 2008
MOTHERS should be paid to stay at home with their child for the first two years or their baby's brain won't develop properly...

Fed up with the daily dishes of mum guilt

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:48:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Naomi Toy - September 03, 2008
Raise the issue of childcare and those guilt bombs will start flying thick and fast landing at the feet of mothers - working or otherwise. And sadly many of those lobbing them are other women...

ABC Learning axe to fall on part-time workers

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:48:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Sainsbury - September 3, 2008
STRUGGLING childcare group ABC Learning is planning to slash its part-time workforce by 1000 or more in an effort to save up to $26 million each year and...

ABC sells $190m slice to stay afloat

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:47:00 +1000

The Age - Colin Kruger - September 3, 2008
But even if the company isn't forced into further sales, there are doubts about the viability of its Australian child-care business and whether the company...

Govt to boost childcare workforce

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 17:31:00 +1000

The West Australian - 2nd September 2008
Parliamentary Secretary for Child Care Maxine McKew says a number of measures are under consideration, including increasing the number of workers...

P-plates for child centres

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:09:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Phillip Hudson - September 2, 2008
ALL new child-care centres would be put on "P-plates" for up to two years and the number of babies looked after by any one carer may be reduced from five to...

ABC Learning loss news to ex-auditors

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:09:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Anthony Marx - September 02, 2008
THE former auditors of beleaguered ABC Learning Centres distanced themselves yesterday from any responsibility for delayed full-year results expected to show...

Fat police for tubby tots

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:05:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - September 2, 2008
The blueprint, which is designed to provide more integrated services to parents of children from birth to eight years, is also expected to boost childcare...

Parents deserve right to choose children's care

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:04:00 +1000

ABC Online - Eva Cox - September 2, 2008
"A Federal Government census of childcare services released this year found 757 children were attending long daycare services for at least 60 hours a week...

Government sets pre-school learning targets

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:01:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - Sarah Morrison - September 1, 2008
Under-fives who play in the sandpit and recite nursery rhymes are to be assessed under a new government-enforced national curriculum that comes into force today...

McKew attacks childcare staff ratio

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 14:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - September 01, 2008
KEVIN Rudd's handpicked adviser on childcare has attacked the current ratio of one carer to five babies as "not good enough" and warned the Government may...

Childcare changes put families under stress

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 12:52:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Melanie Christiansen - September 01, 2008
SOME Brisbane parents have withdrawn their children from child care because of a Federal Government-imposed hike in up-front costs. Childcare Queensland has warned...

Fees to rise in shake-up of childcare

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 12:51:00 +1000

The Sunday Times (UK) - Robert Watts - August 31, 2008
Families will be hit by increased childcare costs under government plans to “professionalise” nursery staff. In an attempt to give children from poor...

Mem Fox slammed for childcare comments

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:23:00 +1000

The Australian - August 31, 2008
LEADING children's author Mem Fox has drawn criticism from working mothers but qualified support from family groups for likening childcare for very young...

Mem Fox blasts full time child care for babies

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:22:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Elissa Lawrence - August 31, 2008
PUTTING babies into child care is a form of child abuse, children's author Mem Fox has claimed. Ms Fox, author of Possum Magic, said she believed that...

Job-shedding ABC Learning faces huge write-down

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Sainsbury - August 30, 2008
The company has also started a round of new part-time staff cutbacks amid fears the group may be forced into hundreds of millions of dollars in write-downs...

ABC Learning Centres draws a line in sandpit

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:15:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Anthony Marx - August 30, 2008
A DEFIANT Eddy Groves yesterday hosed down speculation that his stricken ABC Learning Centres would collapse or that he would step down as chief executive...

ABC Learning Centres will survive: Eddy Groves

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:07:00 +1000

The Australian - Susan Murdoch - August 29, 2008
EDDY Groves, the CEO of embattled ABC Learning Centres, said today he's "very confident" the child care operator would survive. Shares in ABC Learning...

ABC Learning won''t release results today

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:51:00 +1000

The Australian - August 29, 2008
The child care provider confirmed it would not comply with securities exchange listing rules requiring it to release its results by a certain deadline...

Fears grow of ABC Learning collapse

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Anthony Marx - August 29, 2008
SPECULATION continues to grow that childcare chain ABC Learning is poised to collapse, but parents have been urged not to panic...

Shake-up looms for childcare funding

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:22:00 +1000

DutchNews.nl (Netherlands) - August 29, 2008
The entire Dutch pre-school childcare system is to be overhauled to cut costs and encourage more women to work, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday...

Study predicts long-term benefits of preschool learning

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:21:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - James Randerson - August 28, 2008
Children who receive a rich variety of home learning before they start school achieve measurably better results in maths tests at age 10, according to a...

Children: those things other people look after

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:16:00 +1000

The Times (UK) - Camilla Cavendish - August 28, 2008
How on earth has it become normal, in one generation, to farm out children to a succession of poorly paid helpers?...

Australian Education Trust distances itself from ABC

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:37:00 +1000

The Australian - Bryan Frith - August 28, 2008
AEU, formerly Peppercorn Trust, owns close to 400 childcare centres of which ABC is almost universally the major tenant. It acted after the price of its...

Eddy Groves faces mounting pressure to step down

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:36:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anthony Marx - August 28, 2008
EDDY Groves faces mounting pressure to step down as chief executive of ABC Learning Centres if the annual results are even worse than expected...

Children losing out as study finds 40% of daycare is not good enough

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:15:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - Polly Curtis - August 27, 2008
Many parents are missing out on the best daycare for their children because only 3% of providers are judged to be outstanding and 40% rate just satisfactory...

'Fast Eddy' leaves ABC Learning investors reeling

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:09:00 +1000

ABC Online - Greg Hoy - August 27, 2008
Until six months ago, the world's biggest child care operator, ABC Learning, looked like one of Australia's great corporate success stories...

ABC Learning shares continue to plummet

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:09:00 +1000

ABC TV 7.30 Report - Greg Hoy - August 26, 2008
The world's biggest child care operator, ABC learning, was once hailed as an Australian corporate success story. But after a spectacular slump...

Children afraid to be left home alone

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:57:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - August 26, 2008
Many are using local libraries as childcare centres. The Network of Community Activities, which represents out-of-school hours services interviewed children...

Tight budgets forcing mothers back to work

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:52:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall and Vikki Campion - August 26, 2008
Grandparents have become the new childcare as the soaring cost of looking after the children increasingly becomes prohibitive. Mother-of-two Catherine...

ABC Learning shares suspended

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:51:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - August 26, 2008
SHARES in struggling childcare operator ABC Learning Centres were voluntarily suspended yesterday as the company raced to complete its full-year result...

More teacher scrutiny from watchdog

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:55:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Carly Crawford - August 23, 2008
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said yesterday the VIT's scope could be expanded to cover childcare workers and student teachers...

ABC rethinks more results

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:48:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson and Colin Kruger - August 22, 2008
THE embattled child-care group ABC Learning could be facing further revisions of past earnings on the eve of its full-year result, after last night suspending its shares from trading...

Childcare worker who rubbed dirty nappy in tot's face walks free

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:21:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tony Keim - August 21, 2008
A FORMER childcare worker who admitted to rubbing a soiled nappy in the face of a mute, disabled boy in her care will be allowed to work with children again...

Quality Consultations Speech by Maxine McKew

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:56:00 +1000

eGov monitor - Maxine McKew - August 19, 2008
"For many years, when people have talked about child care and early learning, the focus of public debate has been on accessibility and affordability"...

Creche expectations

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Sacha Molitorisz - August 13, 2008
But for sheer mind-bending inscrutability, the topic of child care trumps them all. At what age should kids go into care? What are the benefits of the various types...

Is Child Care Out Of Control?

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:31:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Sacha Molitorisz - August 13, 2008
So much about the child care industry is messy, unwieldy and unfair, including the ridiculously complicated system of government assistance...

ABC sells UK vouchers business

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:29:00 +1000

The Age - August 13, 2008
ABC Learning Centres, the world''s biggest publicly-traded owner of child-care centers, agreed to sell its UK vouchers business to Computershare for 90 million pounds...

Human warmth is more important than a hot meal

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:55:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Robin Barker - August 12, 2008
A child-care crisis is nothing new. Child care has been in crisis ever since institutional non-parental care started in the 1970s. Little has changed since...

Union demands SA childcare boost

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:54:00 +1000

ABC Online - August 12, 2008
A childcare workers' union says the sector's staff turnover is far too high in South Australia. Union official David Di Troia says the childcare sector has...

Education trust reduces payouts

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:53:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Carolyn Cummins - August 12, 2008
AUSTRALIAN Education Trust, which is the landlord for ABC Learning Centres, has confirmed it has dropped its annual distribution by 6.2 per cent for the 2007-08 year...

Cooing on the syllabus

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 09:31:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - August 7, 2008
BABY learning and development programs will be introduced at child-care centres as part of the Federal Government's plans for a national early learning...

Childcare in crisis

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 09:26:00 +1000

ABC TV 7.30 Report - Heather Ewart - August 6, 2008
Good quality childcare is essential but almost half of the industry's workers have no formal qualifications and are lowly paid. Experts warn it has reached crisis point...

Baby bonus failing to deliver

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:05:00 +1000

The Australian - Siobhain Ryan - August 06, 2008
AUSTRALIA'S multi-billion-dollar family payments system has made only a modest contribution to increasing the birth rate and could even have produced some negative...

Rating system planned for childcare

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:04:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - August 06, 2008
CHILDCARE centres will be rated from A to E, and those that perform will get bonuses while those that don't measure up will be punished, under a plan being...

Childcare operator ABC Learning brings five to the board

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 11:47:00 +1000

The Australian - August 05, 2008
CHILDCARE operator ABC Learning today announced a restructure of its board that includes five new appointments. ABC Learning (ASX: ABS) shares soared...

Child care: name and shame move

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 13:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Alexandra Smith - August 4, 2008
Child-care centres and preschools that are convicted of breaching regulations and are found to put children at serious risk will be named and shamed on a new DOCS website...

ABC Learning Centres' profit shrinks

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:51:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - August 04, 2008
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres has been forced to cut published profits partly because affiliated businesses failed to write off debts two years ago...

Mum-friendly businesses get thumbs up

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:51:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Jenny Dillon - August 04, 2008
BUSINESSES are doing themselves no favours with the way they treat new mothers, according to one mother who got fed up with her treatment so started...

Effective budgeting key to raising kids

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:50:00 +1000

Adelaidenow - Anthony Keane - August 03, 2008
A panel of financial, childcare and education experts said long-term planning and budgeting were the two keys to raising children without financial hassles...

Pregnant? Forget about a new job

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sharri Markson - August 03, 2008
HARD-NOSED employers are refusing to employ pregnant women, with figures showing mums-to-be experiencing discrimination nationwide...

ABC worries analysts

Sat, 2 Aug 2008 11:06:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Vanda Carson - August 2, 2008
ABC LEARNING CENTRES could face further shocks to its fragile balance sheet and market credibility, and risks defaulting on its $1 billion in loans if its woes continue...

Groves clings on to the controls at ABC

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:15:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Sainsbury - August 01, 2008
THE embattled chief of early childcare group ABC Learning, Eddy Groves, claimed he "put his nuts on the line" every day and was still the best person to run...

Childcare giant ABC reveals accounting error and tips $400m loss

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:14:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - August 01, 2008
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres said pre-tax losses would top $400 million as it revealed it wrongly booked millions in revenue years ago...

Jail for smacking children

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:06:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - July 31, 2008
CHILDCARE workers could be sent to jail for six months if they smack a child, yell at a child or use threatening or humiliating language...

Childcare giant ABC Learning rebrands some centres

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:06:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - July 31, 2008
ABC Learning Centres, Australia's biggest name in child care, is quietly rebranding some facilities, saying it wants to "offer parents an alternative"...

Fees for child care jump by 10% in two years

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:50:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - July 30, 2008
PARENTS are now paying an average of $233 a week for child care, a jump of more than 10per cent in two years, new Federal Government figures show...

Children in care 60 hours a week

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:25:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - July 29, 2008
HUNDREDS of children are spending 60 hours or more a week in child care, a Federal Government report has revealed. Highlighting the struggle for many...

Life's high wire act

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - July 26, 2008
Fifteen years of debate hasn't fixed the work-life imbalance, a new study finds...

Babies share office space

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:56:00 +1000

The Australian - Julia Stirling - July 26, 2008
Affordable quality child care in the US and Australia is out of reach for many families. Couple this with a lack of paid maternity and parental leave...

Childcare subsidies don't help families

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:32:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - July 23, 2008
INCREASES in childcare subsidies have not had a direct effect on getting more women into the workplace, according to a study. And government childcare subsidies have failed...

Child care costs balloon

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:31:00 +1000

The Australian - Jennifer Buckingham - July 23, 2008
THE relationship between child care and the participation of mothers in the paid workforce seems obvious: if child care was more affordable, more mothers would work...

The ABC of lawyering

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:43:00 +1000

The Age - Michael West - July 22, 2008
Eddy Groves''s annus horribilis just got uglier. The childcare king is now in the sights of litigation funder IMF for failing to disclose shadowy development...

Nursery school demand soars as older mothers return to their careers

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:42:00 +1000

Telegraph (UK) - Martin Beckford - 21 Jul 2008
Record numbers of mothers are going back to work, experts claim, driving a boom for Britain's nursery schools. A comprehensive new report shows more than half...

Child care strategy to stop bullying

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:37:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Melanie Christiansen - July 17, 2008
CONCERN about bullying in Queensland schools has prompted the state's child care industry to adopt a strategy to stop it...

Childcare 'beyond' low-earners

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:02:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - July 16, 2008
A quarter of parents on low incomes are unable to work because they cannot afford childcare, research conducted for Save the Children suggests...

Paid parental leave a better investment than child-care: expert

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - July 15, 2008
A WELL-PAID maternity leave scheme of at least one year would be best for children's development, much better than a system that forced mothers back to work...

They don't have to f%*k you up

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:36:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - Wendy Berliner - July 15, 2008
The study has proved that high-quality preschool can ameliorate the effects of social disadvantage and break the cycle of deprivation, but it needs to be...

New action to protect children with allergic reactions

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:01:00 +1000

ABC Online - July 14, 2008
New laws enforcing safety standards to deal with life-threatening allergies comes into force in Victorian schools and children's centres today...

Boy's face 'rubbed in faeces' at childcare

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:35:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Alex Dickinson - July 14, 2008
A FORMER Ipswich childcare worker has been charged by police for allegedly rubbing a dirty nappy in the face of a four-year-old autistic boy who cannot talk...

Finding could cause long-term pain for ABC

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:05:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - July 10, 2008
A SUCCESSFUL competition watchdog lawsuit against ABC Learning Centres could potentially cause long-term problems for the childcare operator...

FOR KIDS: Girls are cool for school

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:06:00 +1000

Science News - Jennifer Cutraro - July 7, 2008
According to a new study, preschool boys perform better on tests that measure learning and other important skills when they are in classes that have more girls than boys...

Child care may lead to unwanted weight gain in infants

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 13:01:00 +1000

Washington Post - Steven Reinberg - July 7, 2008
"The current study suggests this risk is greater among children sent to child care early than among children kept under parental supervision," said Dr...

Parents going it alone

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 10:57:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Fay Burstin - July 07, 2008
The study found only 5 per cent of families said they used parent-only care because they couldn't afford or access quality child care...

Better than nothing

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:26:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Laurie Oakes - July 05, 2008
Increased childcare fees - taking into account the 50 per cent childcare tax rebate - have added another $11.70 a week, Treasury says...

Shot in the arm for ABC Learning as Groves...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:25:00 +1000

The Australian - Tim Boreham - July 03, 2008
UBS analyst Dan Hurren said the share response could be seen as a vote of faith in the duo's ability to run childcare centres. "There's so much going in...

ABC founder in salary-sacrifice deal

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:25:00 +1000

The Age - Vanda Carson - July 2, 2008
THE founder of child-care group ABC Learning Centres has moved to restore his grip on the company he almost lost, through a deal to buy back as much as 1.5%...

No control over child-care fees: Swan

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:23:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - July 1, 2008
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan admits the government can't stop child-care providers swallowing up increased subsidies by increasing their fees...

Maxine McKew: Building a foundation in quality childcare

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:23:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Maxine McKew - July 1, 2008
AT THE Jenny Wren Childcare and Early Learning Centre in Canberra the mums talk about the "Effie" factor. As one of them said to me during a...

Troubled children a myth

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - June 30, 2008
Children are just as well-adjusted as their counterparts of 20 years ago and, if anything, better behaved and less anxious...

Parent-only care mostly means mother-only care

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 30, 2008
MORE working parents are looking to get by without formal childcare for their infants, but mothers almost always shoulder the extra burden...

Kids of today happier, and it shows

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 30, 2008
CHILDREN today are better adjusted, less likely to be aggressive and have fewer anxiety and conduct problems than they did 20 years ago...

ABC plans British sale to pay debt

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Clancy Yeates - June 28, 2008
THE embattled child-care provider ABC Learning Centres may put its British assets on the auction block, in an attempt to wind down its debt exposure...

ABC completes US stake sell-off

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Susan Murdoch - June 27, 2008
CHILDCARE operator ABC Learning Centres has completed the sale of a 60 per cent stake in its US business to Morgan Stanley Private Equity, a move that sent...

Rural childcare hampered by staffing

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:08:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 26, 2008
Barry Elvish, from creche provider C and K, says one of the main problems in setting up centres is staffing...

Retaliation won't cut childcare costs

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:29:00 +1000

The Australian - David Moore - June 26, 2008
WHEN should governments use taxpayer-subsidised enterprises to compete with existing private and not-for-profit providers? To address market dysfunction, according to...

ABC Learning Centres gets UK rescue bids

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:28:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Charles Miranda - June 26, 2008
CRISIS-HIT ABC Learning Centres could be thrown a $300 million lifeline with six bids from rival childcare centres and equity firms in Britain to buy out the British...

Childcare centre approved for Parliament House

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:29:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 25, 2008
A long running campaign to establish child care facilities at Parliament House in Canberra has finally been won with Federal MPs formally approving a small...

Rudd goes easy on ABC's 11pc childcare fee hike

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:24:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 25, 2008
KEVIN Rudd was yesterday offered a walk-up start to criticise Australia's biggest childcare group, ABC Learning, for jacking up fees by an average 11 per...

No heat on ABC over childcare fees

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:43:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 24, 2008
AUSTRALIA'S biggest childcare group ABC Learning has escaped criticism from the Rudd Government, despite hiking its fees by an average of 11 per cent from next week...

ABC Learning lifts childcare fees

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:58:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 23, 2008
ABC Learning Centres says it will raise daily childcare fees by an average of 11 per cent across its centres in Australia...

Gilliard launches childcare skills push

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:55:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 20, 2008
The Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gilliard has launched a new union campaign aimed at addressing a skills crisis in early childhood education...

Call to train up childcare workers

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 20, 2008
CHILDCARE workers should be trained up, rather than teachers brought in, to deliver on the Rudd Government's promise of 15 hours a week of preschool...

Means testing needs rethink

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:08:00 +1000

The Australian - Dennis Shanahan - June 20, 2008
By definition people using child care are double-income families and those on higher incomes are able to afford the outlay for child care before receiving...

ABC Learning faces ACCC legal action

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:56:00 +1000

ABC Online - Peter Ryan - June 19, 2008
The competition watchdog has launched legal proceedings against the embattled child care operator ABC Learning Centres. Australian Competition and Consumer...

Childcare site fails the test

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:17:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - June 18, 2008
Childcare advocates also warn there's a possibility the register could see childcare costs go up, not down...

Increased fees for childcare

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:15:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia
SOARING childcare fees are one more financial slug for Wantirna working mum Monika amid rising costs for everything from petrol to food...

Childcare fees to be published online

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 17, 2008
FIRST it was FuelWatch, then GroceryWatch, now the Rudd Government plans to hit childcare centres that overcharge with ChildcareWatch...

If only childcare was simple

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:23:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - June 17, 2008
IF your child is settled into a childcare centre with a gang of friends and a respected carer would you undermine their security by moving to a cheaper centre?...

