Child Care News

Grandparents save families $2.3bn a year in childcare
The Daily Telegraph - Angira Bharadwaj - April 12, 2019

According to a new survey by comparison website finder.com grandparents are making huge contributions to their grown-up children’s families. An earlier finder.com report said grandparents are saving families $2.29 billion a year in childcare costs....

Branxton Pre-School awarded $5000 Volunteer Grant
Hunter Valley News - April 12, 2019

IT was all smiles at the Branxton Pre-School recently when Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon congratulated the community organisation on receiving $5000 funding under the latest Volunteer Grants Program. Branxton Pre-School is a not-for-profit group supported by its management committee...

QLD ministers highlight free TAFE for “high priority areas”, including ECEC
The Sector - Lyndsie Clark - April 12, 2019

To support Year 12 graduates into work, the Queensland Government is offering free TAFE in “high priority areas” including early childhood education and care (ECEC). Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said “We want to make sure our young...

Developers appeal Council’s decision to refuse childcare centre development application
Courier Mail - Brayden Heslehurst - April 12, 2019

Brisbane City Council’s decision to refuse an application for a childcare centre development at Wynnum West has been appealed by the developers. The proposal application, from Orange Property Projects No. 1 Pty Ltd, for a centre with 122 places at 24-26 Randall Rd was rejected by...

Child Care Subsidy impact on sector revealed in latest DET report
The Sector - Jason Roberts - April 11, 2019

The Federal Department of Education and Training (DET) have released their first issue of the Child Care in Australia information report which draws on data gathered by the Department of Human Services post the implementation of the new Child Care Subsidy (CCS)...

Both major parties are finally talking about the importance of preschool – here’s why it matters
The Conversation - Jen Jackson & Kate Noble - April 11, 2019

Early childhood education and care barely rated a mention in the lead-up to the 2016 federal election. But the mood has changed in Canberra. In the lead-up to the May election, Labor has pledged $A1.75 billion to extend the current subsidy for four-year-olds to attend preschool to three-year-olds...

IAG exec talks school holidays and staff support
Insurance Business Australia - Nicola Middlemiss - April 11, 2019

With the school holidays fast approaching, many working parents are pulling their hair out trying to find alternative childcare arrangements - however, that’s not the case for staff at insurance giant AIG. Since 2014, the firm has been offering a free school holiday program to...

Federal government accused squibbing on preschool funding issue because it won’t buy them votes
Courier Mail - Lanai Scarr - April 10, 2019

The federal government has been accused of failing to take the issue of preschool funding seriously because the current top electorates with children attending early learning are stacked towards Labor. Exclusive freedom of information data obtained by News Corp Australia shows...

Big dollars for large Melbourne childcare centre
Australian Financial Review - Lucas Baird & Su-Lin Tan - April 10, 2019

A domestic investor has laid down $10.3 million for a childcare centre at 97 Tope Street, South Melbourne. The investor bought the site from developer Melinda Cohen on a yield of 4.2 per cent. Guardian Early Learning has a new lease at the centre...

Safeguarding children, people with disability and taxpayers’ money
Mirage News - April 10, 2019

The Morrison Government is ensuring the integrity of family day care by cancelling the Child Care Subsidy provider approval for 21 dodgy day care operators. One provider in Queensland was issued with an order for immediate suspension under the family assistance law...

UNICEF report shows half the world’s children are missing out on preschool education
The Sector - Freya Lucas - April 10, 2019

More than 175 million children worldwide - approximately half of the pre-primary population - are not enrolled in education, missing “a critical investment opportunity, and suffering deep inequalities from the start” UNICEF has warned in a new report released yesterday...

Goodstart’s parenting website shortlisted for international recognition
The Sector - Freya Lucas - April 10, 2019

Goodstart Early Learning’s parenting website, First Five Years, has been shortlisted for an international website award, with Digital Managing Editor Belinda Riley describing the nomination as “wonderful recognition of Goodstart Early Learning’s commitment to social purpose”....

CareFlight and ambulance transport boy, 2, to Westmead Hospital following medical episode
The Daily Telegraph - Maryanne Taouk - April 9, 2019

A 2-year-old boy is in a stable condition after he fell unconscious at a childcare centre in western Sydney. The boy suffered a nose bleed at 11am at the Sydney Olympic Park childcare centre and became unconcious for about 20 minutes after the nose bleed. CareFlight’s rapid response...

Which families delay sending their child to school, and why? We crunched the numbers
The Conversation - Mark Hanly, Ben Edwards, Kathleen Falster - April 9, 2019

Boys, younger children and children from relatively advantaged families and neighbourhoods – particularly in Sydney – are more likely to delay starting school. These are some of the findings of our study on who chooses to delay sending their children to school and how a child’s...

Should Out of School Hours Care providers be child safe environments?
The Sector - Brad Poynting - April 9, 2019

OSHC environments are different from school and early education environments in a lot of ways. Often, they are co-located on school property, service school age children and comply with the same legislation as early education providers. Despite these similarities, OSHC environments...