Child Care News
NSW Labor vows to meet ‘100 per cent of Gonski standard’ with $2.7bn education promise
The Australian - Brad Norington - March 10, 2019Mr Daley said that TAFE courses in “life skills” education would be free under Labor. Free TAFE courses would apply for trade skills training for building construction and plumbing, but also extend to aged care and child care courses. Pledging 70 per cent of the NSW vocational...
Is there such a thing as a 'right' amount of maternity leave to take?
Sydney Morning Herald - Annie Brown - March 10, 2019"I understand people have lives set up and expectations of what they’re going to do, and often need to for money or whatever, but pushing childcare as the answer [means] we have gotten to a point where childcare is seen as the optimum," Ms Barker said...
Families out $180m in childcare fees on public holidays
The West Australian - Rhianna Mitchell - March 9, 2019Families were $180 million out of pocket last year because of a policy in which parents are charged childcare fees on public holidays despite daycare centres being closed. Data from the Federal Education Department shows that, nationally, $45 million in fees was charged...
WA doctors plead: Don’t delay no-jab no-play
The West Australian - Cathy O'Leary - March 9, 2019Doctors are worried no-jab no-play laws could stall in WA, after the release of a discussion paper which includes an option not to ban unvaccinated children from child care and kindergarten. Instead, parents and early learning centres would only have to collect...
Sandpits and cubby houses are the key to active preschoolers: study
The Daily Telegraph - Adella Beaini - March 8, 2019With one in five Australian preschoolers now considered overweight or obese, the new study looked at home-based outdoor play in nearly 1600 preschool-age children on days when they were not in childcare. Researchers found that when the kids weren’t in childcare...
CEO of OAC childcare and eastern suburbs mum Anna Learmonth shares her insights on the childcare sector
Daily Telegraph - Joanna Panagopoulos - March 8, 2019As a local mum of two young children and the CEO of a chain of 75 holistic childcare centres across major Australian cities, Only About Children (OAC) CEO, Anna Learmonth, has unique insight into the childcare sector in the eastern suburbs...
Julie Bishop calls for gender targets in federal government contracts
Financial Review - Tom McIlroy - March 8, 2019Australia has dropped one place on the index for 2019, released on Friday to coincide with International Women's Day, after analysis of data on higher education, labour-force participation, pay, childcare costs, maternity and paternity rights...
Educators receive training in promoting body positivity and healthy eating
The Sector - Freya Lucas - March 8, 2019Early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals are receiving training using a resource which promotes positive body image and healthy eating in young children, as part of a research trial funded by Australian Rotary Health. Dr Laura Hart, from La Trobe University...
Why we need action on cost of childcare care
The West Australian - Rhianna Mitchell - March 8, 2019There are calls for an overhaul of Australia’s childcare system, which business leaders say is becoming increasingly unaffordable and preventing some mothers from returning to work after having children. On International Women’s Day, The West Australian can reveal concerns from the childcare...
Julie Bishop calls for gender targets in federal government contracts
Financial Review - Tom McIlroy - March 8, 2019Australia has dropped one place on the index for 2019, released on Friday to coincide with International Women's Day, after analysis of data on higher education, labour-force participation, pay, childcare costs, maternity and paternity rights, business school applications...
Equal pay was won by sausage factories 50 years ago, but it didn't close the gender gap
ABC News - Alison Branley - March 8, 2019But 50 years on, there are still traditionally feminine industries such as child care and support work that are given less remuneration than those that require similar levels of education and responsibility. In 1969, Australian society was still grappling with the notion of working women...
Credit Suisse subsidises childcare as weapon in war for talent
Financial Review - Elouise Fowler - March 7, 2019Credit Suisse has sweetened the deal for new mothers to stay on with the firm, offering a $7500 daycare subsidy for children under school age. The policy addresses what the company says is an industry-wide problem in the financial sector of getting women back into the workforce...
Local Governments welcome NSW Labor pledge
The Sector - Freya Lucas - March 7, 2019The New South Wales Labor Party’s recent announcement of a $500 million package for early childhood education in NSW if elected, will “significantly boost the quality and availability of early childhood education for families”, according to NSW councils who own and operate more than...
Park to be named in honour of preschool pioneer
The Sector - Freya Lucas - March 7, 2019A new park in the inner city Sydney suburb Darlinghurst is set to “spark children’s imaginations” through stepping stones, distorting mirrors, a rain wheel and timber animals, and will be named in honour of Frances Newton. Ms Newton was a pioneer in bringing accessible early learning...
What if we’ve had gender the wrong way around? What if, for workplace parity, we focused on men?
Women's Agenda - Rachael Bolton - March 7, 2019What if, instead of asking, “how can we reduce women’s time out of the workforce to reduce the pay gap?” we asked, “how can we improve male participation in domestic settings and childcare?” Australian women undertake the lion’s share of unpaid domestic chores and 70% of unpaid childcare...