Federal Government introducing ChildcareWatch

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:23:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Peter Jean - June 17, 2008
FIRST there was GroceryWatch, then FuelWatch and now the Federal Government is introducing ChildcareWatch...

Childcare centres to be rated on quality

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:22:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Michael Madigan - June 17, 2008
By Michael Madigan THE nation's 9000 childcare centres will soon be given a rating and forced to make their fees public in a radical overhaul of the system...

Website to expose dearest child care

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - June 17, 2008
CHILD-CARE centres could be forced to display their fees on a government website in a name-and-shame attempt to keep prices low similar to the controversial...

Childcare fees to rise by up to 30pc despite restraint plea

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:23:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Angela Saurine - June 16, 2008
FAMILIES across Sydney will be hit with rises in childcare fees of up to 30 per cent next month despite government calls for fee restraint...

Kinder's push on security

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:02:00 +1000

Herald Sun - Shannon Deery - June 15, 2008
A CHILDCARE centre will install fingerprint-scanning technology this week amid fears of heightened threats to children's safety...

It's dear to raise children here

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Hannah Davies - June 15, 2008
The amount takes into account the prices of food, shelter, clothing, childcare and education, and is based on what researchers deemed an "adequate living standard"...

Give us a break, demand mothers

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:31:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - June 14, 2008
Paid maternity leave may be just around the corner, but a war of words continues on who should pay, and how much...

Studying parents to recieve childcare support

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:30:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 14, 2008
The Federal Government says it is honouring its election commitment to increase childcare assistance to parents who are studying...

Gillard tight-lipped on childcare fee tactics

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:39:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - June 12, 2008
JULIA Gillard continues to promise a crackdown on childcare providers who unreasonably raise fees from July 1 in the wake of higher rebates flowing...

State's childcare workers the nation's "least experienced"

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:09:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Emma Chalmers - June 11, 2008
One major childcare provider yesterday warned the sector was in "crisis", and there were fears the Federal Government's plans to fund an extra 260 childcare...

ABC childcare centres lift fees

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:09:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - June 11, 2008
FEES at 1200 ABC Learning childcare centres will rise by up to 10 per cent on July 1, costing parents an extra $5.50 a day...

ABC resorts to placement

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Danny John - June 11, 2008
TROUBLED child care centre operator ABC Learning Centres has instituted a drastic overhaul of its Australian business, yesterday disclosing a further share...

ABC Learning raises $82.2m, shares fall

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 10, 2008
ABC Learning Centres Ltd has raised $82.2 million from a placement of shares with two private equity outfits. The company said it placed 71.5 million new...

New push for foreign childcare workers

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Clinton Porteous - June 10, 2008
A NEW push has begun to force the Federal Government to open the gates to foreign childcare workers to combat severe staff shortages...

Access To Early Childhood Education For Tasmania

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:04:00 +1000

Tasmanian Government Communications Unit - June 9, 2008
The Rudd Government will increase Tasmania’s substantial investment in early childhood education by $400 000 over the next year...

Boost to early education

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 10:40:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Emily Sherlock - June 8, 2008
Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care Maxine McKew said provision of the funds, which will be provided over the next year...

Childcare company slashes profit predictions, again

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 09:23:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - June 07, 2008
STRUGGLING childcare operation Early Learning Services listed on the stockmarket six months ago but has now cut profit forecasts twice...

Maternity leave: the mother of all problems

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 09:22:00 +1000

The Age - Ben Schneiders - June 7, 2008
...access to paid maternity leave in Australia is linked closely to work status - typically the more insecure and poorly paid one's work, the less likely one is to get it...

Potential childcare disaster looms large

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:26:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Clinton Porteous - June 06, 2008
AT MANY childcare centres around the nation the staff are a multicultural mix where English is sometimes the second language...

Childcare robots

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:25:00 +1000

Scenta.co.uk - June 5, 2007
Japanese giants Sony and NEC are developing robots that may perform childcare services. Robots such as Sony’s Qrio and NEC’s PaPeRo...

Woolworths introduces paid maternity leave

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 11:24:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - June 05, 2008
SUPERMARKET giant Woolworths will become the nation's largest private employer to offer paid maternity leave...

Child-care rises eat into rebate

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:41:00 +1000

The Age - Dewi Cooke - June 5, 2008
Local council budgets show they plan to raise child-care fees by up to 10% next year, an increase well above the rate of inflation...

Opposition focuses on childcare

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:40:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Clare Masters - June 05, 2008
ABOUT 25000 four-year-olds in NSW will have access to preschool to ready them for 'big school' under a key plan in the State Liberal...

First of possible lawsuits for Early Learning Services

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:39:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Josh Robertson - June 05, 2008
EARLY Learning Services has been hit with the first of several possible lawsuits after backing out of contracts to buy childcare centres from private...

Laptops make kids crime targets

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:39:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall and Clare Masters - June 04, 2008
Despite Community Services Minister Kevin Greene announcing $21 million to give "10500 extra children" the chance to attend preschool - the budget really...

More places for toddlers

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 15:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - June 4, 2008
ALMOST 95 per cent of four-year-olds will be enrolled in a preschool program following the Government's commitment of an additional $21 million a year to...

Gillard's warning on child care fees

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 14:38:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling and Mark Davis - June 4, 2008
CHILD-CARE centres could be forced to apply to the Federal Government before increasing their fees, under mechanisms being considered to keep the costs to...

Childcare price rises 'normal business practice'

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 13:21:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 4, 2008
The industry body for child care providers says parents should not panic about the prospect of price increases to childcare from July 1...

Govt won't tolerate unfair childcare fees: Gillard

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:22:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 3, 2008
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has again warned that the Government will deal with childcare operators which unfairly raise their fees...

Childcare fee hikes negate rebate

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:22:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - June 3, 2008
CHILDCARE fees are to rise by up to 6 per cent or $4.20 a day from July 1 - eroding the rise in Government childcare subsidies to take effect...

Rebate may foster childcare hikes

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn and Patricia Karvelas - June 03, 2008
PARENTS can expect a hike in their weekly childcare bill from July 1, regardless of whether theirkids are in private or community care...

Father finds daughter, 1, alone in locked-up centre

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:16:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Paul Bibby - June 3, 2008
WHEN the father of one-year-old Ankita arrived at the Scribbles and Giggles child-care centre to pick her up last Monday, he found the doors and windows...

NSW to get 10500 more preschool places

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:15:00 +1000

The Age - June 2, 2008
The NSW government will provide funding in the 2008/09 state budget to allow an additional 10500 children to go to preschool for two days a week...

In the beginning

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:57:00 +1000

The Age - Elisabeth Tarica - June 2, 2008
Four, five, six or seven? Many parents face a dilemma in deciding when to send their children to school...

Call for more recognition of child care on-the-job training

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:56:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - June 2, 2008
The child care industry is calling on governments to adopt a more realistic approach to training workers in the industry. Childcare Queensland held its ...

Expert calls for 18 months of maternity pay

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 12:01:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - Miles Kemp - May 30, 2008
Dr Mustard said he had costed the maternity scheme, which would give women 80 per cent of their salary so they could stay home with their child for the "crucial" first 18 months of life...

Criticism down for SA preschool plan

Sat, 31 May 2008 11:24:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 30, 2008
A South Australian independent child care association has criticised the State Government's plan to offer preschool in child care centres...

Preschool on offer through child care

Fri, 30 May 2008 12:02:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 30, 2008
Children will be offered preschool services while still in child care under a South Australian Government plan. Children's Services Minister Jane...

Childcare help boosted by new government measures

Fri, 30 May 2008 09:28:00 +1000

Courier Mail - May 29, 2008
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard said child care was now an integral part of family life, with more than 700000 households using it...

Anger on childcare cash

Thu, 29 May 2008 09:09:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - May 29, 2008
Childcare advocates fear Labor will not live up to election promises to deliver 65 new long day care centres in Victoria and take 25000 children off waiting...

PM launches Skills Australia board

Thu, 29 May 2008 09:07:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - May 28, 2008
"They (the childcare centre) are looking for ... three new childcare workers, if they could get them," Ms Gillard told reporters...

Budget fudged childcare funding

Mon, 26 May 2008 10:44:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - May 26, 2008
WAYNE Swan's budget deliberately overstated the amount of money the Government allocated to build 38 childcare centres, childcare advocates say...

Plan to help 60000 mistreated children

Mon, 26 May 2008 10:43:00 +1000

The Age - Carol Nader - May 26, 2008
Changes to child care assistance could be considered to provide more developmental support for children at risk and respite for parents under stress...

Push to ban plastic toy chemicals linked to health issues in baby boys

Sun, 25 May 2008 13:37:00 +1000

The Age - William Birnbauer - May 25, 2008
The regulator is also conducting a public health risk assessment for nine phthalates used in children's toys, child-care products and cosmetics...

Surge in demand for childcare

Sat, 24 May 2008 11:04:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Clare Masters - May 24, 2008
MORE mothers are being forced to hand over their infants to childcare workers with one Sydney provider forced to double its capacity for...

Nip it in the bud

Sat, 24 May 2008 11:03:00 +1000

The Australian - Sian Powell - May 24, 2008
"The Rudd Government is investing in the early years because research shows it is the best way to guard against a lifetime of disadvantage"...

Call to increase paid maternity leave, childcare rebate

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:30:00 +1000

Courier Mail - May 21, 2008
PAID maternity leave should be complemented by an increased childcare rebate for under-threes, to encourage women back into the workforce...

McKew gives State top marks

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:21:00 +1000

Mercury - Michael Stedman - May 21, 2008
Ms McKew presented her Government's vision for integrated childcare centres which included elements of education, healthcare and parental support...

Kinder no longer?

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:20:00 +1000

The Age - Caroline Milburn - May 19, 2008
TRADITIONAL kindergartens could flounder under the biggest policy shake-up to hit the preschool sector, Victoria's peak parents' group warns...

Swan dismisses family fears on Budget

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:19:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 19, 2008
"Those tax cuts will arrive on the first of July, the additional assistance will be there for child care, and the education tax rebate will be put in place...

Budget measures miss target

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:19:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Malcolm Farr - May 19, 2008
BARELY a third of households with children think they're better off under Rudd's Budget for working families...

Budget bombs nuclear family

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:18:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Jill Singer - May 19, 2008
The Budget provides extra money for institutional child care, but refuses to offer women (and men) the equivalent amount of cash to care for their own...

Our do-little dads

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:18:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 18, 2008
In all countries, women do much more child care overall than men. "However, the difference is least in Denmark, where work/family policies are pretty...

Nelson faces testing time over baby bonus

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:17:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Dennis Atkins - May 17, 2008
There was even support for means-testing of the 50 per cent childcare rebate announced in the Budget (something the Rudd Government won't means-test because...

Robin Hood Wayne Swan goes easy on the well-off

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:16:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn and Sarah Elks - May 17, 2008
Budget changes mean they will lose the minimum rate of the other childcare payment, the Child Care Benefit, which provides 56c for each hour a child spends...

'Cotton wool kids' losing skills

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:16:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 17, 2008
PANICKY parents are breeding a generation of "cotton wool kids" too afraid to climb trees or ride bikes - and that's a worry, an expert warns...

Cough and cold medicines high-risk for under-twos

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:15:00 +1000

The Age - Jill Stark - May 16, 2008
The study — which surveyed parents at hospital outpatient clinics and child-care centres — also found that 7% had given over-the-counter drugs to induce...

End to Howard's era of choice

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:14:00 +1000

The Australian - George Megalogenis - May 16, 2008
Labor's expanded childcare tax rebate is the post-Howard equivalent of middle-class welfare. All families get it, regardless of income...

ABC Learning's 'sky fell in'

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:11:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Stephen McMahon - May 16, 2008
MARGIN loans and inadequate disclosure may have derailed ABC Learning but outgoing chairman Sallyanne Atkinson says there is too much corporate regulation...

Baby bonus payment 'patronising'

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - May 15, 2008
One payment unlikely to be means-tested, despite the concerns of some economists, is the Child Care Tax Rebate, which was increased in the budget from 30 to...

Budget puts mums at war

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:07:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - May 15, 2008
THE Government is "discriminating against stay-at-home mums" after the Budget stripped their payments, but gave richer working women increased childcare subsidies...

ABC Learning jumps on rebate

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:20:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 14, 2008
SHARES in ABC Learning Centres jumped 6 per cent today after investors digested child care initiatives announced in the Federal Budget...

So what does make you rich, Mr Rudd?

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:18:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - May 14, 2008
Welfare for the wealthy is under fire. The Government has already announced it will raise the Baby Bonus to $5000 and will raise the child-care tax rebate...

Promises to parents will take time

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - May 14, 2008
Only nine new child-care centres will be built this year despite Labor's election promise to deliver 260 new centres to help ease the problems parents face...

Families earning $150000 stripped of Baby Bonus access

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:14:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - May 13, 2008
Wayne Swan tonight fulfilled his government's election commitment to increase the Child Care Tax Rebate from 30 to 50 per cent of out of pocket costs...

The budget in brief

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:16:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Matthew Schulz - May 13, 2008
FAMILIES on more than $150,000 will also miss out on the fortnightly Child Care Benefit, and the Dependent Spouse tax offset...

Investment fund centrepiece for education

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:15:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 13, 2008
This funding also includes $114.5 million to establish 38 child care centres, including six autism specific centres...

Strong support to deny rich the baby bonus

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:46:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - George Megalogenis - May 12, 2008
MOST voters want the baby bonus and other payments taken away from higher-income earners, a Newspoll survey has found...

Rich mums love their children too

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:42:00 +1000

The Australian - Lenore Taylor - May 10, 2008
The baby bonus certainly does send a social message, but as many have already argued, if it is more children we are after, it would make more sense to pay extra benefits...

Parents' fury at food policy

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:37:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Elle Halliwell - May 10, 2008
Parents are furious about a new childcare centre policy that restricts the types of food they can put in their children's lunchboxes...

Rudd hints at means test on baby bonus

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:35:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Samantha Maiden - May 09, 2008
"Well we believe that working families need every bit of support with things like tax cuts, things like the childcare tax rebate and things like the baby ...

Long hours affect families: minister

Thu, 8 May 2008 09:12:00 +1000

The Age - Sarah Smiles - May 8, 2008
She said this flexibility, including better maternity leave benefits and child care, was central to improving workforce participation rates for women...

Childcare workers lack skills

Wed, 7 May 2008 12:04:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Andrew Drummond - May 07, 2008
MORE than a third of Australia''s long day childcare workers have no formal qualifications and most parents overestimate their formal...

Brumby's baby boom budget

Wed, 7 May 2008 12:03:00 +1000

The Age - Paul Austin - May 7, 2008
Treasurer John Lenders also announced $180 million of extra spending on maternity and child health services to cope with Victoria's highest birth rate since...

Nelson's about-face on means testing

Wed, 7 May 2008 12:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Lenore Taylor - May 07, 2008
When it came to deciding "what side of the line other benefits fall on", including family tax benefits and childcare benefits, he said it was necessary to...

Plan for child care in offices

Wed, 7 May 2008 12:01:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - John Thistleton - May 6, 2008
New ACT Government offices with 500 or more employees will have child-care facilities in the future, under a recommendation from the ACT...

Aussie mothers' lot not so hot

Tue, 6 May 2008 11:08:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Natalie Tkaczuk Sikora - May 06, 2008
The survey of 146 countries by Save the Children says our lack of access to low-cost child care and maternity leave means we are sliding

Paid parental leave proposal would slug all workers

Tue, 6 May 2008 10:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - May 06, 2008
A PLAN to fund maternity leave would see workers pay to cover six months' off for mums and a month for dads...

Mums have a point about work

Mon, 5 May 2008 10:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Michael Davis - May 05, 2008
The Treasurer's emphasis on working mothers has angered the Australian Family Association, which claims he is discriminating against stay-at-home mothers...

Tax cuts to help working mums

Sun, 4 May 2008 09:13:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kerry-Anne Walsh - May 4, 2008
Lifting personal income tax thresholds, increasing the low-income tax offset and boosting the child-care cash rebate to 50 per cent will become lures for...

A children's tale: state hike to gobble feds' aid

Sun, 4 May 2008 09:13:00 +1000

The Age - Deborah Gough - May 4, 2008
VICTORIAN parents have been urged to budget for further rises in child-care costs despite the Federal Government's pledge this week to bump up the rebate to...

Middle class wins as Labor boosts child-care rebate

Sat, 3 May 2008 09:52:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - May 3, 2008
MIDDLE-CLASS families will be the biggest winners from Labor's budget boost to the child-care rebate, netting up to $2500 annually in extra funds to help...

Baby bonus means test matter of wait and see

Sat, 3 May 2008 09:51:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Grattan and Misha Schubert - May 3, 2008
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has let speculation run about a means test on the baby bonus, although restricting it would flout earlier undertakings that...

Working families a cast of many minds

Sat, 3 May 2008 09:51:00 +1000

The Australian - Paul Maley - May 03, 2008
"If you're on median income, $50000 to $60000 a year, you're looking at putting your kids into childcare and dealing with their childcare costs," he said...

Key ABC executive to step down

Fri, 2 May 2008 10:38:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - May 02, 2008
Executive Martin Kemp was the head of operations at ABC's Australian and New Zealand arm, which recently revealed earnings weakness and occupancy...

Day care helps ward off cancer, study finds

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:30:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Kate Benson - April 30, 2008
CHILDREN who attend day-care centres or playgroups have a 30 per cent less chance of developing a life-threatening cancer, a study has found...

Mothers at mercy of interest rates

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:22:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Fay Burstin and Natalie Tkaczuk Sikora - April 29, 2008
ALMOST half of Australian women aged 25-40 said they couldn't afford their mortgage repayments if they took time off to have a baby....

Childcare King admits he took his eye off the ball

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:49:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh and AAP - April 28, 2008
ABC chief executive officer Eddy Groves yesterday also told Inside Business that the slippage had occurred while he had been focusing on the operations of the US arm...

Soap as good as disinfectanct

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:47:00 +1000

ScienceAlert - April 28, 2008
A recent study carried out by Swinburne’s Faculty of Life and Social Sciences has dispelled myths about the need for daily use of chemical disinfectants in childcare centres...

Childcare windfall for dual-income families

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:22:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Ben Packham - April 26, 2008
While spending will be slashed in other areas, new tax cuts and childcare rebates will deliver sizeable relief to dual-income families...

PM gets tough to protect children

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Imre Salusinszky - April 26, 2008
THE Rudd Government is about to launch a major takeover of child protection, leveraging its control of family assistance and childcare to intervene earlier...

Eddy Groves 'should resign'

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:00:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Rhys Haynes - April 24, 2008
ABC Learning lost its market appeal yesterday, with investors selling off shares and a call for founder Eddy Groves to resign...

Leave accounts: win-win solution to child care

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:07:00 +1000

ABC Online - Jo-anne Schofield - April 23, 2008
Child care and family payments are critical in influencing whether women return to work after childbirth...

Care for all kids is costly

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:07:00 +1000

The Australian - David Moore - April 23, 2008
Working parents also need access to quality child care to support workforce participation. There is compelling evidence that children from disadvantaged ...

Groves goes down fighting for ABC

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:06:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Terry McCrann - April 23, 2008
EDDY Groves has nailed a remarkable deal. He has not only saved his ABC company from oblivion, but kept alive its real growth future...

We decided to have kids - and pay

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:05:00 +1000

The Australian - Paul Kerin - April 22, 2008
Substantial compelling empirical evidence demonstrates that both early childhood education and parental leave do generate substantial benefits...

Pay mothers to stay at home, says study

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:11:00 +1000

Telegraph (UK) - Graham Tibbetts - April 21, 2008
Mothers should be paid to stay at home and raise their children, according to a report released today...

Childcare plan to be applauded

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:55:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Barrie Elvish - April 21, 2008
The proposed parent-and-child centres will be universal, high-quality and affordable for all Australian children to the age of 5…

Kevin's here to help blow the dough

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Glenn Milne - April 21, 2008
Low-cost universal child care will therefore have the effect of simply shifting the children of non-working parents from parental and informal care to formal care...

Nobel laureate inspired policy

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:00:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn - April 19, 2008
The Government's early childhood policy for last year's election made much of the work of Professor Heckman, a Nobel laureate in economic sciences...

