Child Care News
Nautilus Senior College students completing practical certificates
Port Macquarie News - Robert Dougherty - May 2, 2019Local students can lead the way by creating and following their own chosen career pathway, according to Nautilus Senior College high achievers Jess Honeymen and Kinta Clanahan. Port Macquarie student Jess Honeymen said she has her heart set on childcare and owning her own business...
Childcare payments under review after parents receive up to $10,000 in error
ABC News - Kristian Silva - May 1, 2019A system error is being blamed for incorrect childcare benefit payments being deposited into Australian bank accounts. The Department of Human Services is reviewing about 8,000 payments made over a two-day period around Easter after it emerged some people had been overpaid thousands of dollars...
Labor's childcare wages plan to cost at least $1.6 billion a year
The Sydney Morning Herald - Eryk Bagshaw and Dana McCauley - May 1, 2019Labor's plan to use taxpayer funds to boost the pay of private childcare workers will cost the federal budget at least $1.6 billion a year once it is fully implemented, as the Coalition prepares to mount a fresh attack over the "highly irregular" policy. The opposition’s election-eve wage intervention...
Endless fights over money don't improve education results
Sydney Morning Herald - Ross Gittins - May 1, 2019One of the few things both sides agree on in this election campaign is that we must get education right. We need to get education and training right at every level, from childcare (these days renamed ECEC - “early childhood education and care”), preschool, primary ...
New childcare centre proposed for Bargo
Wollondilly Advertiser - Joshua Bartlett - May 1, 2019More than 100 Bargo kids are set to benefit from a state-of-the-art childcare centre. Bargo's Little Elves Childcare Centre has lodged a development application with Wollondilly Council for a new facility to accomodate up to 120 children. Proposed works include the demolition of an existing home...
Duncraig childcare centre refused, tutor business approved
Joondalup Times - Tyler Brown - May 1, 2019A CHILDCARE centre proposed for Marri Road in Duncraig has again been refused. The Joondalup council considered revised plans in October, where it refused the proposal. It said while concerns relating to built form and setbacks had been addressed, issues with parking, safety and access had not...
Voters want action on childcare cost: poll
SBS News - April 30, 2019A majority of Australian voters believe many of the country's federal politicians are sexist, that government should do more to reduce the gender pay gap, and that childcare costs should be treated as a work expense, new polling suggests. The results of a survey of 1065 Australians...
Hyatt hotel to move into Woolloongabba precinct
Brisbane Times - Lucy Stone - April 30, 2019Brisbane’s southside is set for a new high-end hotel placed within a $600 million urban precinct being constructed in Woolloongabba. The ambitious precinct includes several apartment towers holding 850 apartments, a Woolworths, a cinema complex, offices, a childcare centre...
Why ‘astronomical’ childcare fees are the ‘rort’ our pollies are ignoring
News.com.au - Alexis Carey - April 30, 2019Adele Barbaro opened her inbox to find an email from her children’s childcare centre that left her reeling this week. Fees were being hiked up yet again - this time by 4.5 per cent - meaning she and her husband would now have to fork out $141 per day, per child...
UAP deal ‘Palmer drama’
The Australian - Jessica Cortis - April 30, 2019The conversation turned to Labor’s newly announced taxpayer funded wage increases for childcare workers with Mr Fifield calling it a “serious government intervention”. “Paying childcare workers more sounds too good to be true … Labor have not explained how they’ll be enhancing the wages...
Adelaide City Council investigation could lead to childcare services in high-rise buildings
Adelaide Now - Celeste Villani - April 30, 2019Childcare services in Adelaide’s CBD could reach new heights after Adelaide City Council agreed to look into allowing centres in new and existing high-rise buildings. The council agreed on Tuesday night to start discussions with the State Government about changing planning laws to allow childcares...
Further support for ALP wage announcement applauding education message
The Sector - Freya Lucas - April 30, 2019The NSW/ACT branch of the IEU said the recognition of the need to properly fund and resource services for children in the critical early development phase up to five years of age was “long overdue”, with Branch Secretary John Quessy saying “the ALP announcement recognises that early childhood is...
Liberals warn of childcare hornet's nest
Newcastle Herald - Daniel McCulloch - April 30, 2019Labor is stirring a hornet's nest by promising to boost the wages of childcare workers, the federal government says. Coalition campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham said the government's role was to pay public service wages and fund the nation's social safety net...
Staff at criticised care firm to reap millions
The Australian - Rebecca Urban - April 30, 2019A large commercial childcare operator criticised by Labor for awarding its boss a hefty pay rise and bonus could attract tens of millions of dollars in government-funded pay rises for its workers under Bill Shorten’s unprecedented wages pitch. The Gold Coast-based G8 Education...
Record $1.3b childcare centre profit after taxpayer handouts
Gold Coast Bulletin - Natasha Bita, The Courier Mail - April 30, 2019CHILDCARE centres pocketed a record $1.3 billion in profits last year, thanks to higher taxpayer subsidies. Profits soared 39 per cent between 2017 and 2018, raising questions over Labor’s plan to spend $10 billion in taxpayer funds to give childcare workers a pay rise averaging $11,000 per worker...
