Child Care News

After record run Burgess Rawson confirms final auctions of 2021 with 13 ECEC centres on offer
The Sector - Jason Roberts - November 23, 2021

Burgess Rawson, the early childhood education and care (ECEC) focused real estate and business broker, has confirmed its final series of portfolio auctions for 2021 will be held in December after records fell at its two prior auctions in November and September...

ECEC quality improvements pause after run of gains says latest ACECQA snapshot
The Sector - Jason Roberts - November 23, 2021

The percentage of all early childhood education and care (ECEC) services rated meeting or exceeding was steady in the three months ended September 2021 after a run of quarterly increases according to the latest Australian Children’s Education and Care...

Upper Plenty Primary School students to have access to outside hours care
The North Central Review - November 23, 2021

Students will soon have access to outside school hours care services at Upper Plenty Primary School, helping more parents and carers into the workforce while ensuring their children are cared for. Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green announced State...

A definite drop in staff, CELA says, as COVID-19 vaccine mandates hit ECEC in earnest
The Sector - Freya Lucas - November 23, 2021

With a number of providers including G8 Education and Goodstart Early Learning making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for all staff around Australia (except those with medical exemptions) a number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector...

Kinders in Williamstown to receive upgrades through Building Blocks program
The Sector - Freya Lucas - November 23, 2021

Three kindergartens in Victoria’s Williamstown will receive grants in the latest round of the Building Blocks Improvement stream. Across the state, 49 kinders will share in more than $3.5 million to upgrade or improve the amenity of their facilities as well as funding...

Womens Agenda - Jessie Tu - November 22, 2021

The study revealed a need for Australia to put into place a “Guarantee for Young Children and Families”, including universal access to a minimum three days a week of free or low cost quality early education and care from birth to school age, up to twenty-five visits...

Preschools’ love of language a good sign for Auslan
The Age - Madeleine Heffernan - November 22, 2021

Under the program, centres provide three-hour weekly programs or 15-hour bilingual programs in 20 languages, ranging from Aboriginal languages to Mandarin, Hebrew and Arabic. Auslan is the second-most popular language in the program, which will be expanded...

New Logan childcare centre approved for Park Ridge
The Courier Mail - Madeline Grace - November 22, 2021

A childcare centre has been approved by council for an area just south of Brisbane, with the development plans being revealed for the first time. The new Park Ridge childcare centre was approved by Logan City Council on November 10, with construction set to...

Free rapid antigen tests for early childhood services
Star Weekly - Molly Magennis - November 20, 2021

Free rapid antigen tests are now available for early childhood services. The Victorian Government is bringing kindergartens and daycare centres in line with school settings by providing them with rapid antigen tests to help manage coronavirus outbreaks...

Federal government owed $191m in childcare subsidy overpayments
The Daily Telegraph - James Campbell - November 20, 2021

The amount of money the federal government is trying to claw back for overpayment of childcare subsidy has ballooned from $34.3 million in April to more than $191 million by September, sparking criticism families are being caught out with unexpected debts...

Funding for new after-hours school care service
Star Weekly - November 20, 2021

Warringa Park School in Werribee will receive up to $75,000 per year, across the next three years, to establish a new care service outside of school hours. Werribee MP Tim Pallas said last week that 145 schools across Victoria would share in a $10 million fund to...

Onsite kindergarten on the way for Meadowglen Primary
Star Weekly - Michaela Meade - November 20, 2021

As part of the Three-Year-Old Kinder rollout, every new Victorian primary school opening from 2021 onwards will have a kindergarten onsite or next door, aimed at making access easier, drop off simpler and more convenient, and making the transition smoother...

G8 Education introduces mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy across network
The Sector - Jason Roberts - November 19, 2021

G8 Education, Australia’s largest for profit early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider, has confirmed that it will require all team members, contractors and workers to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 by 31 January 2022. The decision comes after...

New Covid isolation rules for children in schools, kinder, childcare
Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien and Suzan Delibasic - November 19, 2021

New rules taking effect on Friday morning mean children in schools, kinders and childcare centres who are close contacts of positive cases can return to onsite learning after posting a negative PCR test. This will be supplemented by rapid antigen testing...

Queensland under growing pressure over COVID-19 vaccine mandate for teachers, childcare workers
ABC News - Emma Pollard - November 19, 2021

Queensland is one of only two states without a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for teachers and childcare workers as it prepares for a wave of cases in unvaccinated children with health experts warning school outbreaks will be "extremely disruptive"...