Bosses offer perks to keep staff

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Andrea Mayes and Antyhony DeCeglie - April 19, 2008
"Affordable childcare and the ability to salary sacrifice childcare expenses were favoured options, although accessible parking facilities and allowing ...

Rudd's baby farms not great for kids

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:58:00 +1000

The Australian - Peter Saunders and Jessica Brown - April 18, 2008
Perhaps Rudd, his ministers and the childcare cheer squad should take time to reflect on some of the problems before they plough ahead...

Rudd's 2020 hindsight

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:19:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - April 18, 2008
In December 2004, in a ten-year strategy for child care and early learning, Britain vowed to expand its scheme for children expand its scheme for children...

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd defends his one-stop childcare proposal

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:10:00 +1000

ABC TV - Lateline - April 17, 2008
After unleashing his grand vision for the future of childcare, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is now backing away from committing to the proposal...

Barbara Romeril and Juliet Bourke discuss Kevin Rudd's childcare proposal

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:06:00 +1000

ABC TV - Lateline - April 17, 2008
Barbara Romeril and Juliet Bourke join Lateline to talk about Kevin Rudd's vision for universal childcare, pre-school and child health...

Rudd's one-stop shops not cheap - Nelson

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 17, 2008
"The idea of having a one-stop shop in most things is appealing - childcare, early learning, parental education...," Dr Nelson told ABC radio...

Childcare could go private, says Rudd

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - April 17, 2008
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the private sector could play a key role in his proposal to introduce universal childcare, but he has stressed that it's far...

McKew flags school year overhaul

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - April 17, 2008
CHILDCARE parliamentary secretary Maxine McKew wants to overhaul the school year timetable to give working parents greater flexibility with holidays...

McKew wants schools open for holidays

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:09:00 +1000

The Australian - Samantha Maiden - April 17, 2008
The Parliamentary Secretary for Childcare, charged by Kevin Rudd with reforming early childhood services, said today she wanted to spark anational debate...

Gillard flags childcare tax rebate increase

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:10:00 +1000

ABC Online - April 17, 2008
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it will be possible to have both private and publicly funded services in the one-stop childcare centres proposed by...

SA bid to lead childcare reform

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:09:00 +1000

ABC Online - April 17, 2008
The South Australian Government will nominate itself to lead the nation in childcare reform when education ministers meet in Melbourne today...

Commercialising child care is 'flawed'

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:47:00 +1000

The Age - April 17, 2008
Community Child Care Association executive director Barbara Romeril said Mr Rudd's belief that involving the private sector would make services better was...

PM's 2020 pledge for every child

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 17, 2008
EVERY child under five will have access to a cheap one-stop centre providing childcare, preschool and health services under a 12-year plan that Kevin Rudd...

Universal child care to age 5

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:43:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Grattan, Misha Schubert and Katharine Murphy - April 17, 2008
ALL Australian parents would have access to low-cost child care and welfare services under a proposal Kevin Rudd will take to his 2020 ideas summit...

Upbeat Eddy Groves sells off the Bullets after nine years

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:42:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - April 17, 2008
The sale comes amid trouble at childcare chain ABC Learning Centres, where Mr Groves is chief executive officer. ABC shares have plunged heavily...

Fruit cops a serve

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Holly Ife - April 15, 2008
A British survey of childcare centre menus found most were serving inadequate portions and only 30 per cent were providing meals with enough kilojoules...

Kinder children face new reports

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:55:00 +1000

The Age - Deborah Gough - April 13, 2008
PARENTS of kindergarten graduates will receive a statement to take to their child's school showing their child's interests, abilities and learning problems...

Toddler drowns at day care

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:54:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Ellen Connolly and Katherine Danks - April 13, 2008
A TODDLER has drowned while under the supervision of day-care workers during an outing at a park on the NSW Far North...

Childcare centres fail safety standards

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:54:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Linda Silmalis - April 13 2008
HUNDREDS of NSW childcare centres are failing to meet safety standards, with inspectors uncovering nails in sandpits, unlocked poisons cupboards and not enough staff...

Eddy Groves gets used to life in the slow lane

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:53:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Paul Weston - April 13, 2008
EMBATTLED childcare tycoon Eddy Groves says his life is "a whole new ballgame", with his focus on family rather than the fast lane...

Fruit and veg diet 'danger for toddlers'

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:52:00 +1000

The Observer (UK) - Amelia Hill - April 13 2008
Nutritionists say too much fibre and too little fat on nursery menus can lead to stunted growth...

Women paying to go to work

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:51:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sharon Labi - April 13, 2008
CHILD care has become so expensive that most people say returning to work is a waste of time. Centres where demand outstrips supply regularly...

Childcare can cost more than earnings

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:09:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Susie O'Brien - April 12, 2008
A THIRD of parents spend more on child care than they earn, a survey has found. And 15 per cent pay more than $80 a day for centre-based...

Let's review all family benefits

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:19:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Jessica Brown – April 10, 2008
Over the past few weeks, we've heard a myriad of competing opinions about the possible introduction of a paid maternity leave scheme…

ABC Learning cuts guidance, blames slow property sales

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 12:46:00 +1000

The Australian - Lisa Macnamara - April 09, 2008
TROUBLED childcare provider ABC Learning has blamed slowing property sales and "timing issues" for slashing its earnings per share guidance...

Call for paid maternity leave

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 08, 2008
SEX Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and union and business leaders have joined forces to call for a national, taxpayer-funded, paid maternity leave scheme...

Part-timers fail at work and home

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Chris Merritt - April 08, 2008
Those hit hardest are women professionals who had looked to part-time work as a way of balancing family responsibilities and working life...

Big plans for little people

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:39:00 +1000

The Age - Annie Lawson - April 8, 2008
When one woman couldn't find the kind of child care centre she wanted, she built one herself. BREASTFEEDING in public can be daunting enough...

The fundamentals still apply

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:24:00 +1000

The Age - Farrah Tomazin - April 8, 2008
Yesterday, the Brumby Government set about trying find the answers, announcing plans for a massive shake-up in child care, kindergarten and schools...

ASIF and API Fund merge in wake of ABC fallout

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:23:00 +1000

The Age - April 8, 2008
ASIF's assets include 56 child-care centres from which ABC businesses are run, a 15% stake in an unlisted property fund called CIB, and a 21% stake in API...

Inquiry to examine breastfeeding, maternity leave

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 07, 2008
THE greater incidence of breastfeeding by mothers on paid maternity leave is among key issues to be discussed by a federal inquiry into parental leave...

Shake-up targets bored teachers

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:43:00 +1000

The Age - Farrah Tomazin - April 7, 2008
So we want to provide the best possible environment where any child is, whether they're at home, whether they're in child care, or whether they're in...

Take income out of the childcare equation

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Angela Shanahan - April 05, 2008
The average family receives the baby bonus and family tax benefits parts A and B, perhaps the means-tested childcare benefit or, if the parents are both...

All care, little support for mothers

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 09:01:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - April 04, 2008
They call for more child care for disabled children and better welfare-to-work programs for single mothers. Melbourne psychologist Michael Burge said...

Childcare costs, lost benefits hurt working mums

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:49:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Anthony Keane - March 31, 2008
RETURNING to work after having children could be a bad financial move for mothers as they lose benefits and face mounting childcare costs ...

Inside the ABC childcare empire and Eddy Groves

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:47:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - March 31, 2008
IT was almost five years ago that childcare mogul Eddy Groves paid $4 million for a house encompassing river views on a moneyed Surfers Paradise street ...

14 weeks maternity leave 'wouldn't hurt'

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:46:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - March 30, 2008
She said paid maternity leave, along with more accessible child care and flexible working arrangements, was needed to encourage them into the workforce ...

How we're backing working parents

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:48:00 +1000

The Age - Julia Gillard - March 30, 2008
The Government will also make it easier for women to join the workforce by making child care more affordable and accessible. More than 700000 families will...

ABC problems not all bad - McKew

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:47:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - March 29, 2008
THE troubles of ABC Learning Centres have not impacted on childcare operations in Australia but have prompted a fresh set of industry expectations...

Childcare workers, tradies, mechanics win in package

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:21:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Steve Lewis - March 29, 2008
Treasurer Wayne Swan said low and middle-income Australians such as mechanics, hairdressers, childcare workers, teacher aides, tradies and labourers are...

Iemma pledges $6m for autism intervention

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:20:00 +1000

ABC Online - March 28, 2008
He says $1.4 million will go towards a new childcare centre in Western Sydney to help children with autism attend mainstream schools without support...

ABC yet to stitch US deal

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:41:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liam Walsh - March 26, 2008
A DEADLINE for ABC's talks on selling a stake of its US childcare empire passed without a deal being signed yesterday...

Mums still home, despite the hype

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Irvine - March 26, 2008
THE stay-at-home dad is, if not a myth, at least a rarity, as workforce statistics show women continue to shoulder the burden of child care in the home...

Throwing the baby bonus out with the bathwater

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:01:00 +1000

ABC Online - Peter Saunders - March 25, 2008
As the Rudd 'razor gang' searches for wasteful items of expenditure to cut, a number of commentators have targeted the baby bonus as a prime candidate...

Speculation grows for Childcare business ABC debt

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:59:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh and Josh Robertson - March 25, 2008
CHILDCARE business ABC Learning Centres might have come close to "breaching" a debt agreement, an analyst report has said ahead of a deadline for exclusive...

Addiction to work dulls zest for leisure

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:55:00 +1000

The Age - Donatella Cavagnoli - March 25, 2008
THE issue of work-life balance has been a point of public discussion for some years, yet it is a discussion that is often bogged down in confusion...

Goward attack: mums betrayed

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:52:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Carmel Egan - March 23, 2008
FORMER federal sex discrimination commissioner Pru Goward has accused leading ALP women of abandoning working mothers over paid maternity leave...

Paid leave for mums a given

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:51:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Pru Goward - March 23, 2008
MY 2002 proposal for a national, government-funded scheme of paid maternity leave - 14 weeks for all women - stands in a special corner all of its own...

death of the supermum

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Caroline Marcus - March 23, 2008
A FIFTH of families say the high cost of child care has stopped them from having more children. And two-thirds of Australians would prefer to stay at home...

Child-care rebate bad for kids

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Ross Gittins - March 19, 2008
Consider the great economic rationalist experiment with the "marketisation" of child care. The problems of the new child-care "industry" were outlined in a...

No baby bonus cash for problem parents

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:36:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - March 19, 2008
STATE and territory governments will administer a radical plan to pay the $5000 federal government baby bonus to problem parents as vouchers…

Coast childcare group expands

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:10:00 +1000

Gold Coast News – Nick Nichols – March 18, 2008
EARLY Learning Services continues to add to its childcare centre portfolio as its larger Brisbane rival ABC Learning Centres downsizes...

Groves settles Citigroup debt

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:55:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Nick Lenaghan - March 17, 2008
ABC Learning Centres founder Eddy Groves has repaid his bankers a hefty debt still owed over margin loans that collapsed as his childcare...

ABC Learning to keep Brisbane Bullets sponsorship

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:55:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liam Walsh - March 16, 2008
ABC Learning Centres says sponsorship of the Brisbane Bullets will continue even after the childcare business's boss offloads the team...

Family sues ABC for 'failing to support' boy

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:58:00 +1000

The Age - Deborah Gough - March 16, 2008
The case is believed to be the first in Victoria where a child-care centre has faced action over the quality of care for a disabled child...

Time to rethink baby bonus

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:53:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn and Lauren Wilson - March 14, 2008
The Child Care Tax Rebate was increased by Labor from 30 to 50 per cent of parents' out-of-pocket expenses to a new cap of $7500 per child, again regardless...

Perfect chance to improve child care

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:23:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Marie Coleman - March 14, 2008
As little as 10 years ago, the not-for-profit sector dominated the provision of child care, along with a number of small, independently owned for-profit...

Rudd to change rules on single mums

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:22:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - March 14, 2008
The figure takes into account the costs associated with working, including childcare. But the Rudd Government believes the Howard system has not been...

Easier handouts bad news for single mums

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:17:00 +1000

The Australian - March 14, 2008
Under the reforms, a job was considered viable if the parent was at least $50 a fortnight better off, after childcare and other costs...

Reducing kids to numbers

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:01:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O’Brien - March 12, 2008
IF the rise and stumble of childcare CEO Eddy Groves has taught us anything, it's that running a successful childcare chain isn't as easy as ABC...

ABC Learning to seek new directors

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:29:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Michael Sainsbury and Andrew Fraser - March 11, 2008
THE board of ABC Learning Centres is set for a shake-up as institutional investors seek more representation to reflect their new holdings...

Mixed reports on childcare giant

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:26:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - March 11, 2008
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres yesterday had its first share rally in four trading sessions since a surprise fall in profits...

Child-care bonanza gives top earners $1000 extra help

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - March 10, 2008
HIGH-INCOME families will receive an extra $1000 or more a year to help with their child-care costs under the Federal Government's revamped tax rebate...

ABC here to stay, Eddy says

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:43:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Kevin Meade - March 10, 2008
Eddy Groves was given a standing ovation yesterday by more than 1000 operators of the childcare centres...

ABC Learning defends financial ties

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:41:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - March 9, 2008
Some of the loan from the contractor's private company to the privately-owned childcare business was specifically earmarked for repaying debt to ABC...

ABC Learning Centres founders in shares fire sale

Sat, 8 Mar 2008 09:26:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - March 8,2008
CHILDCARE entrepreneurs Eddy and Le Neve Groves have been forced to sell all but a sliver of their shareholdings in the business they co-founded 20 years...

Investors savage ABC Learning deal

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:22:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa Burrow - March 7, 2008
Founder Eddy Groves' decision to sell 60% of the child-care centre operator's US business was met with wildly different responses, with the stock gaining as...

ABC Learning gets a debt lifeline

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:22:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa Burrow - March 6, 2008
CHILD-CARE giant ABC Learning will sell a 60% stake in its US child-care centres to Morgan Stanley Private Equity, in a deal that will help the company...

Busy Bees childcare vouchers up for sale

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:20:00 +1000

Times Online (UK) - Paul Larter - March 5, 2008
ABC Learning, the owner of Britain’s biggest childcare provider, appointed Rothschild yesterday to manage the sale of the leading business in the sector...

ABC closes in on US sale

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:20:00 +1000

The Australian - John Durie - March 05, 2008
EDDY Groves is in final negotiations on the partial sale of ABC Learning's US kindergartens. A deal is understood to have the backing of...

ABC extends trading freeze, sale talks

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:19:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Liam Walsh and James McCullough - March 05, 2008
ABC Learning yesterday prolonged a trading freeze on the stock exchange as reports surfaced Eddy Groves and his wife had split...

ABC woes unnerve corporate child care

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:19:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa Burrow – March 5, 2008
Child care was an emotive issue and companies wanted to know their centre was safe, and that employees' children would still receive care…

ABC tries to sell US assets

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:19:00 +1000

The Australian - Glenda Korporaal and David Nason - March 05, 2008
The two most likely bidders are US childcare giant Knowledge Universe Corp, which is backed by former junk bond king Mike Milken, and Bright Horizon Family...

Plenty of achievements amid sins

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:17:00 +1000

The Australian - Peter Switzer - March 4, 2008
In 1988, he kicked off into the childcare business with his first ABC Learning Centres operation. The decision was classic entrepreneurial vision...

Lesson in playground etiquette

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 13:59:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Barrie Elvish CEO C&K - March 4, 2008
As ABC has close to 50 per cent of the childcare market in Queensland, the turmoil the company is experiencing has significant ramifications beyond the...

ABC's US centres in the lurch as talks go on

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 13:58:00 +1000

The Age - Vanessa Burrow - March 4, 2008
THE future of ABC Learning Centres' child-care centres in the US is in limbo, as the company continues talks with an as-yet-unidentified interested party...

Childcare king seeks US buyer

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:33:00 +1000

The Australian - Adele Ferguson - March 3, 2008
Mr Groves, who built his ABC Learning childcare empire from just 25 centres seven years ago to more than 2300 today, arrived at Los Angeles airport on...

Former Howard minister shares in the pain

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:31:00 +1000

The Age - Jason Koutsoukis - March 2, 2008
THE crisis affecting ABC Learning Centres has spread to John Howard's former minister for children, Larry Anthony...

Rudd office vague on sector's regulation

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:31:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - March 1, 2008
IF HE was looking to buy political insurance, embattled child care magnate Eddy Groves may have run out of luck last November. A fellow traveller with the...

ABC childcare shareholders may sue

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:30:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - March 1, 2008
And the shareholder advocates' group believes the case against the besieged childcare operator is strong. But despite the worrying state of its financial...

Childcare magnate's fight for survival

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:30:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - March 1, 2008
The man who built ABC Learning Centres into a multinational childcare network out of a milk run this week saw the stock price of his company crash...

Child care: not as easy as ABC

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:29:00 +1000

Brisbane Times – Deborah Brennan – February 29, 2008
The drama surrounding child-care group ABC Learning suggests it is time to rethink aspects of Australia's approach to the provision of early childhood...

Manual for `gentle parenting'

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 10:27:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Jane Barry - February 29, 2008
Some years ago she gravitated to writing and has published four books on baby and child care. Her most recent, Toddler Tactics, was produced as her first...

ABC Learning: 'We kept market aware'

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:09:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh and Josh Robertson - February 29, 2008
EMBATTLED childcare giant ABC Learning Centres has argued it kept the market aware profits would be vastly different...

The road to corporate learning begins in child care

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:08:00 +1000

The Age - February 29, 2008
THE effects of the ABC Learning debacle, which continue to reverberate as the week goes on, raise many questions about financial and corporate propriety...

Canberra queries child-care giant ABC on viability

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:06:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert and Dewi Cooke - February 29, 2008
EMBATTLED child-care giant ABC Learning has been forced to reassure the Federal Government of its ongoing viability...

Rudd keeping an eye on ABC Learning Centres

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:12:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - February 28, 2008
THE Federal Government is closely monitoring the troubled childcare provider ABC Learning Centres, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today...

Future of 2000 ABC Learning childcare centres in doubt

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:11:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – February 28, 2008
THE future of more than 2000 ABC Learning childcare centres is in doubt today after under-siege boss Eddy Groves admitted he is selling off parts of the...

ABC bosses in $50m stock dump

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:08:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Michael Sainsbury and Adele Ferguson - February 28, 2008
ABC directors were forced to dump $52 million worth of shares, and ASIC is examining insider trading and poor disclosure claims.

The baby blues: Study finds a third of mothers slip down career ladder

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:06:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) - Lucy Ward - February 27, 2008
...research published today reveals for the first time the extent to which professional women are forced to slide down the career ladder to find jobs that allow them to spend time with their family...

ABC Learning up for sale, trading halted

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:33:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - February 27, 2008
ABC Learning shares have been suspended after the company said parts of the business could be sold...

ABC's landlord takes a beating

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - February 27, 2008
It hurts now, but the property trust might find itself in line for some great child-care bargains. IT was a tough day for anything associated with the beleaguered child-care operator...

Summit sought on childcare abuse

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:24:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Peter Mickelburough - February 27, 2008
A NATIONAL childcare summit has been called for after the Herald Sun highlighted the mistreatment and abuse of infants and children in child care...

Childcare mogul loses $45m in two hours

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:08:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liliana Molina - February 26, 2008
CHILDCARE mogul Eddy Groves has lost more than $45 million after stock in his company slumped more than 60 percent this morning...

More support for baby-making - report

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:28:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Tamara McLean - February 26, 2008
... that economic concerns, job insecurity, fluctuating house prices and difficulties accessing child care were key drivers for keeping the birth rate down...

Children abused, lost while in day care

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:17:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Peter Mickelburough - February 26, 2008
CHILDREN have been abused, battered and abandoned in childcare centres across Victoria. A Herald Sun investigation found more than 53 children and babies have been mistreated or lost in three years...

Sharing is not caring with child care

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:15:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Peter Mickelburough - February 26, 2008
AS a mother of a child in care and a childcare worker, Bronwen Jefferson is aware of the need for childcare centres to follow strict protocols...

ABC Learning profit falls 42%

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:13:00 +1000

The Age - February 25, 2008
ABC Learning Centres, Australia's top private childcare operator, reported a 42% fall in first-half profit, and reaffirmed its forecast of 15% earnings...

