Child Care News
Education guide 2020: Why kindergarten is so important
Geelong Advertiser - May 2, 2020When it comes to education, a solid beginning can set up a child for a lifetime of positive and rewarding learning experiences. Kindergarten is an important step for young children as it is one of the first educational settings they will experience and it helps set a strong base for years of learning...
Kindness and community connections during COVID-19
RiotACT - Woden Community Service - May 2, 2020Last week a number of seniors living in the Woden Valley were surprised and delighted to receive pictures and cards from young children. The children, attending Woden Community Service’s Lyons Early Learning Centre, made the pictures to give to local senior residents in response to...
Preschool funding pushed down road again
Yahoo News - Katina Curtis, AAP - May 1, 2020Permanently funding preschool has again been kicked down the road and teachers are despairing a solution won't be found as the coronavirus pandemic consumes all attention. The nation's leaders were expected to consider a preschool funding deal at the Council of Australian Governments...
Panel approves YMCA childcare centre in Brabham
Perth now - Lucy Jarvis, The Advocate - May 1, 2020YMCA plans to build a $2.1 million childcare centre in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs. At its first meeting, the realigned Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel conditionally approved an application for a childcare centre and caretaker’s dwelling in Brabham. The centre and car park...
NSW Shadow Minister calls for ‘immediate and clear’ infection controls in ECEC
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 1, 2020Early learning services need immediate and clear protocols for infection controls, New South Wales Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning Jodie Harrison has said, in light of announcements earlier in the week that another four-year-old has contracted COVID-19, making the issue...
Breaking: ATO and DESE confirm new JobKeeper Eligibility rule for ECEC sector
The Sector - Jason Roberts - May 1, 2020The ATO has confirmed that any payments received via the ECEC Relief Package or Exceptional Circumstances Supplementary Scheme will not be considered a taxable supply and as a result will not need to be included in the JobKeeper “decline in revenue” test calculation needed to determine eligibility...
Parents urged to dob in childcare centres they suspect of profiteering from coronavirus funding
The Guardian - Daniel Hurst - May 1, 2020The Australian government is urging parents to dob in any childcare centre they suspect of profiteering from the coronavirus funding overhaul, prompting accusations the Coalition is trying to shift blame for the impact of its policy. Amid persistent reports of parents struggling to access the care they need...
No jab no play: Vaccination legislation passes SA parliament
7News - Emily Olle - April 30, 2020No jab, no play laws have passed South Australian parliament, meaning children up to the age of six who have not been fully vaccinated will be banned from childcare. The legislation passed on Wednesday night and will come into effect in early August. Health minister Stephen Wade says...
Two children test negative for coronavirus after prompting childcare centre shutdown
Herald Sun - Alanah Frost, Aneeka Simonis, Tamsin Rose - April 30, 2020Two children who prompted the shutdown of a childcare centre this week after they were feared to have COVID-19 have tested negative to the virus. The Learning Sanctuary Yarraville confirmed the children, who are from the same family, had been cleared this afternoon....
Fears dozens of children exposed after outbreak at two childcares
9 News - April 30, 2020There are fears dozens of children may have been exposed to coronavirus after an outbreak at two childcare centres in Sydney and Melbourne. A four-year-old girl attended the Bright Minds Academy in Cranebrook, in Sydney's west for two days while infected, while another child at ...
Childcare prices record slower rise in Q1 2020 says latest ABS release but COVID-19 impact unclear
The Sector - Jason Roberts - April 30, 2020Childcare prices across Australia rose 6.2 per cent in the three months ended March 2020 compared to the same period last year, and 1.0 per cent compared to the three months ended December 2019 according to the latest Consumer Price Index data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics...
How data is improving early education in Australia
The Sector - Joseph Badaoui, Digital Realty - April 30, 2020All facets of education, including early childhood education and care (ECEC), are undergoing a digital transformation at a rapid pace. The introduction of tools like Google Classrooms, Webex and Class Dojo, as well as the shift towards remote learning, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic...
RATE makes its way back to the Northern Territory, carving a path for ECEC educators
The Sector - Freya Lucas - April 30, 2020In 2016, the Northern Territory Labor party made an election promise to increase the number of frontline Aboriginal workers in fields such as education and care, healthcare and the police force to 500 by 2026. Yesterday the Territory’s Minister for Education Selena Uibo announced the re-establishment...
Dept of Ed “maximising and prioritising care” email prompts push back as increasing demand puts pressure on providers
The Sector - Jason Roberts - April 30, 2020An email communication sent to early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers by the Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) titled “Reminder about maximising and prioritising care” has been met with push back from providers as they struggle to manage a complex...
Returning to work could be in jeopardy with childcare problems
The Daily Telegraph - John Rolfe - April 29, 2020New mums trying to return to work are finding it harder and harder to get into childcare as centres start turning families away due to government funding systems introduced as part of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s coronavirus response. Four weeks ago, the government said it would fund centres...
