Child Care News
Croydon childcare centre on Maroondah Highway evacuated after aircon blows up
Herald Sun - Serena Seyfort, Maroondah Leader - January 30, 2020Staff had to evacuate 120 children from a Croydon childcentre after an air conditioner exploded, starting a fire. Firefighters were called to Discovery Childcare and Education on Maroondah Highway just before 4pm yesterday after staff noticed smoke coming from an air conditioner...
Will my child get coronavirus at school? Here’s some perspective for Aussie parents
The Conversation - William Mude - January 30, 2020As Australian students returned to school this week, they were met with conflicting and changing advice from federal and state governments on the coronavirus outbreak. The outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, has killed more than ...
ABS reports childcare price increases for Q4 2019 with Melbourne and Canberra leading
The Sector - Jason Roberts - January 30, 2020Childcare prices across Australia rose 7.2 per cent in the three months ended December 2019 compared to the same period last year, and 1.5 per cent compared to the three months ended September 2019 according to the latest Consumer Price Index data released by the ABS. The data...
ABS reports childcare price increases for Q4 2019 with Melbourne and Canberra leading
The Sector - Jason Roberts - January 30, 2020Childcare prices across Australia rose 7.2 per cent in the three months ended December 2019 compared to the same period last year, and 1.5 per cent compared to the three months ended September 2019 according to the latest Consumer Price Index data released...
Coronavirus: Australian students get conflicting advice about return to school
The Guardian - Else Kennedy - January 29, 2020The federal government has toughened its quarantine policy and is advising education departments and universities to update their policies after four new cases of coronavirus emerged in Germany on Wednesday....This advice applies to “all childcare providers...
Coronavirus terror: Karl Stefanovic calls for children to be 'isolated''Isn’t it better we take precautions now?'
New Idea - Mark Brook - January 30, 2020Karl Stefanovic has called for schoolchildren who recently travelled to China to be “isolated” to reduce the risk of potentially spreading the deadly coronavirus....“We will change the advice when it comes to schools, when it comes to childcare centres, when it comes to universities...
Masks, panic and absent children: This morning, many parents feared dropping their kids at school
Mamamia - Helen Vnukl - January 29, 2020At last count, this new coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, had killed 106 people, all in China. So far, there have been five confirmed cases of the virus in Australia, four of them in NSW. With the new school year starting this week, many Australian parents...
'It's a matter of holding ground': where to for gender equality in 2020
Brisbane Times - Kristine Ziwica - January 29, 2020Also on the agenda, more must be done this year to improve affordability and availability of quality childcare in order to support more women to participate in the workforce. Certainly more than urging parents to “shop around”, which was Education Minister Dan Tehan’s inadequate response...
Commercial investors to buy up alternative real estate: Nerida Conisbee
Property Observer - Nerida Consibee - January 29, 2020We predict commercial investors will buy up alternative real estate. Alternative assets are defined as illiquid and traded only through private markets. This includes real estate, private equity, car washes, childcare, medical centres, service stations and self-storage...
Child care costs and government subsidy
Mirage News - January 29, 2020Australian families continue to pay less out-of-pocket costs on average under the Government’s Child Care Package, according to the latest CPI data released today. The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that on average out-of-pocket costs are 4.2 per cent lower...
Not all Australian parents can access quality childcare and preschool – they can’t just ‘shop around’
The Conversation - Kate Noble - January 29, 2020Many providers of early childhood education and care are charging above the cap for government subsidies and parents are being forced to meet the additional costs. This is according to recently released data. This has been the situation for some time. But the data confirms a trend ...
VCAT turns down appeal for another childcare centre in Armstrong Road, Heathmont
Herald Sun - Kiel Egging, Maroondah Leader - January 29, 2020A neighbourhood campaign against a proposed childcare centre in a busy Heathmont street has been victorious, after VCAT knocked back the developers appeal. The authority agreed with Maroondah Council’s decision to not grant a permit for the proposed centre...
Coronavirus: Only unwell students or those with 'close contact' to confirmed cases need to stay home, Victorian authorities say
ABC News - January 28, 2020Victoria's chief health officer says students who have travelled to China recently are able to return to school providing they are closely monitored for symptoms of coronavirus. Dr Brett Sutton said schools should remain vigilant about the virus but only students who were unwell ...
Mental health support available young students in bushfire areas
The Armidale Express - January 28, 2020Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said more mental health support is available for children attending early childhood education and care services and school students in bushfire-affected communities. The Coalition Government will provide a further $8 million for mental health...
State governments release information to help ECEC as Corona virus hits Australia
The Sector - Freya Lucas - January 28, 2020With the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) being confirmed in Australia over the weekend, state and territory governments have been quick to issue advice to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services about best practice in dealing with the threat ...