Rudd put in the naughty chair

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:24:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – February 20, 2008
It magnified the message that politicians don't seem to have a clue that thousands of families are spending more than a third of their income on childcare...

Rudd will pay child-care bill

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:22:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald Mark Metherell - February 20, 2008
CHILD CARE for Kevin Rudd's son Marcus, 14, will come out of the Prime Minister's own pocket, after Opposition outcry over news that taxpayers were footing...

Rudd ruckus a sign of lingering inequity

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:20:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Eva Cox – February 20, 2008
This is the week that our national Parliament approved a 22-place child-care centre. I was working there in the 1980s when we tried to get one approved for ...

Rudds' staff extends to a child carer at the Lodge

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Mark Metherell – February 19, 2008
After years of campaigning, the Government has approved a centre for Federal Parliament. Anglicare will run the centre for 22 children...

Paid paternity leave on the cards

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:30:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - February 18, 2008
The Productivity Commission was yesterday asked to examine the "economic and social costs and benefits of paid maternity leave, paternity and parental leave"...

Childcare investors spit dummy

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:29:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - February 17, 2008
EVERY so often, in letters and reports on the childcare venture, they were told fortunes might improve despite the tough times...

Govt to review VSU impact on universities

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:28:00 +1000

ABC Online – February 17, 2008
Since then, many student union-funded services, including sporting facilities, child care and food outlets, have had their funding reduced or eliminated...

Child care and prosperity

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:54:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - February 16, 2008
One area where spending should be boosted is child care, which has become more important than ever as mums and dads find they must both work to meet soaring ...

Parents driven to extremes in childcare hunt

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:10:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O’Brien – February 15, 2008
MORE than 11000 Melbourne parents are still looking for child care, industry figures show. Desperate parents are registering for care up to three years...

The alpha preschoolers

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:09:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Ella Mudie - February 15, 2008
Currently teaching at Petersham's Greek Orthodox Community Child Care Centre, she's one of 20 teachers working in Australia on a Greek Government-sponsored...

Nannies mother mums to ward off the blues

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:17:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – February 12, 2008
The opening of the new Mater Mothers' Hospital in August this year will bring with it a ward nannies program, where experienced volunteers will give new mums support and guidance through the first weeks of their child's life...

MPs allowed to vote while breastfeeding

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:15:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – February 11, 2008
While the resolution is designed to make parliament more family-friendly, the issue of constructing a childcare at Parliament House remains unresolved...

Toddlers 'at risk' from curriculum that forces them to use computers

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 11:45:00 +1000

Daily Mail (UK) – Laura Clark – February 6, 2008
Dr Sigman believes under-threes should not watch TV at all, while viewing should be severely restricted for older children... Pre-school children now spend three times longer in front of a television or computer than they spend reading…

Brumby announces childcare reforms

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 11:44:00 +1000

The Age - February 6, 2008
Victorian parents will be able to check the safety record of childcare centres online under reforms announced by Premier John Brumby...

Kinder kids to get 'transition' reports

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 11:43:00 +1000

The Age – David Rood and Bridie Smith – February 6, 2008
PARENTS will be given a detailed report of their child's learning and social development at kindergarten, as the Brumby Government sharpens its focus in early childhood education...

Babies absorb chemicals from shampoo

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 11:42:00 +1000

ABC Online - Health & Medical News – February 5, 2008
Parents are advised to limit their baby's exposure to shampoo, lotions and powder after a new study found chemicals from babycare products in their urine…

Child care must be made affordable

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 13:37:00 +1000

The Age – Prof. Russell Smyth – February 5, 2008
DURING the election, the Labor Party promised big things for child care: 260 more child-care centres and $1.5 billion on increasing the child-care tax ...

Hands-on parents strike better chord

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 13:35:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Fay Burstin – February 5, 2008
Many parents assumed Wiggles and Hi-5 music "must be good" because they were often played in preschools and childcare centres, but the key was to be present rather than use them to babysit...

Family faces big decision as costs keep going up

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 13:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Jacob Saulwick - February 5, 2008
Child-care costs have been one of the biggest contributors to an inflation rate that is racing ahead of the Reserve's comfort zone....

Push to improve education standards

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 13:34:00 +1000

ABC Online - February 4, 2008
An expanded Board could be given the role of monitoring academic standards from preschool to year 12 and maintaining curriculum frameworks as well as the...

Happy in care: it's in the hormones

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 08:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - February 2, 2008
CHILDREN from loving homes are stressed when placed in poor quality child-care centres, new scientific evidence reveals. But children from disadvantaged ...

Schoolkids want fare go

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 10:20:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O’Brien - February 1, 2008
The findings come as a revolutionary new program in more than 1000 Victorian schools, kinders and childcare centres has brought about a remarkable...

Report finds ACT has longest emergency waiting times

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 10:17:00 +1000

ABC Online – January 31, 2008
... benchmarks for reading, writing and numeracy. But in the area of child care, centre based long-day care was more expensive in the ACT than anywhere else.

Govt services lacking in Indigenous health, education: report

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 10:10:00 +1000

ABC Online - January 31, 2008
... child spending about 11 hours a week at pre-school. Federal Government-funded childcare places have increased by 4.5 per cent, to more than 600000 places.

Is there a continental divide in counting the cost of childcare?

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:30:00 +1000

Yorkshire Post (UK) - Sarah Freeman January 30, 2008
It seems bringing up baby has never been more expensive. According to the latest figures, parents are paying more than £8000 a year for nursery places...

Kindy kids on the keyboard

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:59:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - January 30, 2008
In some Victorian childcare centres even one-year-old babies use computers with their carers, and most centres have at least one computer used by children...

Parents' pre-school roll-call 21 hours early in Birchgrove

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:57:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Evelyn Yamine - January 30, 2008
PARENTS frantic to secure pre-school spots for their children for 2009 camped outside an inner west school from midday yesterday...

Parents dump children at pools for child care

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:53:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Jane Metlikovec - January 30, 2008
PARENTS are dodging childcare fees by dumping children at pools during school holidays for lifeguards to look after. Swimming pool entry fees vary but child...

Italian Barbie grills racism

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:20:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Clare Masters - January 29, 2008
The federally funded childcare resource warns early childhood teachers to be wary of "government policy" that expect "all cultures to conform to a white ...

Rudd Government must take knife to Coalition's welfare for the rich

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:48:00 +1000

The Age - Jessica Irvine - January 28, 2008
...unfairness of cash payments not linked to income levels, such as Howard's infamous Family Tax Benefit Part B paid to all single-income families regardless of income...

Beginner's luck

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:32:00 +1000

The Age - January 27, 2008
The University of London study found that preschool helped with intellectual development, improved independence, concentration and social skills...

Abbott's amazing about face

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:31:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Malcolm Farr - January 27, 2008
Child care, he believes, has become an "absolute essential" for parents to give their families a decent standard of living...

Our terms for 'the most important job of all'

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:30:00 +1000

The Age - Suzy Freeman-Greene - January 24, 2008
...talking about paid maternity leave... we're still one of just two OECD countries without a national leave scheme...

ALP to stagger childcare centres in outer suburbs

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:01:00 +1000

The Australian – Patricia Karvelas – January 23, 2008
THE Rudd Government will roll out its plan to build 260 new childcare centres in the infrastructure-starved outer suburbs. Deputy Prime Minister Julia...

TV, internet dominating kids' spare time: UK survey

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:11:00 +1000

ABC Online – Rafael Epstein – January 21, 2008
There is more evidence from Britain that children are spending more and more of their lives in front of an electronic screen and far less time outdoors...

Rudd fast tracks training

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:25:00 +1000

The Australian – Samantha Maiden – January 21, 2008
Thousands of parents could also be encouraged to re-enter the workforce and boost the nation's productivity under plans to deliver more affordable childcare...

A child-care lesson from Canada

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Steve Biddulph - January 19, 2008
One minefield for Labor - a legacy of 11 years of Coalition rule - is that of child care, and the underlying problem: how best to help Australia's 4 million families care for their young children and stay afloat financially...

Childcare all kids' stuff

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:38:00 +1000

Gold Coast News - Nick Nichols - January 18, 2008
JOHN Hutchison would be the first to admit that running a public company is not child's play, but he is adamant that his newly listed venture is...

ABC signs corporate childcare agreement with Centrelink

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:35:00 +1000

egoli.com.au - Daniel Bragg - January 17, 2008
ABC Learning Centres Limited (ABS) announced it would provide childcare services at selected centres across Australia for the children of Centrelink staff...

ABC Learning trumped on US buy

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:57:00 +1000

The Australian – David Nason and Andrew Fraser – January 16, 2007
AN affiliate of the private equity firm founded by White House candidate Mitt Romney is paying $US1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) for a leading US childcare provider that has been in the sights of Australia's ABC Learning…

Spare some care for the kids

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:01:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O’Brien - Jan 15, 2008
FOR some parents, dropping their kids off to child care is the hardest thing they will do in a day's work. How do you walk away when you've got a teary urchin...

Child-care policies slip quietly off the agenda

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:37:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - Jan 14, 2008
Where Parliament House departs from other best-practice office buildings is its lack of a child-care centre, a service many private companies now offer...

High-rise child care

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:14:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - Michael Owen - Jan 13, 2008
A CHILDCARE centre for the first time is to be developed in a major city centre high-rise office tower. Developers of the $100 million building at 400 King...

New laws to protect our kids

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:08:00 +1000

News.com.au – Paul Lampathakis - Jan 12, 2008
BABYSITTERS and sporting coaches who work with young children will soon have to show they have passed criminal record checks. Child Protection Minister Sue...

Boom in baby bonus for rich

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:02:00 +1000

The Australian - Sean Parnell - January 12, 2008
The Government would be better off rationalising the various family tax benefits, childcare payments and so on to make the system fairer and simpler...

Stress with children hits women

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:01:00 +1000

The Age - Sherrill Nixon - January 12, 2008
A study into parents' moods has found child care is the only activity that mothers dislike significantly more than fathers. In contrast, women feel more...

Parents set for soaring school costs

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:17:00 +1000

The Australian – Milanda Rout – January 11, 2008
PARENTS preparing their children to go back to school face soaring bills of up to $21000 this year as the cost of tuition, uniforms and books continue to...

Higher aims to give boys the best shot at learning

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:21:00 +1000

The Canberra Times – Peter West – January 10, 2008
The report is not a sensational call encouraging boys to be aggressive in child-care centres and the early years of school...

Fickle toddlers who care too much

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:30:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Zoe Taylor – January 10, 2008
I WAS expecting a few tears as we negotiated our way through a childcare crisis recently. But the manner in which the crocodile tears...

Nursery children arrive at school with bad attitude – and it rubs off

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 11:02:00 +1000

Times Online (UK) - Alexandra Frean - January 4, 2008
The negative effects on children’s behaviour of full-time nursery care also act upon their classmates when they start school, research suggests...

Appeal for childcare aid to help parents financially

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:56:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Peter Jean with Daily Mail - January 4, 2008
The British Government's chief childcare researcher, Prof Jay Belsky, has called for parents to get tax breaks to care for their children at home on...

It's time MPs paid for the pram

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:24:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - Dec 31, 2007
The remoteness of our pollies from the real world was exposed when they expressed horror that childcare could cost between $80 and $100 a day...

MPs fume over childcare costs

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:22:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Peter Jean - Dec 31, 2007
A CHILDCARE centre may still be opened at Parliament House in Canberra despite complaints by politicians that the fees would be too expensive...

Pollies' childcare costs 'prohibitive'

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:21:00 +1000

The Australian - Siobhain Ryan - Dec 30, 2007
"Political and public servants in Parliament House or elsewhere will have to pay the same amount for childcare as everyone else in the community," he said...

Parliament house creche will go ahead

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:18:00 +1000

The Age - Dec 30, 2007
A child care centre in Parliament House will go ahead, but the federal government is still trying to work out the best option. There are reports the Labor...

MPs childcare costs too much

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:15:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sharri Markson - Dec 29, 2007
FEDERAL MPs have now scrapped plans for a childcare centre in Parliament House, saying the $80-a-day cost is "astronomical" - despite many...

Childcare group director in $3m sell-off

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:01:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - December 27, 2007
A KEY executive of childcare group ABC Learning Centres has offloaded almost $3 million in shares, going against a tide of director purchases...

Daycare failures to be named

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:29:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Steven Wardill - December 26, 2007
The Creche and Kindergarten Association and Child Care Queensland have previously backed public disclosure. However, Ms Bligh's position is in stark...

ABC group buys more Fun

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:26:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - December 24, 2007
CHILDCARE group ABC Learning Centres has boosted a stake in troubled toy supplier Funtastic, which was subject to takeover talk earlier this year...

Retailer’s wife buys up properties

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:20:00 +1000

The West Australian - Vanda Carson - December 22, 2007
Mr Groves, who has built a fortune of about $237 million, plans to spend more time in the US where his child-care centres now make up the majority of the...

Preschools face education revamp

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:13:00 +1000

The Age - Jason Dowling - December 23, 2007
CHILD-CARE centres and kindergartens would have a greater emphasis on education under a State Government push for more structured learning for young...

Full steam to 2010 win

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:10:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvellas - December 22, 2007
The other crucial priority is deciding where to build 260 new childcare centres; the group chaired by Gillard will develop a plan immediately for the...

Study Says Foster Care Benefits Brains

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:07:00 +1000

The Associated Press - December 21, 2007
The younger that happens, "the less likely the child is to have major problems," he added. The research is credited with influencing child-care changes in...

Flexibility the key to a better work environment

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Elizabeth Broderick – December 21, 2007
Men from both groups explained that additional child-care places and more family-friendly work opportunities for their partners would help to ease the...

Data gap in childcare

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:30:00 +1000

The Australian – Stephen Lunn - December 21, 2007
AUSTRALIA needs better quality data on how childcare and early childhood learning programs affect children later in life, the nation's top statistician has...

Labor's women of power turn a page in politics

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:25:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Anne Summers – December 21, 2007
…challenge of childcare policy, which will be tackled by Gillard, Macklin, Plibersek and, in her role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Maxine McKew…

Child care main barrier to women in work

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:13:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Jessica Irvine – December 20, 2007
A lack of suitable child care was blamed by the majority of women, 130400, while the remainder of mothers did less work by choice to care for their children...

Child care 'good' for young children

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - December 19, 2007
Working parents can shake off any guilt about leaving their children in childcare all day, as a new Australian study says it helps their social development...

Boom times fuel shift to more women leaders

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:36:00 +1000

The Australian – Amanda O’Brien – December 19, 2007
Forty per cent provided childcare initiatives and one infive allowed staff to work from home. Mr Nicolaou said boosting female participation was crucial to...

Employers dangle baits to help beat skills shortages

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:31:00 +1000

The Age – Nassim Khadem – December 18, 2007
A shortage of skilled workers in child care was boosted by the recent welfare-to-work changes that force parents of young children to look for part-time...

Parents find comfort in child-care cover

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Matthew Benns and Michael Taverniti – December 16, 2007
Julie Blair, pictured with 14-month-old son Connor, has taken out child-care insurance. PARENTS can take out insurance to cover the cost of child care when...

Turning land of Grimm into a child-friendly place

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:37:00 +1000

The Age – Kate Connolly - December 16, 2007
Babies play at a child-care centre in Berlin. A campaign has been launched to make Germans more child-friendly in a bid to increase the birthrate...

Kids more active when playground has balls, jump ropes, UNC study shows

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:35:00 +1000

University of North Carolina (USA) - December 11, 2007
Children play harder and longer when their child-care centers provide portable play equipment such as balls and jump ropes, more opportunities for active play and physical…

School must start at seven

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:36:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) – Lisa Harker – December 12, 2007
The effects of high-quality pre-school education can last well into primary school. The Children's Plan is ambitious and far-reaching...

Childcare group in China link

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:35:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Liam Walsh – December 12, 2007
...of Brisbane-based ABC Learning Centres to promote a bilingual "5-star" kindergarten venture - despite the childcare giant denying knowledge of the plan...

Quarter of income goes on the kids

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:34:00 +1000

The Australian – Stephen Lunn – December 12, 2007
A TYPICAL Australian family will fork out more than half a million dollars to raise two kids through to age 21 - a quarter of its total earnings...

New program helps families pay for quality child care

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:34:00 +1000

Dallas Business Journal (USA) – Margaret Allen - December 11, 2007
A Dallas company has launched what it says is the nation's first child-care financing source for families with children enrolled in child-care and preschool...

Improved childcare policies needed to achieve better work/life...

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:33:00 +1000

CareandHealth (UK) - 10 Dec 2007
Babies and Bosses, Reconciling Work and Family Life compares the different approaches that the 30 OECD countries take to help parents balance their work and...

We will deliver tax cuts: Swan

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:24:00 +1000

The Australian – Matthew Franklin – December 8, 2007
...along with new increased childcare rebates, were designed to encourage as many as 100000 people to rejoin or enter the workforce...

No tears as Early Learning Services float slips

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 09:17:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Leah McLennan - December 6, 2007
CHILDCARE group Early Learning Services has debuted on the stock exchange at a 1 per cent discount to its offer price following a $34 million float...

Probiotics reduce sick days

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 09:15:00 +1000

ScienceAlert - December 6, 2007
"Australia's strict childcare guidelines excluding children from attending daycare when they are sick not only causes considerable inconvenience for working...

Mums, toddlers learn together

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 09:14:00 +1000

Adelaidenow – Xanthe Kleinig - December 5, 2007
Nicolle, 22, began the program with her son Lauclan, 17 months, at the cafe Enfield Child Care Centre and Kindergarten. "It's a bit more structured than...

Taxation by stealth must top reform list

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 09:25:00 +1000

The Australian – Peter Saunders - December 4, 2007
That election also left us with a childcare muddle by superimposing a new childcare rebate on to the existing Child Care Benefit...

Macquarie's childcare woes

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 09:24:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - December 3, 2007
CFK - backed by Macquarie Group - is selling 23 of its childcare centres after losing $13m last financial year. CFK said the sale of the centres is part of...

McKew 'exhilarated' to join Rudd govt

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 09:21:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - December 3, 2007
"I've got the early childhood area and early childhood learning and childcare and that's at the centre of Kevin's education revolution," she said...

Parents urged to chill out

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:42:00 +1000

The Age – Sherrill Nixon – December 3, 2007
...Cognitive and Social Sciences, did find that long hours watching television and in child care had a detrimental effect on children's mental health...

Single parents lagging on jobs

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:40:00 +1000

The Australian – Gary Hughes – December 3, 2007
Australia's participation rate for children aged up to three in childcare is 29per cent, the 10th-best and better than the OECD average of 22.9per cent...

Labor's deal: What you get

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:38:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Alexandra Tredrea, Meredith Booth - December 3, 2007
Tax cuts, child care and education rebates, low interest green loans and first home buyer deposit relief were among the key promises...

Immature carers fear

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:35:00 +1000

The Mercury – Angus Hohenboken - December 2, 2007
THERE are fears childcare courses in the State Government's new polytechnic colleges could lead to children caring for children. The possibility that the...

Call to keep sole-parent work rules

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Jessica Irvine - December 1, 2007
The OECD said better access to child care should accompany the move to tighten eligibility for support. "The countries with the best outcomes for sole ...

Review urged on pre-school plans

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:31:00 +1000

BBC News (UK) - November 30, 2007
Campaigners are urging the government to re-think plans to teach pre-school children in England to read and write. A distinguished lobby of academics claims...

State child care 'failing'

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:29:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Michael Owen - November 30, 2007
THE State Government is failing in its duty toward children in care, with a government agency warning of "system failure" and "under-investment"...

"Formal play" better prepares children for school

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:17:00 +1000

Telegraph (UK) - Roger Highfield - November 29, 2007
Research in America concludes that a recently-developed preschool curriculum could cut the gap in achievement between children from rich and poor areas...

Underpaid childcare worker sacked by SMS

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:11:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – November 29, 2007
A CHILDCARE centre group in New South Wales has been fined $16875 for underpaying a worker by more than $5000 then sacking her by a mobile phone text...

Shareholder questions tender ABC Learning process

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:09:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Liam Walsh - November 29, 2007
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres had tender processes questioned at a meeting where it talked up Labor's federal election win and the possibility of a...

