Child Care News
‘Shocking’ numbers of children presenting with mental health issues
WA Today - Wendy Tuohy - January 23, 2021She warned if steps are not taken to bolster mental health services and access for primary school-aged, and younger, children experiencing symptoms including anxiety, depression and eating issues triggered by stress on their families “it will become a trans-generational disaster”...
Massive 206-place childcare centre with its own pool planned for former shopping centre site
The Courier Mail - Erin Smith - January 21, 2021Plans have been lodged to build a 206-place childcare centre complete with a swimming pool, multiple outdoor play areas and an art studio. The centre, proposed for 1613 Anzac Ave Kallangur will be run by Lead Childcare Pty Ltd, used to be the home for the Tulip Town shopping centre...
Cairns childcare worker Dionne Batrice Grills has manslaughter charge dropped over death of toddler left on minibus
ABC News - Mark Rigby and Jemima Burt - January 20, 2021A former childcare worker has had a charge of manslaughter dropped over the death of a toddler who was allegedly left behind on a minibus, after a court found she did not have a duty of care to the child. Dionne Batrice Grills, 34, was one of two people charged with manslaughter...
K Health expands into virtual childcare and raises $132 million at a $1.5 billion valuation
Yahoo Finance AU - Jonathan Shieber - January 20, 2021Medical doctor touching virtual interface button of healthcare application, concept about health technology isolate background. K Health, the virtual healthcare provider that uses machine learning to lower the cost of care by providing the bulk of the company's health assessments...
Child care fees soar by nearly 10 per cent in Devonport
The Advocate - Rob Inglis - January 20, 2021Childcare fees soared by an eye-watering 8.9 per cent in Devonport in 2019-20, according to data from the federal Education Department. It's prompted Labor to accuse the Commonwealth government of failing Tasmanian families. But the Coalition says fees charged aren't the concern...
Historic church to be razed for suburb’s 19th childcare centre
The Courier Mail - Brendan O’Malley - January 20, 2021The Uniting Church’s Moreton Rivers Presbytery has lodged a development application to knock down the 1885-era wooden church on Ashgrove Ave and a church hall. It would be replaced with a 136-place childcare centre even though there are 17 childcare centres within a 2km radius...
Ontario Teachers' Busy Bees ramps up Think Childcare bid
Financial Review - Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald and Tim Boyd - January 19, 2021Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan-backed Busy Bees Early Learning has lobbed a whopper cash bid for ASX-listed Think Childcare Group. It is understood Busy Bees has offered $2.10 a share, which is well above a $1.75 a share rival offer and nearly double where Think Childcare stock...
Sydney childcare prices: Suburbs where fees have gone up the most
Geelong Advertiser - Clare Armstrong - January 18, 2021Families are paying more for childcare in inner Sydney, but the biggest single price hikes have hit the outer suburbs hardest, creating “significant” barriers for parents to return to work. Richmond, Windsor, Rouse Hill, St Marys, Campbelltown, Penrith and Liverpool had the largest...
High childcare fees act as a 'barrier' to parents returning to work
Newcastle Herald - Helen Gregory - January 18, 2021HUNTER families saw their childcare fees rise more than the rate of inflation over 12 months, with fees set to keep eating into out of pocket costs over the next four years. Department of Education, Skills and Employment data shows the mean per-hour centre based daycare fee rose...
Goodstart Tuggerah proud to be named as the first Excellent rated service for 2021
The Sector - Freya Lucas - January 18, 2021The team at Goodstart Early Learning Tuggerah are starting the new year off on a high note, celebrating the news that they have become the first Australian early learning centre in 2021 to receive an ‘Excellent’ rating from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority...
Guide to Logan’s top childcare centres for 2021
The Courier Mail - Judith Kerr - January 18, 2021Logan parents looking for a childcare centre this year, have more than 200 to choose from but two are standouts and have been ranked as the best in the state. John Paul College Outside School Hours Care and Rosie’s Early Learning, both at Daisy Hill, joined six others out of more than 3060...
New COVID-Safe School Guidelines Released
NSW Liberal - January 18, 2021NSW public schools have been provided with updated guidelines to help them manage the 2021 return to school in a COVID-safe way. Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the main update to the guidelines is that parents and carers of children in Kindergarten, and Years 1, 2 and 7...
Intergenerational Learning Centre to be built at Andrew Kerr Care in Mornington
Geelong Advertiser - Ashley Argoon - January 17, 2021Youngsters and the elderly will learn together under a revolutionary childcare model set to become increasingly popular across the state. A new $1.2 million Intergenerational Learning Centre will be built off a Mornington aged care home, connecting three and four year old kinder kids...
Thanks A Million campaign: Ashley Stephenson cancelled her own leave to care for kids of essential workers
The Weekly Times - Mercedes Maguire - January 17, 2021Ashley Stephenson has been director of the Heathcote Before and After School Care centre for six years. But no amount of experience prepared her for the chaos that COVID-19 brought to the job. The 33-year-old from the Sutherland Shire worked long hours, cancelled her own...
Early childhood educators are leaving in droves. Here are 3 ways to keep them, and attract more
The Conversation - Jen Jackson - January 15, 2021Childcare centres across Australia are suffering staff shortages, which have been exacerbated by the COVID crisis. Many childcare workers across Australia left when parents started pulling their children out of childcare due to the pandemic, especially casuals not eligible for JobKeeper...
