Child Care News
Blitz on dodgy daycare operators saves $3bn
The Australian - Rick Morton - December 10, 2018The federal government has stopped almost $3 billion in taxpayer money going to fraudulent and dodgy family daycare operators since 2014, with new figures showing hundreds of millions more have been saved since June. Education Minister Dan Tehan...
New project will fast track “best spends” on child mental health
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 10, 2018The research will identify the services most likely to have contact and offer support to families and children aged zero to twelve, allowing Emerging Minds to offer workplace support to professionals most likely to see children at risk, or showing early signs of mental health difficulties – including early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals...
In home care changes too little, too late: AHCA
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 10, 2018Changes to the child care subsidy (CCS), designed to facilitate easier access to in home care (IHC) were announced late last week by Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan, and have been met with a response of “too little, too late” by the Australian In Home Care Association...
Parents demand principals open more rooms, halls as waiting lists grow
The Sunday Telegraph - Jack Morphet - December 9, 2018Families are demanding school principals open up more classrooms and school halls to slash the enormous waiting list for after-school care. Some schools have as many as 100 families waiting for after-school care because the federal government has stringent rules...
How No Jab campaigns have saved the lives of Aussie kids
The Sunday Telegraph - Jane Hansen - December 9, 2018Australia has surpassed the gold standard of a 95 per cent vaccination rate, known as “herd immunity” according to the National Centre for Immunisation and Research and Surveillance. Australian children at age five are at their highest level of protection...
Dr Justin: How to enjoy the summer holidays with your kids
The Daily Telegraph - Dr Justin Coulson - December 8, 2018The summer holidays can be a very stressful time for parents. Our kids are about to be home every day, all day. We worry about how to keep them active and occupied so they aren’t glued to screens all day. Then there are childcare concerns. School holidays are incredibly difficult...
NAMS chairwoman says CCS doesn’t work for rural communities, claims favouritism
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 7, 2018The chairwoman of the National Association of Mobile Services for Rural and Remote Families and Children (NAMS), Anne Bowler, has reportedly used a meeting about the pending closure of seven mobile services in the Albury Wodonga region to share her view...
Overhaul leaves vulnerable families without access to care
The Guardian - Luke Henrique-Gomes - December 7, 2018A government overhaul of the childcare system has left some of Australia’s most vulnerable families without access to care, with the agency responsible now telling parents to find their own support workers. In one case, a newborn baby was unable to be discharged...
Wollongong Kids Uni child care centre fined over food allergy bungles
Illawarra Mercury - Ben Langford - December 6, 2018The Kids’ Uni childcare centre operated by the University of Wollongong has been fined more than $3000 after bungles where a child was twice given food to which they were allergic. The two incidents happened in January this year and September last year...
'Very positive': Immunisation coverage rates in children hit record high
Sydney Morning Herald - Josh Dye - December 6, 2018The number of children in Australia with full immunisation coverage has spiked, hitting a record high, according to new data. In a significant milestone, the rate of vaccination among Indigenous children has also reached its highest-ever level, according to official data...
FDCA advocacy leads to recommendation to reduce regulations for FDC
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 6, 2018On October 11 2016, the Australian Senate established the Select Committee on Red Tape, with FDCA making a formal submission to the inquiry in relation to the effect of ‘red tape’ on the childcare sector, appearing as witnesses at the public hearing on 12 June 2018...
Why the G8 Education share price has zoomed 50% higher in the last month
The Motley Fool - Gregory Burke - December 5, 2018After suffering a horror start to 2018, Australia’s largest listed early childhood education and care provider has recently turned its fortunes around, with the G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) share price rising around 50% in the last month. Let’s take a look at why…
Budget Based Funding cut affecting rural Australia: Rishworth
The Sector - Freya Lucas - December 5, 2018Families from across the Albury Wodonga region accessing “vital early education services” are being left in the lurch as a result of the pending closure of Albury Wodonga Community College (AWCC)-run mobile childcare services, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood...
Mundaring kids out of options as childcare centre faces the axe
Sydney Morning Herald - Dakshayani Shankar - December 4, 2018More than 160 children will be out of daycare options in the Mundaring Shire next year, following the announcement one of the shire’s only childcare centre’s closure. Little Possums Childcare Centre owners Mundaring Sharing announced its intent to shut down...
New program addresses poor pre-school attendance in 2770
The Daily Telegraph - Heath Parkes-Hupton - December 4, 2018A landmark program designed to turn around poor pre-school attendance in the 2770 postcode is gaining momentum. Collaboration for Learning, a partnership between The Hive and Western Sydney University, was formed to address concerning statistics...