Hairy Poppins and Mary

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Sacha Molitorisz - November 29, 2007
Part of the reason I started thinking about nannying generally was the fervent response to last week's blog about childcare/daycare/preschool...

ABC Learning finds it's not child's play in Canada

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:12:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Liam Walsh – November 25, 2007
They did not have anything," recalls Elson, who has been involved in accrediting child care in Canada. The June meeting in a small Edmonton conference room...

Independents set sights on young students

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:11:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Anna Patty - November 24, 2007
INDEPENDENT schools in Sydney are building their own child-care centres to help retain good teachers, improve revenue sources and smooth the transition into...

What happens when dad looks after the kids?

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:11:00 +1000

University of Bristol (UK) - November 23, 2007
Boys who spend at least 15 hours a week in their father’s care as toddlers perform worse in academic assessments when they start school...

Childcare operator downgrades profit forecast

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:11:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Liam Walsh – November 22, 2007
ABC Learning Centres has warned profits will fall below expectations in the first such downgrade for the listed childcare giant...

Childcare rebate, free kinder seal it for this mum

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:08:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Fay Burstin – November 22, 2007
Tax, child care, education and first-home saver rebates, extra health services and cash for parents and grandparents are among goodies promised...

Families to pocket extra $40 a week

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:46:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Steve Lewis – November 19, 2007
Policies designed to ease the squeeze include lifting the childcare rebate from 30 to 50 per cent, offering a 50 per cent education tax refund and up to...

Children are for life, not just for kissing (during elections)

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:52:00 +1000

The Age - Rob Moodie - November 18, 2007
Apart from tax rebates for child care, a new TV channel for kids, and a laptop on every child's desk, there has been little focus on children's wellbeing...

Nowhere to go for hundreds of children as child-care centres close

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - November 17, 2007
CHILD-CARE centres in six NSW country towns and one in Sydney - once linked to the corporate giant ABC Learning Centres - will close next Friday...

Labor's $200m will get 65000 kids off waiting lists

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:24:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - November 17, 2007
VICTORIAN parents will get up to 65 new childcare centres as part of an Opposition push to ease the burden on the groaning system...

Mixed reaction to ALP plan for 65 new centres

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:21:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - November 17, 2007
Annette Maloney and her husband Peter have been so depressed at the lack of child care around Port Melbourne they have put off having another child...

The mother of all campaigns

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:18:00 +1000

The Australian - Jamie Walker - November 17, 2007
New to this baby business - the sleep deprivation, juggling work and child care - they look forward to their Thursday afternoons, sharing a giggle and...

Women workers nasty to mums

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:16:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 16, 2007
The results come from a new survey by child care search service, CareforKids.com.au. Researchers surveyed 300 mothers on attitudes in and out of the...

Courting the women's vote is nothing new - Menzies started it

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:56:00 +1000

The Age - Margaret Fitzherbert - November 16, 2007
The answer is the ALP, which has a full-page ad about child care on the back of the November 19 edition of Woman's Day. History shows that whether direct...

Parents' rebate ''will drive up fees''

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Stephen Lunn and Paul Maley - November 14, 2007
PARENTS risk losing any financial gain from the campaign childcare bidding war within two years if childcare providers follow past form and hike fees...

Coalition offers child care relief

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:54:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - November 13, 2007
HALF-A-MILLION families would pay less in advance for child care if the Coalition is re-elected. The Government has announced a $652 million plan to pay the...

What families will save

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:23:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 13, 2007
PARENTS will save an average of $30 a fortnight on their childcare bills under a Coalition plan to bring forward the payment of the 30 per...

Howard lures parents with cut in fees

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:22:00 +1000

The Australian – Christine Jackman and Stephen Lunn - November 13, 2007
FAMILIES will enjoy a 30 per cent cut in upfront childcare fees under a Coalition plan that gambles parents would prefer a smaller but immediate reduction...

Howard admits to child-care shortage - next, the relief

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:21:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling - November 13, 2007
FAMILIES will receive weekly instead of yearly help with child-care fees under a $687 million Coalition plan, which also acknowledges that millions of...

The spendathon will heat up the economy — and favour the rich

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:19:00 +1000

The Age - Tim Colebatch - November 13, 2007
The best of Howard's three big initiatives yesterday was his plan to bring forward the child-care tax rebate, and pay it directly to child care providers...

Making child care count is not just about cost

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Elizabeth Hill - November 13, 2007
Election campaign promises to increase child-care subsidies to parents (Labor) or pay the child-care rebate up front (Coalition) may win votes but will do...

Howard announces $650m childcare plan

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:16:00 +1000

The Age - November 12, 2007
"Mr Howard announced a change of timing for the existing 30 per cent Child Care Tax Rebate and a handful of new childcare centres," Ms Macklin said in a...

Childcare group prefers Labor's plan

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:15:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 12, 2007
A childcare lobby group says Labor's plan to bring down the cost of childcare is better than the Coalition's scheme unveiled at its launch in Brisbane today...

Quality childcare is vital: commissioner

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:15:00 +1000

The West Australian - November 12, 2007
A national system of high quality childcare and early education is critical to a nation's social wellbeing, federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner...

Howard policy launch factbox

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:14:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - November 12, 2007
Childcare tax rebate to be paid directly to childcare services so up-front fees can be cut by 30 per cent - $652.4 million over four years...

Howard targets childcare and schooling

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:00:00 +1000

The Australian – Sid Marris – November 12, 2007
…the Coalition now proposing to pay childcare tax rebates in advance to the provider so that fees are reduced before parents pay...

Australia lagging on childcare spending: report

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:59:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 12, 2007
New research shows Australia is falling behind other developed countries when it comes to investment in childcare. The study, to be published in the Kids...

Coalition launches fifth term bid

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:58:00 +1000

The Australian - November 12, 2007
A RE-ELECTED coalition government would pay the childcare rebate up-front and provide up to $1 million to help build childcare facilities in areas of...

Cost not only child-care issue - it's quality, says book

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:03:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling – November 12, 2007
INCREASING payments to parents to cover the expense of child care will only drive up costs and do nothing to improve the quality of care children receive...

Widening child care options

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:20:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Sue Dunlevy - November 9, 2007
By Sue Dunlevy JOHN Howard broke his promise on interest rates for the sixth time this week, but he also produced a policy that will help families pay for \...

Benefits of full childcare debatable

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:18:00 +1000

The Canberra Times - Bettina Arndt - November 9, 2007
The same figures are now being trotted out by the Labor Party in promoting their new child care policies. Early intervention makes a difference in...

The preschool investment really pays off says study

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:16:00 +1000

New California Media - San Francisco USA - Mary Ambrose - Nov 08, 2007
Children who attend preschool do better than those who don't, when they enter school, and the study notes, the effect is long lasting...

Non-maternal care linked to reduced physical aggression in children of mothers with less education

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 13:45:00 +1000

ScienceDaily USA - November 7, 2007
Among children of mothers with low education levels, those who receive regular care from other adults during preschool years may be less likely to have problems with physical aggression...

Watching violent TV at pre-school age linked to aggression in young boys

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 13:43:00 +1000

Seattle Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center USA - November 5, 2007
A clear link was found between pre-school age boys who watched violent programs and their later development of anti-social and aggressive behaviors at ages 7 to 9. There was no such correlation found for girls.

Labor 'in front' on childcare - so far

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 11:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – November 4, 2007
A SUMMIT of peak childcare bodies and academics has said Labor is leading the Coalition on child care on the basis of their pre-election policy...

Pre-schools breed bullies

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 11:43:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Ellen Connolly and Katherine Banks - November 4, 2007
PRE-SCHOOLS have become a breeding ground for bullies who are bolder than previous generations, researchers claim...

Commission pushes for paid maternity leave extension

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 11:42:00 +1000

ABC Online - November 2, 2007
Commission chairman Derek Volker says it would help ease the burden on the ACT's childcare services, which are already struggling to cope...

Australian conglomerate looks to snap up Alberta daycares

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 11:39:00 +1000

CBCNews Canada - November 2, 2007
Parents with children in daycare are worried about the world's largest for-profit daycare company's moves to take over child-care centres in Alberta...

Work flexibility 'profitable'

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 09:56:00 +1000

The Australian – Nicola Berkovic – November 2, 2007
Tax relief for childcare was also crucial, said Ms McLeod, who chairs the Victorian Bar's equal opportunity committee. "It's bizarre to me and nonsensical...

Most firms fail the women's needs test

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 09:55:00 +1000

The Australian - Nicola Berkovic – November 2, 2007
The firm is unique in having introduced emergency childcare into its flexible work policies. The firm has an agreement with a childcare provider so it can...

Handle with care

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 09:53:00 +1000

ABC TV’s Difference of Opinion - Jeff McMullen - November 1, 2007
With new figures showing the typical mother now returns to work when her child is one or younger, childcare is shaping up as a critical election decider…

Democrats announce child care funding plan

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:03:00 +1000

ABC Online – October 30, 2007
The Australian Democrats have launched a plan to overhaul child care funding, in an attempt to pressure major parties to commit to increasing funding to the...

Allergy lifesaver 'Alex's legacy'

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:17:00 +1000

The Age – Christian Catalano - October 30 2007
At a cost of around $1.3 million a year, staff from every school and child-care service in Victoria will be trained to protect children who go into ...

Early Learning Services to market

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:15:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - October 29 2007
CHILDCARE veteran John Hutchison is going to the stockmarket with a new business, three years after a company bearing his family name started a...

North-West selected for autism centre

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:50:00 +1000

ABC Online – October 29 2007
"If we are elected we'll create a specialist childcare service for children with autism here in the North-West," Ms Macklin said. " We understand there are...

Long-term cost in election vote buy

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:49:00 +1000

The Age – Ross Gittins - October 29 2007
If this ill-considered subsidy makes it easier for child care centres to raise child care workers' paltry wages - or easier to attract better-qualified workers…

Balancing work and family

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:47:00 +1000

The Age - Julia Gillard - October 28 2007
Labor will help fix the problems with the cost, availability and quality of child care. We will invest $1.5 billion in the child-care tax rebate...

$192-a-week childcare crisis

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:46:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - October 27 2007
FAMILIES in Adelaide's mortgage belt suburbs are paying up to $192 a week for childcare, a survey has found. Federal Labor, which conducted the probe in the...

Families hit as Costello fails to hold inflation

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:45:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Wayne Swan - October 27 2007
Labor will also lift the Childcare Tax Rebate from 30 per cent to 50 per cent and lift the maximum to $7500 a year - providing a benefit which Mr Costello...

Child care on the cheap is bad policy

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:03:00 +1000

The Age – Kenneth Davidson – October 25, 2007
The result is a halfway house in which the Government doesn't take direct responsibility for the provision of child care and early education but provides...

More women needed in politics: Lib MP

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:00:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 24, 2007
More than half the federal politicians should be women and more men should be working in child care, says Workforce Participation Minister Sharman Stone...

Pregnant pause over paid maternity leave

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:59:00 +1000

The Age, Australia – Sarah Smiles - October 25, 2007
SHADOW minister for women Tanya Plibersek says she would be happy to be part of a government that provided paid maternity leave, but has not committed to it...

Child care lowers inflation rate

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - October 24, 2007
THE changed treatment of child care fees has helped to push the headline inflation rate to its lowest since 1999. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.7...

NSW under pressure to improve staff-child ratios

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:23:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 24, 2007
An organisation calling for a better staff-to-child ratio at childcare centres will put its case to New South Wales community services minister Kevin Greene...

Labor to force child care to make the grade

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Mark Davis and Stephanie Peatling – October 24, 2007
EVERY child-care centre would be rated on a scale from A to E according to the quality of care, and their scores would be published for parents...

Childcare grading into play

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:32:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Peter Jean – October 24, 2007
KEVIN Rudd yesterday promised to introduce a strict AE grading system to measure the quality of childcare centres if he won the federal election...

Labor will grade childcare A to E

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:29:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Jane Bunce - October 23, 2007
LABOR says it will grade childcare centres under a plan to let parents know if their children are receiving quality care if it wins the...

Rudd announces $77 m for childcare students

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:27:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 23, 2007
Kevin Rudd has unveiled another plank of his childcare policy, announcing a federal Labor government would introduce a five-category accreditation system to...

Tax cuts flop: Libs drop in latest poll

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:13:00 +1000

The Age - October 23, 2007
Labor yesterday aired a new ad on climate change, while the Government flagged it will release a child-care policy to counter Labor $1.5 billion policy...

Labor's childcare plan would force prices up: Costello

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:12:00 +1000

LIVENEWS.com.au – Rowan Barker - October 23, 2007
Labor's childcare policy has been attacked as a factor which will force care costs up. A Labor government would increase the childcare rebate to 50 per cent...

ABC Canada expansion denied

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:11:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Liam Walsh - October 23, 2007
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres yesterday distanced itself from Canadian media reports that it was eyeing expansion in that country...

What women want - political clout

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:10:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Clare Masters - October 23, 2007
FLEXIBLE childcare, better birthing choices, mandatory paid maternity leave and a presence in politics - those are the platforms of the new...

Calls for fortnightly childcare rebates

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:10:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - October 22, 2007
Federal Labor's plan for an increased childcare tax rebate to be paid quarterly should be given to parents fortnightly, childcare groups say...

Rudd appeals to the inner-child

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:09:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Roger Coombs - October 22, 2007
By Roger Coombs ASPIRING prime minister Kevin Rudd appeared to land a solid blow in the election campaign on the weekend when he announced a Labor...

Bundles of joy

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:08:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - October 22, 2007
NEW electoral potency of working mums is shown by the fact more babies are being born in Victoria at any time since 1972. It's a heartening and optimistic...

Rudd to lift childcare

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:06:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Michael Madigan – October 22, 2007
"The cost of child care has spiralled and is compounding the financial pressures families are under due to high petrol prices and mortgage repayments and...

$1.5bn child care cash

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Laura Anderson - October 22, 2007
FAMILIES will be able to claim half of their childcare costs, under a $1.5 billion Labor plan to make child care more affordable...

Flight of vital workers spurs cheap rent plan

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:04:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Catharine Munro and Brian Robins - October 22, 2007
COUNCILS are developing affordable housing policies to try to stop teachers, nurses, police and child-care workers leaving expensive parts of the city...

Plea for workers

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:03:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Fleur Leydon - October 22, 2007
Some of these people are prevented from joining the workforce by financial, tax and infrastructure barriers, as well as child care impediments and employer...

Labor reveals $1.5b scheme to cut childcare costs

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:02:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - October 22, 2007
FAMILIES will be able to claim up to half of their out-of-pocket childcare costs from the government if Labor wins the federal election...

Lalor East Preschool makes sunglasses compulsory

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:01:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Peter Rolfe and Catherine Lambert - October 21, 2007
Lalor East Preschool has told children to wear sunglasses, shirt, sunscreen and hat to avoid harmful UV rays. Children will not be allowed in the playground...

Poll gives both Howard and Rudd pause for thought

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:20:00 +1000

The Age – October 19, 2007
Australians want clear, competing visions on future fundamentals, including education, skills, health, child care and aged care, housing, infrastructure...

Asbestos victim scorns Hockey

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Andrew West - October 19, 2007
...parishes who think unions are irrelevant, but I know single mothers who are being stomped on by their employers because they cannot arrange childcare...

Howard rates 'gotcha' glitch as fair play

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Phillip Coorey and Peter Hartcher October 18, 2007
Mr Howard dismissed the charge and confirmed the Government would unveil a child-care policy later in the campaign. He said it would not involve tax...

Child centre first to earn badge

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Clare Peddie - October 17, 2007
ALDINGA Community Child Care Centre is the first in Australia to earn a "climate neutral" badge for offsetting carbon dioxide emissions...

Parties courting working mums

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy and Edith Bevin - October 17, 2007
A CHILDCARE handout worth between $30 and $160 a fortnight will be used by both major parties to court the votes of working mothers...

Working women under mountain of pressure

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:04:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Stephen Lunn - October 17, 2007
WOMEN aged between 35 and 44 face the perfect storm of stress as they seek to balance the peak years of their career with responsibility for households, children and parents...

Early days for a political survivor

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:15:00 +1000

The Age – Farrah Tomazin – October 15, 2007
And with thousands of women citing the cost of childcare as a reason why they are not in the workforce, Ms Morand - who is also the Women's Minister - plans...

Review of staff ratios in preschool

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:18:00 +1000

The Age – Farrah Tomazin – October 15, 2007
STAFF-TO-CHILD ratios in child-care centres and preschools could be improved under a State Government overhaul. In the first review of child services...

Love-loathe PM v Conservative Rudd: Your November 24 choice

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:17:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - October 14, 2007
Mr Howard said the government would announce further childcare initiatives in during the election campaign. "More than 80 per cent of Australians, now...

Meet the Finnies

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:17:00 +1000

Times Online UK – Fleur Britten - October 14, 2007
Or fill-in nannies as today's grandparents are styling themselves. The new boom in family childcare…

Family First wants $10k bonus for third baby

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:24:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Matthew Frankiln – October 11, 2007
He also confirmed Family First would press the next government to pay working parents $4000 tax rebates to use on their choice of childcare options...

Information kit issued to reduce playground injuries

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:22:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Fay Burstin – October 11, 2007
... or padded play mats, and a clear space around play equipment are some of the recommendations being made to families, childcare centres and councils...

Double women MPs for better result: Democrat chief

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:20:00 +1000

The Age – Penelope Debelle - October 10, 2007
Senator Allison said Democrat issues that particularly related to women included paid maternity leave, affordable quality child care, research into...

Recognising the value of working mums

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 10:43:00 +1000

Adelaide Advertiser - October 6, 2007
They have been striving to have their plight heard: how family hampers promotion opportunities, how child-care costs wipe out much of the average part-time...

Lure for mum and dad votes

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 10:43:00 +1000

Adelaide Advertiser - October 6, 2007
CASH handouts for families struggling with high child care and other costs are being considered by the Government and the Opposition in a potentially...

Handouts looming for mums

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:41:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - George Megalogenis - October 5, 2007
JOHN Howard and Kevin Rudd are preparing to unveil new handouts for working mums as research shows they're returning to work sooner than ever before.

Childcare crucial to swinging mum's vote

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:41:00 +1000

The Australian - Anrew Faulkner - October 5, 2007
As a nurse on a seven-day roster, she has had no end of bother finding a childcare centre flexible enough to fit in with her shifts...

Working mum poll time-bomb

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - George Megalogenis - October 5, 2007
New exclusive data from the census last August supplied to The Australian shows why childcare, and the pressures of balancing work and family life...

Childcare tax break rejected

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:40:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - October 4, 2007
PETER Costello is resisting a backbench push for full tax deductibility of childcare costs, citing Treasury modelling that reveals it would leave most women ...

Families better off without full tax childcare rebate: Costello

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:39:00 +1000

ABC Online - October 4, 2007
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says Australian families would actually be worse off if the Government introduced full tax deductibility for childcare...

Double promises for autism care

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:39:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Mark Metherell- October 4, 2007
In a move leaked on Tuesday night, Labor announced it would establish specialised child-care and intervention services in six early childhood centres...

We have failed the refugees who need the most help to resettle

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:39:00 +1000

The Age - Toby Hall - October 4, 2007
Because of a lack of child care in the area, Nyakang cannot get to English language classes. Her only alternative is a one-hour weekly lesson through a home...

PM announces $190m for children with autism

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:38:00 +1000

ABC Online - Gillian Bradford - October 3, 2007
The money will go towards early diagnosis, specialist childcare, support for parents and professional development for teachers...

Supernanny kids torch home

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 09:38:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - October 3, 2007
Childcare guru Jo Frost spent two weeks with the Young family in 2005, teaching them how to reward good behaviour and to sit their children down on ...

Kevin Rudd boosts care for autistic kids

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:25:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Steve Lewis – October 3, 2007
A RUDD Labor government would set up a network of specialised childcare centres for children with autism. In his latest pitch to families, Kevin Rudd will...

Carers dismiss uncaped crusaders

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:24:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Ursula Heger – October 3, 2007
Queensland childcare professionals have laughed off suggestions that they should ban superhero costumes from being worn by children at childcare centres...

