Child Care News

How parents can help their young children develop healthy social skills
The Conversation - Laurien Beane - December 25, 2018

As the new year dawns, parents likely turn their thoughts to their child and new beginnings they may experience as they enter an early childhood education and care centre or preschool. Naturally, it’s a time of reflection on the previous year, and excitement about the possibilities...

Vaccines are safe and anti-vax parents are punishing their own kids, say doctors and grieving parents
The Sunday Telegraph - Jane Hansen - December 23, 2018

Furious medical experts and parents have smashed the ABC’s 7.30 program for claiming No Jab No Play is excluding some children from early childhood education. Instead of leaving anti-vax parents “secluded” from ­society, the NJNP policy is ­directly responsible for saving lives...

Gold Coast Suns in talks to establish early learning centre as part of plans to become financially stable
Gold Coast Bulletin - Tom Boswell - December 22, 2018

THE Gold Coast Suns have revealed plans to establish an early learning centre and childcare industry training college at their Carrara base in a bid to make it more commercially viable. Findings from the Stadiums Taskforce Report announced this week include the club’s proposal...

Last minute reprieve for some Albury Wodonga services caught in AWCC closure
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 21, 2018

Federal Independent Member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, has welcomed progress in providing early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for children and families in the Albury Wodonga region affected by the closure of mobile childcare services previously provided...

Southport child care centre closes due to falling attendance
Gold Coast Bulletin - Talisa Eley - December 20, 2018

A CHILDCARE centre on the Gold Coast will close its doors tomorrow after 27 years, leaving caught-out parents to hastily find other arrangements for the new year. The Trinity Occasional Care Centre in Queen St, Southport, peaked when patients at the old Gold Coast Hospital...

Employers urge Shorten to abandon 'damaging' industry bargaining plan
Canberra Times - Dana McCauley - December 19, 2018

The head of peak employer organisation Australian Industry Group has written to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, imploring him to resist union pressure on industry bargaining after revelations the party has privately committed to the policy. AI Group chief executive...

Business alarm as ALP goes back to the future on wages policy
Financial Review - Phillip Coorey - December 18, 2018

The union movement wanted pattern bargaining, in which an entire sector would negotiate as a whole, to be made economy-wide but the party platform and the Opposition emphasises a focus on low-paid sectors such as child care, cleaning and security. "Enterprise bargaining...

Labor to tackle pay disparity
Sky News.com.au - December 18, 2018

Labor leader Bill Shorten has promised to tackle the issue of pay disparity if his party are successful at the upcoming federal election. Mr Shorten says he will empower the Fair Work Commission to compare wages in typical male and female industries. Mr Shorten says feminized industries like childcare...

Pre-schools face uncertain future as 'no jab, no play' vaccination rules threaten enrolments
ABC News - Peter McCutcheon - December 18, 2018

Early childhood educators in one of Australia's anti-vaccination hotspots are warning a "no jab, no play" policy could have serious unintended consequences. Since January, unvaccinated children have been banned from enrolling in pre-schools in New South Wales...

What ECEC services need to know about the Government Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook
The Sector - Lyndsie Clark - December 18, 2018

The Australian Government has released its 2018 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), which is expected to deliver a surplus by the 2020 financial year. But what does this mean for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector?...

ECA disappointed in Child Care Finder website: missed opportunity
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 18, 2018

Advocacy body Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has expressed its disappointment with the Department of Education and Training website Child Care Finder, which was released this week to replace the previous offering “My Child” which supported families to view...

Affinity Education schools market in $240 million debt refinance deal
Financial Review - Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald - December 18, 2018

Just because your exit out of an asset is on hold does not mean you can't make a virtue out of refinancing it. Anchorage Capital Partners illustrates this aphorism well in its handling of portfolio business Affinity Education Group, which was pulled from the auction block...

Labor pledges to boost women’s wages
Perth Now - Nick Evans - December 18, 2018

The move, backed with funding for the Fair Work Commission to conduct its own research, is likely to lead to significant pay claims in female-dominated industries such as child care, health care and disability services. Ms Plibersek is expected to tell Labor’s...

G8 appoints former ACECQA manager as Head of Early Learning and Education
The Sector - Lyndsie Clark - December 17, 2018

Julie Madgwick has been appointed to Head of Early Learning and Education at G8 Education, tasked with developing educational strategy and improving pedagogical practices in the delivery of programs for children aged from birth to five years across G8’s national network...

Unvaccinated children to be banned from WA kindies, childcare centres in disease outbreaks
ABC News - James Carmody - December 14, 2018

The WA Government has introduced new regulations which allow the Health Department to ban unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children from going to school during disease outbreaks.From January 1, kindergartens, schools and childcare centres will be required to...