Child Care News
Government's preschool funding announcement a 'con-job', says Labor
Illawarra Mercuty - Agron Latifi - June 22, 2018But the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education Kate Washington was just as bullish that "what was the centrepiece of the government's budget announcement to reduce the cost of living pressures on working families, actually doesn't apply to most families in NSW". Ms Washington...
NSW budget: 80 per cent of 3yos to miss out on NSW preschool subsidies
ABC News - Ursula Malone - June 22, 2018Eight out of 10 families with three-year-olds at preschool will miss out on the subsidies announced in this week's budget, according to early childhood groups. That's because more than 80 per cent of three-year-olds attend preschool programs at long day care centres. The subsidies, announced...
Women lead the charge in stellar NSW jobs growth despite accounting for less than half the total workforce
ABC Central West - Kathleen Ferguson & Joanna Woodburn - June 22, 2018NSW Minister for Women Tanya Davies put the stellar growth figures down to improved access to child care and increasing flexibility in the workplace, allowing women to pursue careers and juggle families. The main industries driving the spike were in healthcare and social assistance...
New childcare rules abandon those who need most help
Sydney Morning Herald - Lisa Bryant - June 21, 2018For the next week, a child can turn up at any childcare centre and automatically be given priority to a vacancy if they are at risk of abuse, have a single parent or are Aboriginal. A child will also get priority if they come from a poor family or one that doesn't speak English. It's their right under law....
Toddlers to head to preschool if idea gets off the ground
NT News - Judith Aisthorpe - June 21, 2018TERRITORY children could be heading to preschool at just three years of age if Education Minister Eva Lawler has her way. Ms Lawler told an Estimates hearing on Tuesday she had been looking into implementing early years preschool throughout the Territory as a way to improve kids' results...
Jobs for young people already exist, so forget the 'future of work'
ABC News - Shirley Jackson - June 21, 2018The growing service economy has the potential to provide rewarding careers and innovative solutions to complex problems. We often look to attract international students to our educational institutions, but we don't apply the same thinking to aged care or child care. Similarly, we need...
$1bn cut to dodgy daycare services
The Australian - Rock Morton - June 21, 2018Almost $1 billion in taxpayer money that was due to go to 151 dodgy family daycare centres has been stopped after the daycare services had subsidies cancelled or suspended in the latest crackdown by the federal government. The four-year mission by Education Minister Simon Birmingham...
Preschool funding boost a good move
Sydney Morning Herald - June 21, 2018One measure in the state budget, though, should attract no cynicism. In the government's decision to boost funding for preschool education there is no catch. This is genuine progress. The government has promised to spend $200 million on fee subsidies for two years of preschool for every...
NSW govt budget preschool plan under fire
Yahoo 7 News - June 20, 2018But Labor's Kate Washington argued the benefit would only apply to those in community pre-schools and not long-daycare services where 80 per cent of parents choose to send their children. "This funding will be missed by the majority of families in NSW," Ms Washington told reporters...
Fraudulent Victorian day-care providers stripped of $500 million in integrity crackdown
Herald Sun - Rob Harrois - June 21, 2018A SIX-month blitz of dodgy family day-care providers has led to enforcement action against 90 services in Victoria. Day care centres across Melbourne - with hot spots in Dandenong, Footscray, Craigieburn and Coolaroo - will be stripped of about $500 million in subsidies, with the majority of those...
Six WA childcare providers shut doors after being caught ripping off taxpayers
Perth Now - Phoebe Wearne - June 21, 2018The most common reason for cancelling a provider's subsidies was the fudging of their records, with many found to be exaggerating the number of children in their care to claim handouts for "invisible" children. Other causes were centres not having documentation to prove work had been undertaken...
Parents of Lachlan Mitchell call for changes to prevent further drownings
Perth Now - Elle Farcic - June 20, 2018After an inquest into the death of the two-year-old, Coroner Sarah Linton recommended the State Government ban new family daycare centres from having a pool, outdoor spa or jacuzzi. She also recommended existing centres with pools be immediately banned from caring for children...
NSW government defends public service cuts
The Mercury - Roje Adaimy - June 20, 2018The Public Service Association on Wednesday labelled the announcement a "time bomb", arguing it was neither reasonable nor sustainable. "Childcare workers, prison guards, park rangers, teachers'' assistants, disability carers - thousands upon thousands are going to be sacked over the...
Mothers have little to show for extra days of work under new tax changes
The Conversation - Miranda Stewart - June 20, 2018The evidence suggests that high effective marginal tax rates deter women, especially those with young children, from working more. Female workforce participation is increasing, but Australia has one of the highest rates of female part-time employment in the OECD...
Childcare centres hot property as government lowers preschool age
The Weekly Times - Kathryn Welling - June 20, 2018CHILDCARE centres are set to become the new hot property in NSW with today's announcement that the State government will subsidise childcare costs for children as young as three. Currently a child has to be aged four to attract government assistance but in today's budget...