Teachers part of $6.6 million plan to combat allergies

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:24:00 +1000

The West Australian – Philippa Perry - October 2, 2007
Teachers and childcare workers will be able to give adrenaline shots to the increasing number of West Australian children who suffer from potentially fatal...

Problems are child's play

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:24:00 +1000

Ferntree Gully, Belgrave Mail – Tania Martin - October 2, 2007
SHIRE OF Yarra Ranges councillor Samantha Dunn has welcomed a Labor Party election promise to address childcare shortages. The party's candidate for La Trobe...

Rethink on breastfeeding, allergy link

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:23:00 +1000

ABC Online – Barbara Miller - October 1, 2007
They may have a lower incidence of going to childcare early in life and being exposed to various infections in life. Those infections may challenge the...

Grab kids with milk and bread

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:22:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Melanie Christiansen - October 1, 2007
INNOVATIVE childcare centres are catering to time-poor parents with extra services, including organising children's haircuts and...

Kinders ban tiny crime fighters

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:21:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Peter Rolfe - September 30, 2007
Swinburne Childcare spokeswoman Janelle Blaess said many centres banned the costumes because they distracted children. "They can find it difficult to...

Child-care laws horrific: US expert

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:33:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Adele Horin – September 27, 2007
A WORLD authority on child care says Australians will one day "look back in horror" at the conditions governments have allowed to prevail in many of the...

Brown focuses on health, education

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:55:00 +1000

The Australian – Philippe Naughton – September 26, 2007
As part of a revolution in childcare, women would get nine months' paid maternity leave from this year and the longer-term target was to give them a full 12...

Generations declare war on home and work fronts

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Maxine Frith - September 23, 2007
"Parents increasingly rely on their parents for child care. There are also people looking after elderly parents." While the baby boomer generation may have...

Hotline failing parents

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:10:00 +1000

Adelaidenow – Joanna Vaughan – September 22, 2007
THE childcare industry has criticised the Federal Government's hotline for vacancies, saying it is not specific enough and is failing parents...

NSW has most expensive childcare costs in Australia

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:09:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Clare Masters – September 21, 2007
FAMILIES in NSW pay more for childcare than any other state with the cost far outweighing government childcare subsidies...

Morals, money and the law

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:07:00 +1000

The Age – Sushi Das - September 21, 2007
Even the Government acknowledges the financial cost of children by offering the baby bonus or child-care rebates. And the emotional cost of having children...

Kids show up their elders

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:05:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Kate Sikora and Malcolm Farr - September 20, 2007
WHILE our federal politicians were screaming like feral animals at each other yesterday, children at Glebe School Childcare...

PM told to deliver on housing

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:05:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Patricia Karvelas and Matthew Franklin - September 19, 2007
A more flexible childcare policy was also raised, as was an innovative idea for the Government to pay women who leave the workforce to look after children...

Sick kids, no childcare fees

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:59:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Kate Sikora - September 19, 2007
Parents will be reimbursed the cost of care less the government's Child Care Benefit. With childcare costing more than $100 a day in some Sydney centres...

MPs' brainstorm creates whirlpool of ideas

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:56:00 +1000

The Age - Michelle Grattan and Misha Schubert - September 19, 2007
COALITION backbenchers have devised a wishlist for wooing the nation's voters that includes more help for first home buyers, further tax cuts, childcare tax ...

kids left in care of failed centres

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:54:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Ben Packham – September 17, 2007
... reduction in the standards of quality that will be assured in federally funded child care across Australia," vice-president Sandra Cheeseman said.

Childcare centres fail test

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:52:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Laura Anderson – September 17, 2007
He said Ms Macklin's comments were recognition of her state Labor colleagues' failure in the area of child care. Childcare SA president Jo Crichton said...

Fees rise at childcare centre

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:15:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Liam Walsh & Russell Emmerson – September 17, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S largest childcare operator, ABC Learning Centres, is expected to increase fees by 4 per cent again this year. The fee increase would raise a...

Family First fights for bumper baby bonus for third kid

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:14:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - September 17, 2007
And the minor party wants parents to get an annual $4000 childcare allowance for every child they have under five. Family First senator Steve Fielding will...

S Africans sought to fill skills gap

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:13:00 +1000

The Australian – Amanda O’Brien - September 17, 2007
... weigh up lifestyle with a job that is two weeks on and two weeks off against what we offer - like flexible hours, childcare, job-sharing and the like."

Ratings for child care to be a guessing game

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:12:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling - September 17, 2007
CHILD-CARE representatives will meet the Federal Government today amid claims the standards for accrediting centres are being weakened...

Rainbow children

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:09:00 +1000

The Age – Peter Munro - September 16, 2007
"We are seeing lots more requests from child-care centres and primary schools to look at how they can become more inclusive in their policies and their...

Toddler taming expert admits he was wrong

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:08:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Clair Weaver - September 16, 2007
She said many of her ideas were similar to those of Dr Benjamin Spock, whose revolutionary book Baby and Child Care influenced generations from the 1940s to...

Sex revolution robbed us of fertility

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:03:00 +1000

The Australian – Angela Shanahan - September 15, 2007
No amount of economic fiddling with family tax rates, no amount of child care or incentives for women to work, not even the threat of cultural extinction as...

MP calls for govt-funded maternity leave

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:03:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – September 11, 2007
A SCHEME to have 14 weeks government-funded maternity leave would be of greatest benefit to women working in low-paid jobs, former Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja said today.

Preschool nerves put health at risk

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Kate Benson – September 11, 2007
Dr Sims said studies had shown that kindergarten children in classes of 10 to 15 students, and toddlers in smaller child-care centres, had lower cortisol...

Parents rely on family to care for kids

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:17:00 +1000

Northern Territory News – Nick Calacouras - September 10, 2007
FAMILY and friends are bearing the brunt of the childcare burden with more than 6500 Top End families relying on unpaid babysitting...

Push for day care certificate

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:17:00 +1000

Sunshine Coast Daily - September 10, 2007
As of April 30, there were 85 licensed family day care schemes in Queensland, providing home-based child care. While coordinators of family day care are...

Mutant bug will keep on biting

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:17:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Louise Hall - September 9, 2007
A VIRULENT strain of gastroenteritis that has struck tens of thousands of people has two months left to run, threatening child-care centres...

Push to pay new mothers

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:16:00 +1000

NEWS .com.au – Elissa Lawrence - September 9, 2007
HISTORIC legislation will be introduced to the Senate this week that aims to make all working women eligible for 14 weeks' Government-funded maternity leave at the minimum wage.

Loophole leaves grandparents short

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:16:00 +1000

The Canberra Times – Emma MacDonald - September 9, 2007
A LOOPHOLE in Government benefits means some Canberra grandparents are raising their grandchildren without any financial support, while others are receiving...

Where is everybody?

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:15:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - September 8, 2007
HUNDREDS of outer-suburban Melbourne childcare centres face closure from lack of children as parents choose welfare over work...

Oldies left holding baby

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:14:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - September 8, 2007
Federal Opposition families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said families were struggling with rising childcare costs. While family and friends were happy to help...

Are you ready for grandparents' rights?

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:14:00 +1000

Guardian Unlimited (UK) - September 8, 2007
…according to a recent survey, 64% of families with working parents rely on grandparents for at least some of their childcare…

One-minute solution to finding a nanny

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:13:00 +1000

Times Online (UK) - September 8, 2007
Harassed parents in France are jumping at the chance to arrange their childcare arrangements by quickfire interviews with aspiring candidates...

Families' babysitting burden

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:13:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Lachlan Heywood - September 7, 2007
In Brisbane alone, 120,000 families are bypassing paid child care, with the burden of looking after children under 15 increasingly falling on grandparents...

80000 children cared for free

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:13:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Laura Anderson - September 7, 2007
MORE than 80000 Adelaide residents are providing free child care for a friend, family member or colleague's child. Census data analysed by Labor...

Mums at work

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 11:41:00 +1000

The Age - Leon Gettler - September 5, 2007
I've always watched very closely how mothers go about getting the job done and then racing off home or to the school or child care centre...

Boys at great risk of abuse

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 11:05:00 +1000

Sunshine Coast Daily - Louisa Rust - September 5, 2007
Professor Freda Briggs told 130 Sunshine Coast-based child care workers the heartbreaking facts of insidious and unreported child abuse in Australia...

Bosses call for maternity help

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:52:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - September 4, 2007
SOUTH Australia's peak employer group has called on the State Government to help fund maternity and paternity leave, child care, flexible working hours and...

Academic challenges cut pupils' antisocial behaviour, study says

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:51:00 +1000

The Guardian (UK) – James Meikle - September 3, 2007
They also said there was new evidence to show that some pre-school experience outside the home before the age of two has long term benefits...

Childcare centres failing on safety

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:48:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - September 3, 2007
ALMOST one in four childcare centres fails to keep potentially dangerous products, plants and objects away from children. At least 449 of 1972 centres...

Childcare centres 'lift' IQ

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:47:00 +1000

The Age - Denise Ryan - September 3, 2007
GOOD quality childcare increases a child's IQ scores, but informal care by family or friends can have a negative effect, according to new research...

ALP to nip heavyweights in the bud

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:47:00 +1000

The Age – Deborah Gough - September 2, 2007
CHILD-CARE centres and kindergartens would get guidelines on healthy eating and exercise to tackle the growing girth of the nation, under a Labor policy...

Marketers merchants of menace

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:46:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O’Brien - September 1, 2007
PEER pressure starts earlier than ever because children are spending more time in child care. Groups such as the Parents Jury and Young Media Australia…

Now it's pre-school stress

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 14:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Mark Schliebs - August 31, 2007
PRE-SCHOOLERS are stressing themselves out about kindergarten six months before they even have their first day of school, new research has...

IQ at five foretells earning potential

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:29:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Anna Patty - August 31, 2007
"There is no evidence of any adverse effects on kids of formal child care. It would seem logical for government to focus more resources in that direction...

Focus on universities all wrong

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:29:00 +1000

Australian IT – Justine Ferrari - August 31, 2007
"The most effective way to get underprivileged kids going to college is to invest in them in the early stages, in childcare and preschool to beef up the...

£21bn plan for teaching infants 'has not worked'

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:26:00 +1000

Daily Mail (UK) – Steve Doughty - August 27, 2007
Huge state spending on nursery education and childcare has failed to improve toddlers' ability to learn, damning research showed yesterday...

Rate rise eats into family budgets

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Jessica Irvine – August 30, 2007
Higher child-care and education costs also contributed to the disproportionate rise for working households. The Opposition treasury spokesman, Wayne Swan...

Experts warn of gastro epidemic

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:45:00 +1000

The Age - Christian Catalano - August 28, 2007
"This is in settings such as aged care, nursing homes and child-care centres." It is believed noro virus was responsible for the gastro outbreak at the San...

Groves shows the ABC of expansion

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:45:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - August 28, 2007
THE child-care provider ABC Learning Centres is promising more fun times this year, with further acquisitions in the US. ABC, the world's largest publicly...

ABC Learning profit soars 76pc

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:51:00 +1000

News.com.au – August 27, 2007
SHARES in childcare giant ABC Learning Centres have jumped by more than three per cent, after the company announced a annual profit lift of 76 per cent.

Experts warn of virulent gastro strain

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:28:00 +1000

ABC Online - August 27, 2007
Parents have been warned that the disease could hit hardest in crowded environments like childcare centres. Eaxperts say last year's strain of the virus has...

Organic gardening for toddlers at eco-preschool

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Hannah Edwards – August 26, 2007
Easy being green ... trainee child-care worker Kristy Blanch and her young charges in the herb garden of their Balgowlah Eco-Preschool...

Fear of recession grips US

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:24:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Liam Walsh – August 25, 2007
Childcare group ABC Learning Centres, which has faced questions about its rapid US expansion, this month said the subprime jitters had not affected...

Councils in their sights: angry ratepayers demand more say

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:23:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Robert Wainwright - August 25, 2007
Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council had failed to notify residents in Roseville Chase that a man wanted to open a gun shop across the road from a child-care...

Threat to Whitten Oval plan

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:21:00 +1000

The Age – Cameron Houston - August 25, 2007
The club expects to make about $700000 a year from the redevelopment, which will include a hall of fame, community sports centre and child-care centre.

Childcare faces APEC chaos

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:08:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Peter Gosnell - August 24, 2007
Mother of four boys Rosslyn Peschke feels levying the fee on a day when there was no childcare was one indignity too many. "APEC's a political agenda which...

Room for 30000 kids in child care

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:12:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Ben Packham - August 23, 2007
"The Howard Government's childcare numbers don't break down into age groups or the type of child care," Ms Macklin said. She said at the Blackburn South ABC...

Childcare shortage a myth - Government

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:12:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Julie Tullberg - August 22, 2007
By Julie Tullberg THERE are up to 30000 childcare vacancies a day in Victoria despite Labor claims that places are hard to find, the Federal Government says...

1200 more nannies for families

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:05:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy - August 22, 2007
The Federal Government has expanded the In Home Care program which provides the benefit worth up to $168.50 a week to families unable to access childcare...

You spent the bonus, now here's the DVD

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:05:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling - August 22, 2007
Announcements such as yesterday's will be followed by much larger amounts of money in areas like child care and flexible working arrangements as the parties...

Up in arms over gun shop

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:48:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – August 22, 2007
LETHAL semi-automatic guns have been approved for sale in a shop metres from a Sydney pre-school attended by 30 children. Parents who say they fear the...

One in five parents unaware of care benefit

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Carla Danaher - August 20, 2007
Careforkids.com.au founder Roxanne Elliott said it was amazing how many qualifying parents did not apply for the CCB. "We can only assume that there is...

Childcare centres neglected, inspectors axed

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:40:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Joe Hildebrand - August 20, 2007
CHILDREN at NSW childcare centres have been locked in storerooms, abandoned after-hours, exposed to dogs and even had to put up with a staff member's...

Fretting won't get you anywhere

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 10:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - August 18, 2007
Women in their 30s are plunging into procreation in proper disregard of the grim statistics on child-care vacancies and the gender division of housework in...

Non-medication treatment for early childhood ADHD

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 10:53:00 +1000

Lehigh University News - August 16, 2007
Project Achieve demonstrates how non-medicinal interventions are effective in treating ADHD symptoms in early childhood...

Medical centres struggle to cope with flu patients

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:50:00 +1000

The 7:30 Report – Scott Bevan – August 15, 2007
At this Sydney child care centre, the flu has been afflicting not only the little ones, but their carers as well...

Mattel recalls 18 million toys

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:49:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – August 15, 2007
US toy maker Mattel is recalling more than 18 million Chinese-made toys worldwide, including more than 460,000 in Australia, citing injuries to at least three children...

Fathers taking more care of kids

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:11:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Carla Danaher – August 14, 2007
Deakin University education psychologist Helen McGrath predicts parents will be even older and childcare centres will be less popular...

Legal gender battle

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:11:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Greg Kelton – August 14, 2007
FEMALE lawyers are disadvantaged by inflexible work practices, lack of childcare, and court and tribunal operations, the state's top women lawyers say...

Under fives obesity attack

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:11:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Joanna Vaughan – August 13, 2007
The campaign will support a range of activities including the Start Right Eat Right program already accredited in 100 child care centres around the state...

ABC Learning takes on UK group

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:03:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – August 13, 2007
CHILDCARE operator ABC Learning Centres Ltd has entered into an agreement, through its Busy Bees Group Ltd subsidiary, to acquire UK-based Leapfrog...

Toddlers targeted in healthy lifestyle campaign

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:02:00 +1000

ABC Online - August 13, 2007
The Start Right Eat Right program will allow childcare centres to become accredited by providing healthy food and promoting exercise...

Childhood Obesity

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:41:00 +1000

ABC Health Matters - Peter Lavelle – August 9, 2007
Junk food ads on kids TV are contributing to an epidemic of obesity in kids - so why won't the Federal Government act?

'Genius' DVDs can harm babies

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:41:00 +1000

ABC Health & Medical News - August 9, 2007
DVDs and videos said to stimulate babies' brains can slow vocabulary development if they are overused, US researchers report…

Breast milk vs formula debate reaches new level

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:41:00 +1000

ABC PM – Karen Percy - August 6, 2007
This battle goes well beyond the usual "mother's milk is best" mantra. It's a complex case, not just involving public health policy, but also trade agreements and foreign investment.

Toddlers ready for 'language explosion'

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:40:00 +1000

ABC Health & Medical – Will Dunham - August 3, 2007
New research suggests that toddlers' sudden spurt of language at about 18 months may have nothing to do with complex brain changes, as some people think.

Parents lose childcare bonus

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 09:06:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Lauren Williams and Sue Dunlevy - August 9, 2007
CareforKids.com.au surveyed 500 parents and found one in five had not registered for childcare benefit…

Flu death sparks plea for calm

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 09:06:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Matt Cunningham, Grant McArthur and Carly Crawford - August 9, 2007
And a Berwick childcare centre Ethan attended issued an urgent health alert as the Department of Human Services confirmed the dead boy was infected with...

Preschool plan to spread the Catholic word

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 09:04:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Linda Morris - August 8, 2007
SYDNEY'S Catholic Church may run its own preschools as a way of bolstering its student population through primary and secondary schools and spreading the...

Victoria's new take on childhood

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:24:00 +1000

The Age – Kathy Walker – August 6, 2007
Families have been empowered through consistent messages and strategies, regardless of whether their children have been in child care, preschool or school...

Playing on - for young and old

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:24:00 +1000

The Age – Elisabeth Tarica - August 6, 2007
Improved health for seniors has been reported in similar arrangements in the US where inter-generational child-care centres operate within aged-care...

Call for switch in kindy times

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:24:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Xanthe Kleinig - August 6, 2007
CHILDCARE authorities are being urged to extend kindergarten hours to a full working week to help families. Short half-day sessions offered for less than...

Maternity leave kills career, women believe

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:23:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Michelle Cazzulino - August 3, 2007
They gave them proper attention instead of shoving them into an expensive child care centre and expect them to be brought up fine...

Childcare next poll bonus

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:39:00 +1000

The Australian – Stephen Lunn - Aug 4, 2007
THOUSANDS of parents will receive a childcare cash bonus of up to $4200 from the federal Government as they prepare to go to the polling booths...

Rules change allows developers to take our parks

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:38:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Peter Gosnell - August 4, 2007
PLAYGROUNDS, sports fields and childcare centres could vanish from Sydney's new outer suburbs under changes flagged by Planning Minister Frank Sartor...

Man crashes car into Mackay child care centre

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:38:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - August 4, 2007
A 19-year-old man will face court after his car crashed through a fence and into a child care centre in Mackay. Police say the man lost control of his car...

Is your pre-school age child getting enough sleep?

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:37:00 +1000

Times Online (UK) – Dr Jane Collins – August 2, 2007
Up to three quarters of young children have periods of not sleeping well and it's estimated that one in four pre-school children have significant and...

Childcare costs hit $12250

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 12:13:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Anne Wright – August 3, 2007
The yearly childcare costs in Melbourne were more expensive than every other capital city except for 14-year-olds where all cities recorded zero childcare...

Cost of toddlers spiralling

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 12:13:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - August 2, 2007
THE cost of raising a toddler in Sydney has ballooned to more than $16000 - with childcare bills the biggest expense. Federal Government research has found...

Does early schooling harm our children?

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:58:00 +1000

Telegraph (UK) – August 2, 2007
Child development expert Elizabeth Hartley Brewer on why she supports the call for children to start school later...

Child raising costs soar

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 09:27:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Laura Anderson – August 2, 2007
A CHILD in Adelaide costs parents about $15000 a year to raise, with child care the highest cost by far. A report released by the Department of Families and...

Brisbane childcare cost doubled: ABS

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:44:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - Australia
Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show childcare costs in Brisbane have doubled since 2001, with a 17 per cent increase in the...

Childcare costs up 23pc: Labor

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:44:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Laura Anderson – August 1, 2007
Mr Brough, however, said the Government had announced a 13.3 per cent increase in the Child Care Benefit and made improvements to improve access to the...

Childcare cost wallop

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:44:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Carla Danaher – July 30, 2007
MELBOURNE parents have been the hardest hit in the country by rising childcare costs, new figures reveal. Melbourne families have had the biggest increase...

