Child Care News
Kinder is much more than babysitting: academics
Education HQ - Dr Estelle Irving and Dr Carol Carter - October 9, 2018The erroneous perception that early childhood educational environments are places for child-minding or 'baby-sitting' has diminished over the years. Instead, these environments are now understood as important spaces for learning and development and as such, they represent...
Did this childcare centre operator just become a buy?
The Motley Fool - Gregory Burke - October 8, 2018This additional funding to the sector would provide a significant tailwind for childcare operators like G8 Education and would be likely to put upward pressure on the occupancy rates of its centres, therefore, strengthening its revenues in the medium term. What is also promising...
Sarah Mitchell: NSW ahead of the game in subsidising preschool
The Daily Telegraph - Sarah Mitchell - October 8, 2018When it comes to education, having a strong start is critical. We know that 90 per cent of a child's brain development happens between birth and five years old. Children who receive quality early childhood education have better longer-term benefits such as an increased likelihood...
Parenting is different to teaching - and children need both
Sydney Morning Herald - Polly Dunning - October 7, 2018As a parent of a toddler, I see every day the benefits of early childhood education and care. I watch my son develop social skills and a sense of independence, the beginnings of literacy and numeracy and most importantly, his curiosity about the world and fascination...
Caitlin Hogan honoured for saving 50 people from preschool fire
The Courier Mail - Talisa Eley - October 7, 2018A TOOWOOMBA childcare worker has been praised for her quick thinking after saving 50 people from a preschool fire this year. Director of Good Start Early Learning Centre at Drayton Caitlin Hogan was in charge of 41 children, aged six weeks to five years old, including her own...
Childcare in-home program in crisis with two year waiting lists
The Courier Mail - Lauren Martyn-Jones - October 6, 2018QUEENSLAND'S in-home childcare program is in crisis as major providers shut their doors and waitlists for subsidised nannies blow out. Parents and providers say the Federal Government's new childcare package, which came into effect in July, has been devastating for the in-home...
Labor flags childcare worker pay policy
SBS News - October 6, 2018Federal Labor is confident the states and territories will support its $1.75 billion election promise to give three and four-year-olds extra preschool. Senior Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says the Opposition has "consulted widely" for the plan, which would see about...
Gender inequality: why is it so hard to change?
Sydney Morning Herald - Beth Gaze - October 6, 2018Finding childcare is difficult and expensive and even once children are at school their hours and holidays do not match up with workforce needs. Australia deals with this mismatch by expecting mothers to work part-time, instead of ensuring adequate provision of high quality...
Miranda Devine: Shorten's universal preschool plan is no solution
The Daily Telegraph - Miranda Devine - October 6, 2018BE afraid, be very afraid. At first blush, Labor leader Bill Shorten's latest promise to spend $9.8 billion on a universal preschool program for three and four year olds looks like a vote-winner. "All of the results show that children who are able to get two years of preschool education...
Boost early childhood education spending or risk falling behind: UOW expert
Illawarra Mercury - Agron Latifi - October 5, 2018A world-renowned early childhood development and policy expert has called on Australia to follow Sri Lanka's lead and boost funding for early childhood education. The call from Professor Ted Melhuish comes hot on the heels of Labor pledging a $1.75 billion funding boost which will...
Research shows there are benefits from getting more three-year-olds into preschool
The Conversation - Alison Elliott - October 5, 2018Neuroscience has shown the early years, particularly birth to eight years, are critical for optimal learning and development. Preschool attendance has shown consistent positive short and long-term effects across the world including in the US, Europe, Canada and New Zealand...
Govt says $1.7bn ALP pre-school announcement will cost taxpayers
ABC News - Eliza Borrello on AM with Sabra Lane - October 5, 2018Federal Labor''s promise to subsidise pre-school for three-year-olds has sparked debate about the merits of formal early education. The Government says the announcement is light on detail and will see Australians paying more tax to fund it. So what do parents think?...
Changes to negative gearing to fund Labor's preschool plan
The Australian - Rachel Baexndale - October 4, 2018As the Morrison government scrambles to guarantee that its universal access program for four-year-old children will continue beyond the end of next year, Bill Shorten has pledged to spend almost $10 billion over a decade on boosting preschool access for three and four-year-olds...
Why Labor's plan for preschool is music to the ears of early childhood advocates
Women's Agenda - Alys Gagnon - October 5, 2018Yesterday morning, almost the entire early childhood advocate community gathered in an upper room of Monash University in Melbourne's east. There were educators, teachers and union organisers, sitting side-by-side representatives of the big childcare companies...
Labor to waive upfront fees for 10,000 early education students
Financial Review - Ronald Mizen - October 5, 2018Ten thousand early education students studying at TAFE will have their upfront fees scrapped under a new proposal being announced on Friday by Labor Leader Bill Shorten as Labor ramps up its efforts to lead the policy debate. Mr Shorten announced in his budget reply speech earlier...
