Child Care News
Childcare workers warn industry’s on ‘brink of financial collapse’ amid coronavirus crisis
Herald Sun - Matt Johnston, Grant McArthur, Shannon Deery and Jack Paynter - April 1, 2020Childcare operators have warned they are on the “brink of financial collapse” as centres and parents plead for the federal government to protect the sector. Early childhood educators fear once the COVID-19 disaster has passed, smaller centres may not be left to re-open their doors...
More restrictions and stimulus on way in Victoria
Financial Review - Patrick Durkin and Natasha Boddy - April 1, 2020Public transport may shift to a weekend timetable and Uber and taxi drivers face tougher rules if Victoria moves to the next phase of COVID-19 restrictions. The return of the next school term was also under review and the impact on childcare centres will be decided by the national cabinet on Friday...
The hidden piece of the childcare puzzle that could support more healthcare workers
Women's Agenda - Andrea Christie-David - April 2, 2020Australia’s childcare sector is in need of a desperate overhaul in order to see it survive beyond the pandemic, with relief hopefully coming this week. But Andrea Christie-David from Leor In Home Early Learning says there’s a hidden, under-utilised piece that has the capacity to support...
Childcare educators’ health ‘neglected’ by government
NT News - Sarah Matthews - April 1, 2020A DARWIN childcare centre director has spoken out about the struggles she is facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying she feels the health and safety of childcare workers is being ‘neglected’ by the Federal Government. Director of La Crèche on the Avenue in Parap, Louise de Bomford-Scott...
Caught in the chain of infection, but still required to work and unable to test
ABC - On Drive with Sheridan Stewart - April 1, 2020Imagine this: Someone you spend a lot of time with has a friend they spend a lot of time with who has tested positive to coronavirus. It's not hard and it's familiar to many people now. It's also the experience of a childcare worker who, concerned about her colleagues and the parents...
Pull or pay: Parents under financial strain as government holds firm on school stance
The Western Weekender - Alena Higgins - April 1, 2020Parents hurting financially have joined the chorus of teachers demanding the Government shut down schools, as families continue to be slugged fees while their kids stay home. Many parents are still being forced to pay ongoing daycare or school fees, despite their children’s...
FAQs on coronavirus: Dr Nicola Spurrier answers your most pressing questions
The Advertiser - Dr Nicola Spurrier, SA Chief Medical Officer - April 1, 2020Why are schools and childcare centres still open if the rest of us can no longer gather in groups of more than two people? A) Australia’s Chief Medical Officer and the Prime Minister advise that schools and preschools will remain open. This includes out of school hours care (OSHC)...
Coronavirus: Infected children ‘not part of cluster’, says Jenny Mikakos
The Australian - Rachel Baxendale - March 31, 2020Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said it remained the view of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee that there was no need to close childcare centres, despite the youngsters’ infections. “In part that’s around the data that is reassuring that overwhelmingly...
Child care is vital to post-virus recovery
The Canberra Times - Katrina Curtis - AAP - March 31, 2020Whether Australia's economy bounces back as quickly as politicians hope once the coronavirus crisis is over could come down to one thing: child care. Centres around the country are teetering on the brink of closure as parents pull their kids out in droves, whether because...
What is the Government doing to help childcare providers and parents during the coronavirus pandemic?
ABC News - Conor Duffy - March 31, 2020Parents across Australia face a troubling dilemma as they weigh up job losses and health concerns, about whether to abandon a hard-won childcare place. Mums and dads have been urged by state premiers to keep their children home from school, and many have applied the same...
Childcare centres teetering on brink of closure plead with the government to keep paying fee subsidies as parents pull their kids out of class
Daily Mail Australia - AAP - March 31, 2020Centres around the country are teetering on the brink of closure as parents pull their kids out in droves, whether because they can no longer afford the fees or have health fears. The sector is warning unless urgent steps are taken, the crucial care that allows the parents of more than...
COVID-19: Star and Gold Coast childcare giant G8 Education to delay dividend payments
Gold Coast Bulletin - Alister Thomson - March 31, 2020Childcare giant G8 Education and casino operator Star Group will both delay dividend payments as they grapple to conserve cash during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an announcement to the ASX this morning G8, which has more than 400 childcare centres in Australia, said the...
Why the G8 Education share price rocketed 13% higher today
The Motley Fool - James Mickleboro - March 31, 2020The G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) share price has been a very strong performer on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) on Tuesday. In morning trade the childcare centre operator’s shares are up 13% to 79 cents. This morning G8 Education released an update on the Federal...
Bendigo early learning services urgently need more help during coronavirus pandemic
Bendigo Advertiser - March 31, 2020The early learning sector could soon collapse and urgently needs the government to step in, two Bendigo-based providers have warned. Goodstart Early Learning has seen one in three children pulled during the coronavirus pandemic and Jenny's Early Learning has warned it cannot stay open without federal government intervention. "Currently, we would be more financially viable to be forced to close...
Childcare centres on the Coast won't last the week, childcare workers warn
The Advocate - Meg Powell - March 31, 2020Childcare centres across the Coast are unlikely to survive the week as numbers plummet below the point of sustainability, industry voices have warned. The situation was highlight by record lows in attendance at the Milpara Learning Centre on Monday, despite its proximity to...
