Child Care News
PolicyCheck: the government's new child care plan
The Conversation - Robert Breunig - March 27, 2017The government's new child care plan has passed the Senate, subject to last minute amendments passed by independent Senator Derryn Hinch. The bill, known officially as the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Jobs for Families Child Care Package) Bill 2016, will now return to the lower house...
This is pork-barrelling dressed up as economics
The Australian - Adam Creighton - March 27, 2017All the talk of winners and losers from the government's new childcare reforms has glossed over the biggest losers: childless people who must pay even more for the children of others. The government's changes mean public spending on childcare will swell from $8.2 billion a year to more than $12bn...
78 weeks parental leave: Is this the world's best place to be a dad?
News.com.au - Debbie Schipp, March 26, 2017IF you're sick of the childcare drop-off and rushing to the office with vomit on your shirt, prepare to hate the "Latte Papas". Or move to Sweden: the world's best place to be a dad. In a week in which the Turnbull government has made complicated deals on childcare and welfare reforms, a 60...
Turnbull promises parents will be able to get back to work with childcare reforms
9News.com.au - March 24, 2017Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has assured Australian parents they will be able to return to work sooner thanks to a major overhaul of the childcare system. "I think it is very important to get back to work, and stay engaged with work," Mr Turnbull said during a Facebook Live interview with...
Government defends childcare package as sector says it's been let down
ABC News - Julie Doyle - March 24, 2017The Federal Government has dismissed criticism that its childcare package will force vulnerable children out of early education. The Government's $1.6 billion package passed the Senate last night with the support of the Nick Xenophon Team, One Nation and Derryn Hinch. Prime Minister Malcolm...
The childcare bill is yet another neoliberal policy non-solution
The Guardian - Van Badham - March 24, 2017This week federal parliament debated a childcare funding bill. They were obliged to do something: on Sunday, Australians learned that with 1.2 million children in childcare "Australia's childcare costs have risen at five times the rate of inflation over the course of a year". Families have a tendency of...
Day care centres fined as children escape
The West Australian - Angela Pownall - March 24, 2017Children escaping or being left behind on buses are the most common reasons for action against WA childcare centres for breaching regulations this year. The Harmony OSHClub, in Atwell in Perth's southern suburbs, was referred to the State Administrative Tribunal this week for disciplinary...
What the child care changes mean for you
News.com.au - Chris Chang - March 24, 2017MANY working parents will soon be able to get more subsidised child care after a major overhaul of the system passed the Senate last night. The Turnbull Government managed to get its $1.6 billion package passed in the upper house after coming to an agreement with crossbench senator Derryn Hinch to cut...
Government's childcare rebate closer as Senate passes smaller package of savings to fund reforms
ABC News - Alexandra Beech - March 24, 2017The Senate has passed a range of savings the Federal Government says are needed to pay for its childcare package. The Upper House sat until just after midnight debating the legislation on Wednesday evening. The Government had initially wrapped the childcare changes into its so-called omnibus savings bill....
Government ignored childcare overhaul advice
SBS News - March 24, 2017Goodstart Early Learning says experts and educators had made it clear to the government and the cross bench that disadvantaged children need at least 15 hours of early learning to ensure they start school as well prepared as their peers. "We know that one in five children start school behind their peers, and...
WA likely to introduce 'no jab, no play' laws banning unvaccinated children from childcare centres
ABC News - Jacob Kagi - March 24, 2017The West Australian Government is likely to introduce laws banning unvaccinated children from childcare centres and preschools. WA Premier Mark McGowan said he agreed with a push by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who wrote to state and territory leaders earlier this month encouraging them to...
High-income parents to lose all childcare rebates
Financial Review - Fleur Anderson - March 23, 2017High-income couples earning more than a combined $350,000 are set to lose all childcare rebates after the Turnbull government agreed to demands by crossbench members David Leyonhjelm and Derryn Hinch that these people should get nothing. About 15,000 high-income families are expected to lose...
Labor outlines childcare change wish list
News.com.au - Katina Curtis - March 23, 2017Labor claims vulnerable children will be locked into generations of welfare dependency unless the Turnbull government makes changes to its overhaul of childcare benefits. The opposition is demanding the government change its childcare package to lift the minimum hours subsidised for low-income...
We must seize the chance to save public funds on childcare
The Australian - Judith Sloan - March 23, 2017A decade ago, the government was spending $1.8bn (in real terms) on childcare. This rose more than 300 per cent in the decade ending this financial year. Real government spending is forecast to rise 8 per cent a year over the next 10 years. Childcare fees have risen 25 per cent in the past three years...
'This is a breakthrough': Families to receive childcare fee relief as Turnbull government moves toward victory
Sydney Morning Herald - Matthew Knott - March 22, 2017The Turnbull government is on the verge of breaking a two-year deadlock on childcare reform after it jettisoned $8 billion in welfare savings it had controversially tied to childcare fee relief. Families with young children in childcare will be up to $3400 a year better off under the changes, although...
