Child Care News

Mum makes tearful plea after a little boy suffers TWO dangerous anaphylactic reactions in just three months at a day care centre
Daily Mail Australia - Alana Mazzoni - April 30, 2019

A toddler faced two near death experiences from anaphylactic shocks at his childcare centre in the space of just three months, prompting calls for change. A Perth day care centre gave two-year-old Lincoln McLean a full bottle of milk despite staff knowing about his severe dairy allergies...

The wage rates are too low and turnover is too high
The Sydney Morning Herald - Samantha Page - April 29, 2019

Childcare, or early childhood education, is a significant sector in Australia. While annual turnover is likely to exceed $10 billion in 2019–20, the revenue comes from just two sources: public funding from the federal government, in the form of an estimated $8.3 billion in childcare subsidy payments...

Childcare stocks climb on Labor plan
Financial Review - Simon Evans and Natasha Gillezeau - April 29, 2019

The two biggest ASX-listed childcare stocks experienced a solid bounce in their share prices on Monday because of the ''tailwind'' from a generous taxpayer-funded childcare package announced by Bill Shorten. Shares in G8 Education, which runs 500 childcare centres around Australia, closed 3.4 per cent higher ...

Turnbull government minister for welfare has a problem with welfare
The Sydney Morning Herald - Jenna Price - April 29, 2019

In response to the announcement that those earning $69,000 a year or less would have access to free childcare – and those earning quite a bit more would pay less – Dan Tehan had this measured response: “This is a fast track to a socialist, if not communist, economy.” ...

Childcare worker pay rise 'first': Shorten
News.com.au - Marnie Banger and Daniel McCulloch - April 29, 2019

Childcare workers would have their wages boosted by the taxpayer under a Labor government, but Bill Shorten has hinted that other industries could be in line for similar treatment. "We have picked childcare workers to go first," the opposition leader told reporters of the plan in Perth...

Federal election 2019 opinion: Taxing impact of childcare scheme
The Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - April 29, 2019

WE TRUST childcare workers to look after our children, and we need quality educators in the system, but the question is, should taxpayers give them a pay rise? At the moment, childcare workers are paid by their boss, the owners of childcare centres, and some of those bosses who are very rich...

Labor’s childcare package ‘enormously powerful’
The Daily Telegraph - Paul Kelly - April 29, 2019

The Australian’s Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly says Labor’s $4 billion childcare package is ‘very powerful’ and will resonate with ‘working families.’ On Sunday, Mr Shorten announced that childcare will be cheaper for families earning under $174,000 if Labor wins the next election...

Labor goes big with little kids
Sydney Morning Herald - Judith Ireland - April 28, 2019

Bill Shorten's plan to spend $4 billion reducing the soaring cost of childcare came as a surprise even to some in the industry who expected the sector would eventually become a key election battleground. They thought Labor's early childhood policies would be limited to a $9.9 billion increase...

Residents win marathon battle against childcare centre
The Courier Mail - Brendan O’Malley - April 28, 2019

Brisbane residents who waged war on a developer for more than a year to stop an unpopular childcare centre have had a victory. The Planning & Environment Court this morning (April 26) dismissed developer Ashvan Investments’ appeal involving their proposed C&K-operated childcare centre...

Childcare centre places falling - and subsidy glitches are to blame, say critics
Herald Sun - Lanai Scarr - April 27, 2019

More parents are pulling their kids out of childcare and centres are considering laying off staff, as the sector suffers financial headwinds. The number of children in early childhood services fell 24,280 or 2.7 per cent in the September quarter on the previous year. Sector advocates say ...

Preschool funding is a hot federal election issue
The Daily Telegraph - Lanai Scarr - April 27, 2019

Preschool funding is shaping as a major election battleground, with warnings Australia risks falling behind the rest of the developed world without significant investment. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg committed $453 million in funding in the budget to extend the universal access program for preschools...

Adelaide's plan to boost childcare centres in the CBD
9News.com.au - April 26, 2019

Adelaide’s new Lord Mayor has a plan to help parents and boost the number of childcare centres in the city centre. Sandy Verschoor wants all new buildings in the CBD to have space for a childcare centre, and plans to put this to the City Council on Tuesday...

Cost of childcare 8 per cent lower than last year according to latest ABS release
The Sector - Jason Roberts - April 26, 2019

The cost of childcare across the state and territory capital cities of Australia has fallen by 8 per cent in the first three months of 2019 compared to the same period last year. The data released as part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) quarterly inflation series seeks to measure...

Greens Launch Plan to Make Childcare Free
Mirage News - April 26, 2019

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson and Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has launched the Greens’ ambitious plan to make childcare fee-free for most families, abolish the activity test and guarantee all three and four year olds access to 24 hours of early childhood education a week...

Early investing key for outcomes
NT News - Satria Dyer-Darmawan - April 25, 2019

As part of Labor’s commitment to early childhood education in Lingiari, Tanya Plibersek and Warren Snowdon visited Gillen Primary to announce $50,000 worth of funding to upgrade smart boards at the school. Warren Snowdon, Member for Lingiari said there is a large importance of keeping up with technology...