Whole new generation of kids left home alone

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Andrew West – July 29, 2007
AUSTRALIA is at risk of raising a new generation of latchkey children, home alone because their working parents are unable to arrange child care at short...

Germany sets high baby goals

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:43:00 +1000

The Age – Andrew McCathie - July 28, 2007
During the 1990s the talk was about closing schools and child-care centres in major metropolitan areas. Now families in many areas are facing long waiting...

Real danger of promises

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:43:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Zoe Taylor - July 26, 2007
Can you imagine how many parents would take great pleasure in challenging Rudd to fix their particular childcare problem? After two years on a waiting list...

Charity seeks childcare reform to support back-to-work plan

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:42:00 +1000

The Guardian UK – Sara Gaines – July 25, 2007
Childcare charity the Daycare Trust spoke to lone parents across England. They found care and activities outside school hours were too expensive...

Risky games children play

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:42:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - July 20, 2007
A Hobart childcare provider, Lady Gowrie has received a $30 000 grant from the State Government to design a play area giving children more adventure...

Young babies risk SIDS when sitting

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:41:00 +1000

ABC Health & Medical News – July 19, 2007
Very young babies face a small risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, when seated, and not only when they are lying down, according to a new study…

Six preschools to become childcare centres

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:40:00 +1000

Brisbane Times – July 19, 2007
'What we are doing is providing nearby services in those specific areas with more childcare services and longer opening hours,' Mr Pitt said...

Rudd childcare plan outlined

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:40:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - July 19, 2007
The Labor Leader yesterday laid out a plan for a new Office of Work and Family, which would publish figures on childcare centre fees and vacancies...

Rudd promises monitoring of child-care fees

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:39:00 +1000

The Age – Misha Schubert – July 19, 2007
KEVIN Rudd has pledged to create a government agency to monitor soaring child-care fees. In his bid to attract voters uneasy about growing financial...

Rudd's tax-free creches

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:39:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Malcolm Farr – July 19, 2007
By Malcolm Farr LABOR last night called for a national debate on shaking up the tax system by exempting work-based childcare from FBT...

Mum's with part-time jobs are happier - report

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:39:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Patricia Karvelas and Jude Townend - July 18, 2007
Just a small proportion - 5.5 per cent - of families do not use childcare because they have problems with affordability, availability or quality...

Chronic virus shuts hospital wards

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:38:00 +1000

Brisbane Times – Georgina Robinson and Tony Moore - July 17, 2007
Children with the bug should stay home from school or child care, as should adults working in aged care, childcare or food handling industries...

Modern Britain is 'pulling families apart'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:38:00 +1000

This is London (UK) – July 17, 2007
Mothers told the charity they felt pressured to go back to work by Government policies designed to push more pre-schoolers into childcare...

Families feel childcare and work pressures

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:38:00 +1000

Guardian Unlimited (UK) – Lucy Ward - July 17, 2007
The findings reflect 'the growing dilemmas over childcare British parents can feel when trying to juggle the many demands of modern life in a country that...

Crucial care for children

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:37:00 +1000

The Age – Steve Biddulph – July 16, 2007
The research is now undeniable that babies and younger toddlers do not thrive in child care. A COUPLE of weeks ago, stranded between flights...

Childcare operators fall short

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:37:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Hannah Martin - July 15, 2007
The Federal Government childcare watchdog confirmed 65 centres, 36 after-school facilities and five family day-care providers in the state fell short of...

Safety first

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:37:00 +1000

Courier Mail - July 15, 2007
IT is difficult not to feel sympathy for some childcare operators as they struggle to keep up with the myriad government regulations that apply to their...

Child-care back to valuing workers

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:36:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Anne Summers - July 14, 2007
The agreement will greatly improve the entitlements of the people who care for our children in the more than 1400 child-care centres now controlled by ABC...

Police under fire over child-care case

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:36:00 +1000

The West Australian - Christiana Jones - July 14, 2007
Each originally faced seven counts of assault after a police raid at Huntingdale's Tommie Turtle Child Care Centre last October uncovered sleeping children...

Working toll for single parents

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:36:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy - July 13, 2007
However, The Daily Telegraph discovered this week that while you can count bus fares, childcare costs, increases in your public housing rent and even taxi...

Reform push on preschool

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:35:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Dina Rosendorff - July 13, 2007
HEFTY preschool fees could be lowered if education for three and four-year-olds were made compulsory in Victoria, according to the education union...

Preschool beyond many, union says

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:34:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Farrah Tomazin – July 11, 2007
MORE than 57000 children missed out on preschool last year, a figure that may reignite tensions between teachers, the Federal Government and the states over...

Lesson in letting kids be kids

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:34:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O'Brien – July 11, 2007
On weekdays they spend 4.2 hours in unstructured play and TV watching, compared with 5.2 hours a day visiting others, doing lessons and in child care...

Rudd grabs for a basket of goodies

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:32:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Ben Packham – July 11, 2007
But Mr Rudd will argue that rising grocery prices, and child care, petrol and housing costs, are placing households under massive financial strain...

French woman leads rebellion against 'baby mania'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:31:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – John Follain – July 9, 2007
To encourage mothers back to work, the French have increased municipal childcare facilities and introduced family allowances that rise with each subsequent...

'Toddler bonus' push to keep mums content

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:30:00 +1000

The Age – Deborah Gough – July 8, 2007
In effect, the bonus subsidises child-care costs, which range from $60 to $100 a day. It eases the financial strain of paid child care, which...

Hunt to identify killer flu

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:28:00 +1000

Sunday Times – Louise Pemble and Andrea Mayes – July 7, 2007
Dr Van Buynder said Perth parents had no need to panic if their children developed flu symptoms, or to keep them away from childcare centres...

Two lattes with the tin lids, please - hold the Hills hoist

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:27:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Catharine Munro – July 7, 2007
Even a tight squeeze on child care did not deter them. When the couple missed out on spots for their son Jake, now three, they hired a nanny - at twice the...

Urban crawl: pram army hits inner Sydney

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:26:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Catharine Munro - July 7, 2007
She recently sold a house for close to $1 million to a family which had no interest in the usual amenities, even child care, but wanted to be close to town...

Childcare fees hit roof

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:25:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Tanya Chilcott – July 7, 2007
PARENTS have been hit with childcare fee increases up to double the benefit they were handed in the Federal Budget. Centres and family day care facilities...

ABC accelerating growth

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:05:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Liam Walsh – July 6, 2007
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres yesterday obtained shareholder backing to raise $1 billion for expansion, even as it promises to address concerns about...

Rise a 'slap in the face'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:05:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Clinton Porteous – July 6, 2007
'This measly pay rise is a slap in the face for hard-working Australians and their families who are facing rising petrol prices, rents, child care and...

Working parents turn to 'granny nannies'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:05:00 +1000

Telegraph.co.uk – Sarah Womack – July 3, 2007
But a spokesman for HSBC said the 'free child care' arrangement was not always as attractive for grandparents as it is for their children and grandchildren...

Grandparents meet childcare needs

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:04:00 +1000

BBC News UK - July 2, 2007
The study found that without the help of grandparents half of working parents would be forced to live on a tighter budget because of childcare costs......

Remembering lost children

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:00:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Christpoher Bantik – July 3, 2007
Moreover, the SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping campaign has been attributed with changing key child-care practices. While these statistics are encouraging...

Curing an ailing system

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 01:00:00 +1000

The Age – Rob Moodie – July 2, 2007
Smart systems invest heavily in early childhood development -- not only in maternal and child health services but in universal child care, kindergartens and...

Child bonus to hold staff

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:59:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Cameron England – July 2, 2007
Some other organisations subsidise on-site childcare, however, Hassell said its employees preferred the flexibility of a payment...

Data on child care denied

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:59:00 +1000

The Age – Deborah Gough – July 1, 2007
VICTORIANS are allowed to know what the public thinks of roads but not what they think of child care. The Department of Human Services has refused access to...

Costello cash bonuses kick in

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:59:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy - June 30, 2007
But Opposition childcare spokeswoman Jenny Macklin has warned some families may not see much of the 13 per cent rise in childcare benefit with some...

Instant growth for the CBD

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:58:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - June 30, 2007
A childcare centre will be built, costing the city $7 million. When Docklands development is completed by 2020, the size of the CBD is expected to double…

Politics women do want

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:58:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Anita Quigley – June 30, 2007
Mrs Caines says her party will focus on 'supportive maternity care, paid maternity leave, access to quality childcare and support for carers'...

Children should start school a year later, independent report

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:57:00 +1000

The Scotsman (UK) – Craig Brown – June 30, 2007
He added, however, that the key to raising the school age was in the quality of pre-school education, with a low child-to-teacher ratio, which required a...

More play and less TV put children ahead of the game

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:57:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - June 29, 2007
Her fellow co-author, Alan Hayes, the institute's director, said the findings indicated the importance of preschool education to compensate for different...

Bound babies charges thrown out

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:56:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Alana Buckley-Carr – June 29, 2007
Lynda Carol Foulds, 46, and Siobhan Tapscott, 34, each pleaded not guilty to seven counts of common assault after police raided the Tommie Turtle Child Care...

Child-care centre condemns vandalism

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:56:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - June 29, 2007
Repeated weekend vandal attacks on a child-care centre in Griffith, in southern New South Wales, has prompted its director to speak out and condemn the...

ABC loses appeal over missing toddler

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:56:00 +1000

The Age – Peter Gregory – June 29, 2007
Child care company ABC Developmental Learning Centres has failed in a bid to overturn a $200 fine imposed after a two-year-old boy went missing from one of...

Assault charges against child care workers dismissed

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:55:00 +1000

The Australian – Alana Buckley-Carr - June 28, 2007
ASSAULT charges against two child care workers, alleged to have tied babies legs together to get them to sleep, were thrown out of court today despite...

Editorial: Setting strategy for population growth

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:55:00 +1000

The Australian - June 28, 2007
The support for mature-age workers to remain in the workforce and the increase in childcare benefits have both aimed to lift participation...

Census shows work difference

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:54:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Carla Danaher, Susie O'Brien and George Pilcher - June 28, 2007
In another first for the census, figures show more than a quarter of Australians perform some type of child care. The new data shows 21 per cent of women...

Costello takes credit for baby boom

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:54:00 +1000

ABC Online – June 27, 2007
ASHLEY HALL: If you've noticed an increase in the number of prams at your local shopping centre, or increased competition at childcare centres...

Court shown video of child care raid

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:54:00 +1000

The West Australian - June 27, 2007
The video footage of a search at the Tommie Turtle Child Care Centre in Huntingdale last October was played as evidence in Perth Magistrate's Court where...

SIDS a sleeping killer

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:51:00 +1000

Sunday Times – Louise Pemble - June 27, 2007
Having worked in the childcare sector, Mrs Anderson said she was aware of SIDS risks, such as not using pillows or wrapping babies too warmly...

Organic nursery school a hit in UK

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:51:00 +1000

Food Week – June 25, 2007
But, we soon realised the organic ethos could touch on every aspect of childcare, from using more environmentally friendly products and recycling at nursery...

Groves denies trust plan

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:50:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Liam Walsh – June 26, 2007
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres has dampened expectations about setting up a property trust to handle its US centres. Reports in February had touted a...

Sunland set for buying spree

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:50:00 +1000

The Gold Coast Bulletin – June 21, 2007
SunKids has 14 childcare centres in Queensland and Victoria. Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian said the transaction would be used to fund further...

Child expert says pureed food for babies is unnecessary and harmful

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:50:00 +1000

News-Medical.net - June 20, 2007
A leading child care expert in Britain says that feeding babies pureed food is unnecessary and could be harmful to their health...

Remoteness predicted to be hurdle to abuse reforms

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:43:00 +1000

ABC Online – June 20, 2007
She says in the case of Mutitjulu, a new childcare centre has been built, but the community hasn't been able to use it. 'It was supposed to be opened last...

Britons are embracing the 24/7 world

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:43:00 +1000

The Age – Jackie Ashley – June 19 2007
'We need our people, ready and alert, 24/7,' says the sharp-suited, childless career woman, to the single mother with no chance of weekend child care or the...

Preschool funding inequality

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:43:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – June 19 2007
Federal Families and Community Services Minister Mal Brough says 3500 childcare places could be freed up if NSW funded preschools at the same rate as other...

Preschools run for profit?

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:42:00 +1000

The Age – Margaret Cook – June 18 2007
THE demand for preschool education may eventually result in for-profit centres in Victoria according to a visiting academic from the US...

Federal Member calls for urgent action to lower child sexual abuse

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:42:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - June 18 2007
'I think what this report highlights yet again, is the importance and priority of education starting from when kids, pre-school and child care...

Too easy a ride into private gold

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:42:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Peter van Onselen – June 18, 2007
After losing his seat at the 2004 election, the minister for children and youth affairs, Larry Anthony, joined the board of the child-care company ABC...

Property conflict denied

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:41:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - June 18, 2007
THE federal minister responsible for delivering childcare rebates to Australian families, Peter Dutton, has been forced to defend a family investment...

Child care threat

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:41:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Peter Rolfe – June 17, 2007
Community Child Care association director Barbara Romeril said concerns about rising childcare fees were widespread. 'There is definitely concern that there ...

Preschool 'ignored'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:41:00 +1000

Border Mail - June 16, 2007
'If it wasn't for the Commonwealth-funded child-care system providing accredited preschools then there would be far less again,' Mr Brough said...

Child care change anger

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:40:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Carla Danaher - June 16, 2007
CHILDCARE groups are outraged over proposed changes to the way centres are accredited, fearing quality will plummet. Community Childcare says the...

Halt fees grab call

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:40:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Heywood – June 15, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S consumer watchdog could be called in to stop childcare centres swallowing up increased government subsidies meant for parents...

Nurseries told to open at the weekends

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:40:00 +1000

Times Online UK – Rosemary Bennett – June 14, 2007
Childcare nurseries must open at weekends and in the evenings to cater for the demands of modern working life, according to a government-backed survey of...

Halt fees grab call

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:40:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Lachlan Heywood - June 15, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S consumer watchdog could be called in to stop childcare centres swallowing up increased government subsidies meant for parents...

Kids, sport and overuse injury

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:39:00 +1000

ABC Health Matters - Peter Lavelle - June 14, 2007
Sports-mad kids who play sport and train constantly are vulnerable to overuse injury, say paediatricians. ...

Childcare fees hike a grab for subsidies, Opposition says

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:39:00 +1000

ABC Online - June 14, 2007
The Federal Opposition has called on childcare providers to explain why fees are going up. Opposition families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says the country's...

Fee rise to slice childcare rebate

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:39:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Lachlan Heywood - June 14, 2007
By Lachlan Heywood Centre operators already have started raising fees after last month's Budget increased the childcare benefit 13 per cent to help parents...

Childcare in crisis

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:38:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Joe Hildebrand - June 14, 2007
This is the Waverley Child Care Centre, the face of Sydney's childcare crisis and possibly the most in-demand daycare centre in the country...

Clinic to tackle allergies

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:38:00 +1000

Courier Mail - June 14, 2007
However, she said, it would not address the need for more training of teachers and childcare workers. She said there were only about 10 nurses in Queensland...

Union wage agreements falling behind

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:38:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Mark Davis - June 11, 2007
He said that in addition to the 2 per cent pay rises, the agreement preserved and extended a series of 'work value' increases in award rates for child-care...

Throw out the bathwater to save the baby's skin

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:37:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Louise Hall - Jun 10, 2007
BATHING babies too often may cause skin problems such as eczema and rashes, experts warn. Today's infants are twice as likely to suffer from skin problems ...

Brough issues warning to childcare operators

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:37:00 +1000

ABC Online – June 9, 2007
The federal Minister for Families Mal Brough has warned childcare operators across Australia not to increase prices in line with increases in childcare...

Daycare children 'more antisocial'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:37:00 +1000

Scotland on Sunday, UK - Jun 9, 2007
EVIDENCE is mounting that young children who spend significant periods of time in daycare while their parents work are more prone to developing aggressive...

St George offers employees grandparental leave

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:33:00 +1000

The Age – Megan Shaw – June 8, 2007
St George's human resources head, Brett Wright, said there was anecdotal evidence that grandparents had resigned from companies to help with child care...

Employers innovate amid continuing skills shortage

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:11:00 +1000

The Age – Nabila Ahmed – June 8, 2007 ...forecast more difficult times for employers, corporate Australia said it was implementing incentives such as flexible hours, on-site child care and...

Room for a boom

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:10:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - June 6, 2007
And a 30 per cent childcare rebate is soon to be paid in a lump sum. But Opposition families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said child care was not affordable ...

ABC's Eddy hits back

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:10:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Anthony Marx – June 4, 2007
ABC Learning Centres chief executive Eddy Groves fired back yesterday at his critics, who have complained about the company's...

Eddy Groves explains capital raising move

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:10:00 +1000

ABC TV Inside Business - Alan Kohler - June 3, 2007
ALAN KOHLER: In Australia, you haven't just consolidated, you haven't just bought child care centres, you actually changed the culture in a way...

Families owe Govt thousands

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:09:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Linda Silmalis – June 3, 2007
FAMILIES still owe the Federal Government a staggering $180 million worth of family and child-care tax, with the average balance for each household around...

Uni plans 'tiered' child care

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:09:00 +1000

The Age - Reid Sexton - June 3, 2007
The document, written in March by Vice-Principal and Academic Registrar Gillian Luck, said the university should outsource a new child-care centre at its...

Parents, childcare workers collide

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:09:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O'Brien – June 1, 2007
PARENTS and childcare workers are clashing over how to raise children, a new study has found. Discipline, toileting, the value of messy play and solid food...

Little helpers

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:08:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Annette Sampson – May 30, 2007
But unlike most other tax breaks, which you claim at the end of the financial year concerned, the rebate is claimed in arrears...

Modern Children Sleep Less

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:08:00 +1000

ABC AM – Timothy McDonald - May 29, 2007
A study from the University of South Australia says children today are going to bed half an hour later than they did 20 years ago...

Babies Show Bilingual Potential

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:08:00 +1000

ABC Health & Medical News - May 25, 2007
Babies can tell the difference between two languages by the expressions on the speakers' faces, at just four months old, a new study shows…...

Half childcare fees 'paid for you'

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:02:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au – Stephen Lunn – May 30, 2007
MOST families using childcare will have more than half their fees covered by the Howard Government as a result of the budget changes...

Half your childcare bills covered

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:02:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – May 30, 2007
MORE than 50 per cent of parents' childcare bills will be paid by the Government from July when childcare subsidies increase,...

Child-care half paid in benefits: minister

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:02:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling - May 30, 2007
SOME parents have as much as 98 per cent of their child-care fees paid by Federal Government benefits and most families had more than half their fees...

Fast Eddy's bid appears easy as ABC

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:01:00 +1000

The Age – Stephen Bartholomeusz – May 30, 2007
EDDY Groves moves at a breakneck pace. In the six years that ABC Learning Centres has been listed, its enterprise value has grown from $25 million to more...

Learning curve for Groves

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:01:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Elizabeth Knight – May 30, 2007
Eddie Groves playing with children at the opening of the newest ABC centre in Werribee. LIKE any founding shareholder of a business, Eddy Groves knows that ...

ABC handed a $1bn lolly

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:01:00 +1000

The Age – Vanessa Burrow – May 30, 2007
ABC Learning Centres will speed up its US expansion with help from the Singapore Government, raising more than $1 billion to fund its plans...

Sweet on Bonus granny, an everyday treat

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Brisbane Times – Megan Mason – May 29, 2007
Those of us who don't simply cannot imagine how much easier life must be with free, last-minute, all-you-can-eat child care. According to the Australian...

Woman who wants a war over the care of two-year-olds

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:59:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Heath Gilmore - May 27, 2007
THE debate over whether children under the age of two are adversely affected by attending child-care centres has at least one prominent Sydney council at...

Parents slam costly kinders

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:59:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Carla Danaher - May 26, 2007
Melbourne councils are finalising childcare fees for next financial year, and some are proposing increases of up to 10 per cent...

Retirees want to work

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:58:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Carla Danaher - May 25, 2007
Baby boomers also had a higher expectation of taking on responsibilities than previous generations, Ms Squirchuk said...

