Child Care News

Childcare fees rise but experts insist families will still be better off under rebate changes
News.com.au - Stephanie Bedo - June 25, 2018

But the good news is it's not all doom and gloom - some experts say the situation isn't as bad as parents think and fee increases might be a good thing. That's because for certain families, their centres changing their fee structure could mean they get more back on their subsidy...

This is how working irregular hours can actually be good for your kids
Kidspot - Claire Haiek - June 25, 2018

The study found that a mother's night shift tended to have benefits for both boys and girls, particularly in their younger years. Similarly, a father's night shift tended to result in behavioural benefits in boys. Researchers couldn't provide a definitive explanation as to why, but they speculate...

ASX 200 urged to hit 40% target for women on boards by 2022
Sydney Morning Herald - Nassim Khadem - June 25, 2018

Ms Wakefield Evans also wants to see changes to allow women on all income levels to get tax-deductible child care. The Productivity Commission previously reviewed the childcare system and warned that the danger of such a scheme was that it would benefit wealthier women. But she said...

'Massive' oversupply of childcare in Perth blamed for rising fees
The West Australian - Rhianna Mitchell - June 25, 2018

Perth is experiencing a "massive oversupply" of childcare places which is forcing some centres to increase their fees in an attempt to recover costs, according to the State's peak industry group. Families are being urged to look within a 10km to 15km radius of their home or work to find a childcare...

Childcare hopes dashed by fee hikes
The Australian - Rick Morton - June 25, 2018

Childcare centres across the country have jacked up their fees for the next financial year by as much as 10 per cent, or $12 a day, in a move that will strip away much of the affordability gain under the federal government's new subsidy.The second-largest operator of childcare centres in the country, G8 Education, which has a market capitalisation of more than $1 billion, has issued a blanket fee ­increase of 5.5 per cent across its 516 centres...

Childcare relief could be axed for up to 235,000
The Courier Mail - Lanai Scarr - June 25, 2018

UP to 235,000 families and close to 100 childcare providers are still yet to switch over to the new childcare subsidy system, with a week to go until the rollout. The failure of parents and centres to get their act together and update their details with Centrelink means they could have their...

Golden Plains Shire backs down from proposal to increase childcare fees by $26 a day
Geelong Advertiser - Olivia Shying - June 25, 2018

GOLDEN Plains Shire Council has backed down from its proposal to slug parents an extra $26 a day for Bannockburn childcare services after mounting pressure from frustrated parents. But the council says proposed budget changes, to be finalised at a meeting on Wednesday, will force the program...

Toxic PFAS foam carried by ACT fire trucks 13 years after phase out
Canberra Times - Steven Trask - June 25, 2018

On Monday it was revealed that PFAS contamination had been confirmed at the old Charnwood fire station on Lhotsky Street, before the ACT government re-zoned the land and sold it to become a child care centre. Contamination from PFAS chemicals has also been confirmed at the former...

The hidden cost of our expensive childcare system
The Daily Telegraph - Lanai Scarr - June 24, 2018

Research commissioned by News Corp Australia today showed one in four Australian parents say the rising cost of childcare is the biggest factor in deciding on when to send their kids to preschool. They are being crippled under the weight of childcare costs more than their mortgage...

It takes a village to raise a child but the village is missing
Sydney Morning Herald - Jess Irvine - June 24, 2018

Early childhood care is entirely a private sector interaction - delivered by a combination of private nannies, au pairs, family daycare centres and large private companies reaping huge profits running long daycare centres. For children, these people will become their default village...

Childcare centres cash in on Federal Government's new childcare subsidy
The Courier Mail - Lanai Scarr - June 23, 2018

CHILDCARE centres are increasing their fees by up to $24 a day in the lead up to the government's new childcare subsidy coming into force next week (July 2). And some council-run centres are upping their fee increase by 600 per cent on the jump they made in the previous financial year...

Childcare costs driving parents to send their kids to school early
The Courier Mail - Lanai Scarr - June 23, 2018

AUSSIE kids are being pushed into school early because their parents are desperate to escape the rising cost of childcare. And the flow on effect could be doing more harm than good with concerns the early start to primary school could be distressing as four-year-olds compete with six-year...

Country NSW abandoned: Saffin slams budget
Northern Star - June 23, 2018

83 per cent of families miss out on the pre-school funding - eight out of ten preschool programs are ineligible for funding - 83 per cent of families in NSW send their children to Long Day Care services to receive pre-schooling - Long Day Care was a necessity for working families and reflects...

What the childcare fee changes will mean for WA parents
The West Australian - Rhianna Mitchell - June 23, 2018

Across WA, tens of thousands of families are doing the sums on their childcare fees for the next financial year. The conversations are as varied as their individual circumstances: is it worth while for us both to work full-time? Will we have to pull our child out of day care? Or, what can we do...

Parents face childcare price hike as centres take advantage of rebates
9News.com.au - Rebecca Johns - June 22, 2018

Parents are facing a childcare hike, just when they're supposed to be getting some relief from Turnbull government rebates. Some are accusing the day care centres of taking advantage and taking money that's meant for struggling families. Perth woman Arisa Yamaguchi is a single working mum...