Child Care News

Canberians call “cool it” on proposed childcare development
The Sector - Freya Lucas - January 23, 2019

While not commenting on this specific development, Communities at Work acting chief executive Lee Maiden told The Riot ACT that “Canberra is over-supplied with childcare places”, adding that “many new services have opened across the territory, but occupancy remains low at many of them...

Surgeons in Kew, childcare staff in Tarneit: Suburbs and their career clusters
Sydney Morning Herald - Anna Prytz & Craig Butt - January 23, 2019

The educator at Child's Play in the booming western suburb says there’s a special sense of community within both her profession and her neighbourhood, which is home to the most childcare workers in the country (647 of the 139,595 nationwide). "My co-workers are all in this area...

Feed Australia launches online ECEC menu planning tool
The Sector - Freya Lucas - January 21, 2019

Australian Government initiative, feedAustralia, has recently launched a freely available online menu planning tool for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, designed to support services to play their part in significantly reducing the obesity epidemic...

Female MPs need an 'extraordinarily' supportive partner to thrive
Financial Review - Edmund Tadros and Elouise Fowler - January 21, 2019

"[Many companies] realised early on that this was an economic issue. It's very costly to have too many women leave," she said. "So now they have different support mechanisms in place, like generous maternity leave provisions and childcare on site...

PM wants action on ‘women problem’, but not now
The New Daily - Samantha Maiden - January 20, 2019

Labor leader Bill Shorten said the while MPs did face pressures with work and family, it was no different to millions of other families. “The real problem for millions of Australian families, millions of Australian women, is they’re not paid the same as the blokes, childcare...

Ten beaten-down small caps that might rock in 2019
The Australian - Tim Boreham - January 19, 2019

Childcare centres have proven popular with investors because of their defensive characteristics, but in early 2018 the industry was suffering from oversupply issues in some locations. This capacity problem seems to be abating, while the federal government’s revised childcare subsidy...

Experts reveal when it’s best to send your child to kindergarten
The Courier Mail - Antonia O'Flaherty - January 19, 2019

QUEENSLAND parents are confused about when their children should start kindergarten and fear “catastrophic” consequences if they get it wrong. While the State Government recommends kids start kindy a year before Prep - providing they turn 4 before June 30...

The cost of keeping school kids active and entertained
Sydney Morning Herald - Georgina Dent - January 19, 2019

There was a time I actually used to calculate what we would save each month if good quality childcare cost in Australia what it does in Sweden (the equivalent of $200 a month), but upon child number two arriving the exercise became too depressing, so I gave it away...

Mothers of invention
Sydney Morning Herald - Brigid Blackney - January 19, 2019

BubDesk links into established childcare centres to provide quiet desk space where parents can work while their child is cared for in the centre. Burrage says it's an ideal transition back to work after parental leave, as "educators will just let parents know if their baby's due for a feed...

Legislative and regulatory changes seen as leading business risks in 2019
The Sector - Jason Roberts - January 18, 2019

Although, many respondents were focussed on the larger macro themes of trade wars and tariffs to justify their responses, the outcome of the survey is particularly pertinent to the Early Education and Care (ECEC) sector given its regulated nature...

Freehold of a Guardian Early Learning Childcare Centre sells for $6.95 million
The Courier Mail - Chris Herde - January 18, 2019

A NEWLY built childcare centre in a growth hot spot southwest of Brisbane is believed to have sold for a record price. A Brisbane-based private investor, through commercial funds management company Ferradini Property Group, paid $6.95 million for the Guardian Early Learning Childcare Centre at 26 Technology Drive, Augustine Heights, in the heart of the Greater Springfield corridor...

Deeragun’s growth spurt puts pressure on childcare centres
Townsville Bulletin - Cas Garvey - January 18, 2019

AS THE population of Deeragun continues to rise, so too does the pressure on its childcare centres. Aussie Kindies Early Learning Deeragun acting manager Tiane Smith says their centre is at 50% capacity, anticipating numbers to jump when one nearby centre closes soon for renovations...

Claims 18 landmark Maitland buildings and McDonald Jones Stadium are non-compliant
Newcastle Herald - Donna Sharpe - January 17, 2019

A day care centre, several of the city’s busiest car parks and the new No.1 Sportsground are three of 18 landmark structures two local businessmen claim are at risk of cracking or collapsing in a scenario similar to Sydney’s failed Opal Tower. Craig Thorley and Chris Rafferty...

Childcare QLD: How parents and taxpayers paid $378m for phantom services
The Courier Mail - Matthew Killoran - January 16, 2019

PARENTS and taxpayers last year forked out a whopping $378 million for childcare services they never received, shocking new data reveals. Childcare centres across the nation continue to charge parents full fees on public holidays, even when they are closed...

More than unpopular. How ParentsNext intrudes on single parents’ human rights
The Conversation - Beth Goldblatt - January 16, 2019

Withholding entitlements cannot be a correct response to structural challenges such as lack of jobs and childcare. The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has already expressed concern about the effect of cuts to the payments...