Child Care News
Childcare fees outpace cost of living
SBS News - February 1, 2019Childcare fee increases continue to outpace the cost of living, with poorer families spending a higher proportion of their pay compared with those better off, new government data shows. And the proportion of people not working because child care is too expensive...
Disaster declared in Townsville, landslip from heavy rain threatens properties
ABC News - Melanie Vujkovic, Sally Rafferty and staff - February 1, 2019Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ordered all schools and childcare centres in Townsville to close on Friday as the emergency continues, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting the monsoonal weather will stretch into the weekend. The Queensland Disaster Management...
Turning Around G8 Education
Share Cafe - Steven Everett - January 30, 2019G8 Education ((GEM)) operates a portfolio of just over 500 childcare centres across Australia and Singapore. An investor day was held on 15 November 2018 to report management’s new strategy for the company. Presentations included a tour of one of G8’s centres in Nerang...
Everything parents need to know about back to school government rebates
Kidspot - Madeline Cox - January 30, 2019If you are registered for either the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or Child Care Subsidy, the Department of Human Services wants parents to check “income estimates” to “avoid having to repay any money later in the year”. “Families can do all of these updates themselves online...
All new primary schools to have daycare services under Labor government
The Daily Telegraph - Danielle Le Messurier - January 29, 2019All new public primary schools in NSW will have either a preschool or day care service on site under a Daley Labor government, saving parents from dropping children off at separate locations. The so-called “multipurpose education precincts”, which will be built if Labor wins...
Education promises ahead of NSW election
Yahoo 7 - Australian Associated Press - January 29, 2019Opposition Leader Michael Daley on Tuesday said a Labor government would build "multi-purpose education precincts" increasing child care services and saving parents from doing two drop-offs. He said all new school facilities would include either a preschool, long day care...
How healthy is the food the grandparents are giving your children while you're at work?
SBS - Yasmin Noone - January 29, 2019This food-fuelled love between grandchild and grandparent has remained a constant throughout the eras. But as social patterns of maternal employment and childcare are changing, grandparents are now doing more hours of childcare and are increasingly responsible for the diets...
First time in Australia: Canterbury Bankstown pioneers free child care for asylum seekers
The Daily Telegraph - Lawrence Machado - January 29, 2019In what is an Australian first, asylum seekers in Canterbury Bankstown can use access council child care centres free of charge, opening up educational paths previously not available to them. The 12-month pilot project has already attracted nine children with the Canterbury...
ECEC community recognised in 2019 Australia Day Honours List
The Sector - Jason Roberts - January 28, 2019The Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) community has been recognised in the 2019 Order of Australia Honours Australia Day list, with three members of the sector being awarded honours for their contribution to ECEC. Dr Joy Goodfellow, Dr Jane Page...
Mental health and wellness experts share how to manage back-to-school anxiety
The Cairns Post - Jack Lawrie - January 26, 2019THE start of a new school year can be a scary time for children, and many parents are often left wondering what to do to support them. Mind Matters Cairns psychologist Nia Barnes said children were particularly prone to feeling anxious when faced with new situations...
BREAKING: Melbourne Greens commit to $200m “Reducing waiting list grant” in response to new survey
The Sector - Jason Roerts - January 25, 2019A plan to address high waitlists at community and not for profit centres via a new $200 million “Reducing waiting list grant” fund has been proposed by Adam Bandt, Greens Member for the Federal Electorate of Melbourne. Information obtained by The Sector from Mr Bandt...
Working parents need more than "day" care, as economy moves away from standard 9-5
The Sector - Freya Lucas - January 25, 2019The report is of relevance to the Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) context, with Australian research demonstrating similar challenges for families working NSH in Australia. The paper, titled "It's About Time! Parents Who Work Nonstandard Hours Face Child Care Challenges"...
Growing reliance on air conditioning could be hindering our quest to beat the heat, study finds
ABC News - Bridget Judd - January 25, 2019"One group of participants told us how their children in child care are not allowed to play outdoors after mid-morning due to the lack of shade," said Dr Louise Crabtree from Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society...
Childcare centre places scarce in inner-Melbourne, Greens survey reveals
Herald Sun - Tom Minear - January 24, 2019Half of Melbourne's inner-city childcare centres have no space to look after more infants, as frustrated parents delay going back to work until they climb to the top of lengthy waiting lists. A damning survey has found families are waiting an average of eight months to find childcare...
Super fund seeks licensing bans
The Australian - Anthony Klan - January 24, 2019Data from industry analyst SuperRatings shows that over the three years to March 2018, the 10 worst performing default MySuper options all were retail funds, with the four worst performers operated by Westpac’s BT. Among that bottom 10 was the MySuper option of Child Care Super...