Talk abounds over ABC

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:58:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Liam Walsh - May 24, 2007
CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres might be hinting at another transaction or trying to flag better times in the US following this week's 'Claytons'...

Rare revolt on budget as So confirms job cuts ahead

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:58:00 +1000

The Age - Clay Lucas - May 24, 2007
...and Saturdays to raise extra money, dumping plans for a $7 million child-care centre at Docklands and increasing child-care fees by 10 per cent...

So why are we waiting, minister?

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:57:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Paul Starick, Anna Vlach, Jordanna Schriever - May 23, 2007
PARENTS and childcare providers have united to reject the Federal Government's insistence that Adelaide has plenty of childcare places....

Labor presses for review of child care funding in SA

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:57:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 22, 2007
The Federal Opposition has called on the Government to reassess its funding for child care places in Adelaide following claims that some centres have...

Government denying its duty of care

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:57:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - May 23, 2007
Many parents desperate to find reliable and affordable childcare places so that they can work are facing long waiting lists or, in some cases, the difficult...

City's $4m black hole

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:56:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Mary Bolling - May 23, 2007
Rises of up to 10.5 per cent in childcare fees will help fund 66 new places at the Kensington and Fawkner Park childcare centres...

ABC says US market strong

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:56:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Liam Walsh - May 23, 2007
The childcare giant, which caters for children aged from infants to schoolgoers, said the strong trading helped lift forecasts of earnings (before interest,...

Calls to target bullies at preschool age

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:56:00 +1000

ABC Regional Online - Petria Wallace - May 22, 2007
In a keynote address to an international conference beginning in Darwin today, Professor Paula Barrett will argue that all pre school children should be...

Child care place farse

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:55:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Matt Williams and Paul Starick - May 22, 2007
Families Minister Mal Brough last month insisted 'there is no crisis' in the childcare industry, but Labor workforce participation spokeswoman Penny Wong...

Generation Xtra tired

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:55:00 +1000

Courier Mail - May 22, 2007
Some have their rural parents come to stay to mind the children one or two days a week, share part-time work and childcare duties with their partner,...

Making hard work of participation

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:54:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Richard Aedy - May 22, 2007
Demographers are clear about what gets women into work: paid maternity leave, guaranteed access to high-quality child care, flexible working arrangements...

High-quality child care for poor children found to offset the risk of later depression

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:54:00 +1000

Child Health News - May 20, 2007
Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care from infancy to age 5 report fewer symptoms of depression than...

The Nanny State: Monstering of the modern mother

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:53:00 +1000

The Independent - London UK - Sophie Goodchild - May 20th, 2007
Academics will warn that the way mothers interact with their children has been turned into a laboratory, where politicians and childcare gurus experiment...

Germany to get more childcare centres

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:53:00 +1000

Expatica Germany - Germany - May 15th, 2007
Germany's ruling parties approved a massive expansion of childcare facilities but were unable to agree on another issue that has divided the ...

Work's mother load

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:53:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - May 15, 2007
They will get assistance with upgrading their skills, writing resumes, help with fares to attend interviews, childcare rebates and money for work clothes or...

MI6 woos 'Jane Bonds' with with offers of family-friendly employment

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:53:00 +1000

This is London - England UK - 13 May, 2007
And that means family-friendly hours, childcare vouchers, a maternity package - and absolutely no seducing of the enemy. While the fictional 007...

Motherhood not so rosy

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:52:00 +1000

Courier Mail - May 14, 2007
About the same time, a study of American child care found preschoolers who spend a year or more in day care are slightly more likely to become disruptive in ...

Govt urged to seize control of preschools

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:51:00 +1000

ABC Online - May 13, 2007
The Australian Education Union has called for Victorian preschools to come under the control of the Education Department...

Wowing the kids

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Gill Vowles - May 13, 2007
CHILDCARE centres whose activities include toy-gun days, Coke and pie-eating challenges and slime wrestling are proving so popular there's a waiting list...

Taxpayers ease child-care giant's move offshore

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +1000

The Age - Peter Weekes - May 13, 2007
The 10 per cent increase, which is paid to child-care centres, could not have come at a better time for the Brisbane-based company that has underwhelmed ...

Child care rebates set to improve

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +1000

The Age - Annabel Stafford - May 10, 2007
PARENTS may be able to get child-care rebates as often as once a fortnight once the new federal care database is up and running at the end of next year...

George Megalogenis: Just give or take a few billion

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - George Megalogenis - May 12, 2007
The cost, the scarcity, of child care is rightly seen as a barrier to mothers re-entering the workforce. Child care is also the fastest rising item in the ...

Our debt to brave new mums

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:49:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Terry Sweetman - May 13, 2007
First-hand experience of a young working mum and her similarly placed contemporaries (and their sharing husbands) has been a glimpse into a modern childcare...

Families' weekly bill up $175

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:49:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Sonia Campbell and Daryl Passmore - May 13, 2007
SOARING costs in groceries, housing, fuel, power and childcare have put a staggering strain on household budgets. Already battling sky-rocketing mortgages ...

Childhood obesity has lasting effects

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:49:00 +1000

ABC Radio – Felicity Ogilvie – May 7, 2007
A research paper on obesity, published in today's Medical Journal of Australia, reports that obese children are more than likely to grow into obese adults...

Howard backs stay-at-home mums

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:48:00 +1000

The Australian -Patricia Karvelas - May 10, 2007
John Howard yesterday said that every time he had increased the funding given to institutional childcare he had also helped stay at home mothers with boosts...

Vote buying or reward for effort

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:48:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Lillian Saleh and Luke Layfield - May 11, 2007
Despite a combined tax cut of about $30 a week and extra funding for schools and childcare, Troy and Vanessa Fotheringhan are convinced Mr Costello is...

Stretching the shopping dollars

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:48:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Lillian Saleh - May11, 2007
Putting the childcare rebate up will help some people, but it isn'ta big enough incentive for me to return to work sooner,' she said...

Timely change for child-care rebates

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:47:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald – Stephanie Peatling and Matt Wade – May 10, 2007
PARENTS can expect to receive the child-care rebate in quarterly or even fortnightly instalments but not for at least another year...

Childcare not child's play

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:47:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O'Brien – May 10,2007
What will they do, and what do they get out of child care? Susie O'Brien spent a day last week at a community-run centre in Coburg to find out...

Childcare operators warned against fee hikes

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:47:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Patricia Karvelas – May 10, 2007
THE Federal Government has warned childcare operators not to raise fees after parents receive a budget boost to help pay for childcare...

Child care rebates set to improve

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:46:00 +1000

The Age – Annabel Stafford – May 10, 2007
PARENTS may be able to get child-care rebates as often as once a fortnight once the new federal care database is up and running at the end of next year, ...

Young mums to warn teens on baby bonus pitfall

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:46:00 +1000

Brisbane Times – Stephanie Peatling – May 10, 2007
Young mothers will be recruited to a Federal Government schools campaign to warn teenagers from having children just to get the $4000 baby bonus. ...

Child payment to go fortnightly

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:45:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – May 10, 2007
PARENTS will be paid the $4000-a-year 30 per cent childcare rebate fortnightly from as early as January 2009 - ending a major gripe of ...

Big gap in Costello's education

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:44:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Zoe Taylor – May 10, 2007
He has done very little to alleviate childcare costs for Sydneysiders and he has done nothing about the abysmal state of preschool education....

No value in tax changes

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:44:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Peter Saunders – May 10, 2007
In his last election Budget three years ago, Costello complicated things by introducing a new childcare rebate on top of the existing childcare benefit...

'No guidelines' on fighting obesity

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:44:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide – Laura Anderson, May 10, 2007
'The Government has again failed to consider the ways in which business can work in partnership with Government to meet Australia's childcare needs,' she ...

Subsidies are only part of the answer

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Adele Horin - May 9, 2007
While child care is expensive and hard to find, mothers have no incentive to go back to work...

Shorter wait and higher benefit for parents

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:43:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - May 9, 2007
Parents will receive up to $20 a week more to help them meet child-care fees and will no longer have to wait for up to two years to receive the 30 per cent rebate...

Childcare measures key points

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:43:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – May 8, 2007
An extra 3000 disabled children will get childcare access over the next five years through the inclusion support subsidy.

Families battle funds trap

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:42:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – May 8, 2007
FAMILIES figuring out how to cover four interest rate rises, skyrocketing grocery bills and rising childcare fees might question why $5 billion of their ...

Extra funds for childcare

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:42:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Jane Bunce – May 8, 2007
About 730,000 families will receive an extra weekly payment of up to $20.50 for each child under changes to child care benefits announced...

Costello splashes $2.1bn on low-income families

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:42:00 +1000

The Australian – Stephen Lunn – May 8, 2007
Treasurer Peter Costello has also made a provision for low income families in his 2007 Budget by announcing a 10 per cent increase to the Child Care Benefit...

Childcare cash upped $4.10 a day

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:41:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph – Sue Dunlevy – May 8, 2007
By Sue Dunlevy. WEEKLY childcare benefit subsidies were increased by up to $4.10 per day and the Federal Government will bring forward payment of the 30 per...

Childcare rebate revamped

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:41:00 +1000

Courier Mail – Steven Wardill – May 8, 2007
FAMILIES could soon receive the Federal Government's 30 per cent rebate on out-of-pocket childcare expenses at regular intervals throughout the year.

Child care benefits to increase

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:41:00 +1000

ABC Online – May 8, 2007
The Federal Government will spend $2.1 billion in this year's Budget to increase access to child care services. From July 1 this year the Child Care Benefit...

$2.1b pitch to families

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:40:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Ben Packham – May 8, 2007
FAMILIES struggling with childcare payments have been given a $2.1 billion helping hand in a major election-year pitch to crucial mortgage-belt seats.

Childcare centres take on volunteer

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:40:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – Susie O'Brien – May 8, 2007
CHILDCARE centres are using untrained volunteers, work experience students and people working for the dole to lift staff numbers and meet State Government...

Call for more childcare places

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:39:00 +1000

The Australian – Stephen Lunn and Patricia Karvelas – May 7, 2007
ANNETTE Maloney will be happy to have earlier access to thousands of dollars in childcare tax rebates, but believes Treasurer Peter Costello is unlikely to...

Child-care costs high on money worries list

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:39:00 +1000

The Age – Nassim Khadem - May 7, 2007
ONE in seven families rank child care in their top three financial concerns, a Labor report to be released today says. The Family Watch Taskforce Report...

Family-friendly Budget coming

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:39:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun – May 7, 2007
TOMORROW'S Budget will help working families and invest in the economy to ensure future jobs growth, federal Treasurer Peter Costello says...

Budget hook for working parents

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:38:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Kerry-Anne Walsh - May 6, 2007
Parents receiving child-care rebates are to get extra help, and the 30 per cent tax rebate for out-of-pocket child-care expenses is tipped to change, to allow weekly or fortnightly...

PM's $8000 family gift

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:37:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - Glen Milne - May 6, 2007
FAMILIES are to be offered up to $8000 per child in a one-off election year sweetener to reduce the cost of child care. The payment, which could benefit up...

Taxing times for toiling mums

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:37:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - May 04, 2007
Mothers do 70 per cent of the housework and more than 90 per cent of the childcare. Now it seems they're also paying tax at three times the rate of their...

Day care blamed for sick babies

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:37:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Tamara McLean - May 03, 2007
Rising day care use in Australia has been blamed for infections being the leading reason babies and toddlers are admitted to hospital.

Fighting obesity... we'll drink to that

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:36:00 +1000

Geelong Advertiser - Simon Gladman - May 3, 2007
A new program, sweeping through 35 schools and 46 childcare centres and kindergartens in the region, aims to dramatically change eating, drinking and...

Costello flags family friendly budget

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:36:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Malcolm Farr, Mark Kenny - May 03 , 2007
Tuesday's Federal Budget will bring bonuses for middle income households and working parents who depend on child care. It also will pay doctors more to make...

Need for child care isn't going to go away

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:36:00 +1000

The Age - Dewi Cooke - May 2, 2007
Child care is a high priority for Juliette Brodsky, her partner, Francis Grey, and children Leo and Paloma. Community child care centres have been given a...

Reasoned approach to care can boost workforce

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:35:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Tanya Plibersek - May 2, 2007
Australia has a shortage of skilled workers. It is because we've had a decade of Federal Government neglect of our TAFE and university sectors,...

Youngest losing out in childcare

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:35:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Mark Schliebs - April 30, 2007
Childcare places for children under three may become increasingly rare due to the high cost associated with providing the mandated level...

Baby leave plan a nightmare, says Howard

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:35:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Australia - Mark Davis - April 30, 2007
LABOR'S plan to give working parents rights to request extra parental leave and flexible working hours would be the 'ultimate nightmare' for small business...

ALP pledges more time off to care for infants

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:34:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Kerry-Anne Walsh - April 29, 2007
PARENTS would have the legal right to demand flexible working hours in the first five years of their children's lives in a radical work policy unveiled by...

PM warns of Labour threat

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:34:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Gerard McManus - April 30, 2007
WOMEN with children would be at the bottom of the pile of job applicants under a Labor plan, Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday.

Right to ask, and right to refuse

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:33:00 +1000

The Age, Australia - Misha Schubert - April 30, 2007
BOSSES who refuse to let parents work flexible hours while their children are young would not have to justify their decision to any independent authority...

Nanny care a cheaper option

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:33:00 +1000

Advertiser - Adelaide - April 30, 2007
Tanya Cole, manager of agency Nanny SA, said the rising cost of child care had seen a growing number of parents preferring to employ a nanny to look after...

Drought town's final insult

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:33:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Samantha Williams - April 26, 2007
To add more pressure, Booligal's isolated rural mothers face losing one of the only services left in town – childcare. For the past 25 years the Hay Mobile...

Parents forced to pay more of the bill

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:32:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Jessica Irvine - April 25, 2007
Parents are footing more of a growing bill for child care, as rising incomes push them over the threshold for the Federal Government's most generous level...

Childcare cost outstrips inflation

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:31:00 +1000

Courier Mail - Susie O'Brien - Apr 25, 2007
Childcare centres in Victoria now cost up to $95 a day and the average is $65 a day. HIRING black market carers to beat price rises...

Child care costs spiral

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:31:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - April 25,2007
Opposition families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said child care affordability dropped by more than 50 per cent since 2001, according to CPI figures...

Council CEO forks out to save

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:30:00 +1000

The Age - Clay Lucas - April 25,2007
Councillors said yesterday that cutting spending on child care was likely to be an area of focus for the consultants, who will release their report next...

Budget tax-cut tease

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:30:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Malcolm Farr - April 25,2007
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday increased pressure on the Government to help young families struggling with rising childcare...

Inflation relief for Howard

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:29:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - Mark Kenny - April 25,2007
Opposition family and community services spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said the figures showed childcare costs had risen by 5.4 per cent over the same period...

Pilot Childcare Drive

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:29:00 +1000

Glasgow Daily Record - Scotland UK - April 24, 2007
LABOUR have promised a childcare revolution with nurseries open at weekends to help families into work. The move is designed to allow parents access to...

Saide's a super mum

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:28:00 +1000

North Shore Times - Janne Seletto - April 24, 2007
Mrs Nakkour is one of a growing number of home-based carers, supervised by the nationally-accredited Family Day Care child care service...

Howard woos women juggling family and jobs

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:28:00 +1000

The Age - Cosima Marriner - April 24, 2007
Mr Howard cited child care and flexibility in the workplace as two areas where the Government could help this constituency...

Filling a caring role has sandwich generation spread thin

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:28:00 +1000

The Age - Farah Farouque - April 24, 2007
Port Melbourne-based child care activist Rebecca Bartel, a working mother, felt the tug of care from two directions when her 63-year-old mother, Jan...

Generational meat in sandwich

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:27:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - April 23, 2007
'I think flexibility in the workplace is important, making sure that child care policies are right.' The sandwich generation term was coined in 1981 in the...

Time limits set for child care bodies

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:27:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - April 23, 2007
NEW laws have come into effect in Victoria setting time limits for authorities dealing with neglected children who are placed in out-of-home care...

'Role for schools' in childcare support

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:27:00 +1000

Advertiser Adelaide - Paul Starick - April 23, 2007
Schools could do more to support child care and early childhood development, federal Education Minister Julie Bishop said yesterday...

Soil in for tests

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:26:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - April 23, 2007
SOIL samples have been taken from an inner-city childcare centre after contaminants were discovered in a nearby redevelopment site...

Anti-male prejudice plagues childcare

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:20:00 +1000

Sunday Herald - Glasgow, Scotland - April 22, 2007
Opportunities Commission in Scotland has shown that just 4% of childcare workers are male, although 27% of men say they would consider working in childcare...

Parents know the truth

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:20:00 +1000

Sunday Telegraph - April 22, 2007
Ms Clarke said the 139000 childcare vacancies the Government spoke about may not necessarily be offering quality programs. 'The fact that the childcare...

Cottesloe rare childcare hot spot

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:20:00 +1000

News.com.au - April 22, 2007
Leederville, Burswood and Cottesloe are among only a handful of suburbs in Australia without adequate childcare...

Melbourne worst for child-care gaps

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:19:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - April 20, 2007
MELBOURNE has more suburbs without available child-care places than any other city in Australia but the Federal Government insists there is no crisis in...

Suburbs hit by child-care crisis

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:19:00 +1000

Sydney Morning Herald - Stephanie Peatling - April 20, 2007
'There's no locality anywhere in Sydney where there are no places [of any type of child care] available,' Mr Brough said.

Minister denies childcare crisis

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:18:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Nicolette Burke - April 20, 2007
Data on these childcare places released by the minister showed a series of hot spots across the state where it was impossible for parents to get a place in...

Wealth no guarantee of child-care place for junior

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:18:00 +1000

Brisbane Times - Kelly Burke - April 20, 2007
THE high cost of land and a lack of council planning are to blame for inadequate child-care facilities in some of Sydney's wealthiest suburbs, some service...

Childcare scarce in hot spots

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:17:00 +1000

Melbourne Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien and Carla Danaher - April 20, 2007
VICTORIA had 12 childcare 'hot spots' where parents could not get long day care for their children, the Federal Government admitted yesterday...

No childcare crisis - Brough

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:17:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Xanthe Kleinig - April 20, 2007
He released figures yesterday showing up to 12600 places vacant in childcare centres in South Australia each day of the week. 'There is no crisis - I have ...

Melbourne worst for child-care gaps

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:17:00 +1000

The Age - Misha Schubert - April 20, 2007
MELBOURNE has more suburbs without available child-care places than any other city in Australia but the Federal Government insists there is no crisis in...

Brough says 140000 childcare places available

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:16:00 +1000

ABC Online - Paula Kruger - April 19, 2007
PETER CAVE: The shortage of quality childcare places is something that many new parents constantly worry about, and the problem is becoming an issue for the...

Figures show childcare shortage in NSW, Vic

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:16:00 +1000

ABC Online - April 19, 2007
Families Minister Mal Brough says there are up to 139000 vacancies at long day care centres on any one day in Australia...

No childcare crisis, despite shortages: Brough

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:14:00 +1000

The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 19, 2007
THIRTY-FIVE suburbs around the country had no childcare places available for six months last year but Family and Community Services Minister Mal Brough has...

Baby bonus 'a waste of money'

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:14:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Drew Cratchley - Apr 17, 2007
By Drew Cratchley. THE baby bonus is being wasted on people who would have babies anyway, a Queensland economics academic says...

Staffing crisis growing in child centres

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:14:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - Xanthe Kleinig - Apr 17, 2007
The shortage is expected to reach almost 800 staff by 2013, making it tougher for parents to find places for their children...

Children best cared for at home - PM

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:08:00 +1000

NEWS.com.au - April 13, 2007
Prime Minister John Howard says federal government childcare policies are a reflection of his own personal views that children are best cared for at home...

Costello hints at budget tax cuts

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:07:00 +1000

The Age - Jason Koutsoukis - April 15, 2007
Speculation was also mounting yesterday that the Government would use the budget to provide more help with child care for working families...

Fears over vacation programs

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 23:04:00 +1000

Daily Telegraph - Vivienne Oakley - April 15, 2007
"The Australian Government does not provide funding for this service, and it is not a Child Care Benefit approved service," the spokesman said...