Child Care News
When investing feels like child's play
Sydney Morning Herald - Michael Vanstone - June 2, 2018As Australia's fastest-growing real estate investment class, childcare centres have emerged as highly desirable commercial property assets over the last five years. The volume of childcare centre investment sales has grown tenfold while cap rates have taken a positive step in the...
Think Childcare distributes 5.8 million flyers as childcare faces shake-up
Financial Review - Simon Evans - May 31, 2018ASX-listed Think Childcare, which operates 70 childcare centres around Australia, is taking the unprecedented step of doing a letterbox drop to 729,000 households in catchment areas around its centres to try to drive extra demand as a new subsidy scheme arrives. Think Childcare chief...
Sale docs out for Anchorage's $700m child care company
Financial Review - Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald & Julie-anne Sprague - May 30, 2018Sydney-based private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners is ramping up plans to sell childcare business Affinity Education. As first reported by Street Talk, Anchorage and adviser Luminis Partners sent an information memorandum to buyers this week. The IM pegs Affinity's earnings before...
Kindergarten teacher not guilty of indecently cupping 4yo boy's genitals in childcare centre
ABC News - Sharnie Kim - May 30, 2018A jury has found a kindergarten teacher in far north Queensland not guilty of inappropriately touching a four-year-old boy in his care at a day care centre. The 26-year-old man was accused of cupping the genitals of the boy while helping him change out of wet clothes at a far north...
Half a million families yet to sign up for subsidies
SBS News - May 30, 2018Just over half of families eligible for combined childcare subsidies have signed up to the new scheme, but more than 489,000 still need to. The Turnbull government is combining existing subsidies for childcare into a single means- and activity-tested payment.But only a little...
Kindergarten teacher accused of inappropriately touching 4yo boy in far north Queensland
ABC News - Sharnie Kim - May 30, 2018The trial of a far north Queensland kindergarten teacher, accused of inappropriately touching a boy in his care, has heard the alleged incident happened when the child was getting changed out of wet clothes. The 26-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons...
Loan nightmare killing TAFE skills push
Daily Telegraph - May 28, 2018TAFE NSW boss Jon Black warned barriers involved in applying for a loan has led to the number of applications for construction diplomas and childcare courses plummeting. "In fact, the total number of Commonwealth-supported loans across TAFE NSW''s top 20 diploma courses has...
Senior women urged to talk about pathways to success
Financial Review - Sally Patten - May 28, 2018Recruitment firms need to be more proactive putting forward women, the cost of childcare needs to be tackled and successful women need to talk more about their path to success if the gender balance at the top of organisations is to improve, say previous winners...
Think you'll get the new childcare subsidy? Not unless you act
Sydney Morning Herald - Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon - May 27, 2018You are absolutely right Leanne – to qualify for the new childcare subsidy you must have created a my.gov.au account, linked it to Centrelink and completed a childcare subsidy assessment. Good for you for paying attention! The information you'll need is your family's income...
Parents call for Melbourne City Council's only CBD childcare to keep its doors open
Herald Sun - Monique Hore - May 25, 2018MELBOURNE City Council has blindsided parents by threatening to close its only CBD childcare centre next month.Parents burst into tears when they were told on Tuesday that the A'Beckett St centre could shut its doors. They face years-long waiting lists at other city centres as they...
'Better off playing': The Sydney school banning four-year-olds
Sydney Morning Herald - Jordan Baker - May 25, 2018Parents have struggled with this decision for decades. But now, one school is making it for them. From 2019, the private school Newington will only accept boys who turn five by January 31, the beginning of the school year. "We looked carefully at international research, and it consistently...
Receiver sale of childcare centre portfolio lures huge roll call of buyers
The Courier Mail - Phil Bartsch - May 25, 2018FIVE of a portfolio of six southeast Queensland child care centres have changed hands after attracting inquiries from a 250-strong roll call of potential buyers. It is understood three childcare operators have acquired the centres in receiver sales totalling about $15 million...
Parents left in limbo as 'missed email' leads to Brisbane day care provider losing access to subsidies
The Courier Mail - Matthew Killoran - May 25, 2018A "MISSED EMAIL" has sent 370 Brisbane families scrambling to find new child care or left them in limbo, according to a family daycare provider, which is due to lose its access to subsidies on Monday. Brisbane and Bayside Family Day Care has been operating for 35 years, but on Friday it received...
"Tortoise beats hare" in learning race
Daily Telegraph - Doug Conway - May 24, 2018A PROMINENT north shore educator believes Australia has got it all wrong when it comes to early learning, and has criticised the latest Gonski report recommendation to prioritise basic literacy and numeracy by the age of eight. Andrew Hill, head of Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School at Middle...
What outcomes parents should expect from early childhood education and care
The Conversation - Wendy Boyd - May 24, 2018Parents often have different expectations for their three- to five-year-old children when they attend an early learning centre. Some parents expect their child to engage in academic learning activities or "real learning". Academic activities are associated with formal school-based learning...
