Child Care News
Coalition offers to freeze family payment rates to get childcare bill passed
The Guardian - Katharine Murphy, Gareth Hutchens & Paul Karp - March 22, 2017The Turnbull government will freeze the rate of family tax benefit for two years as part of a recut package of welfare savings to help pay for its $1.6bn childcare package. The government on Wednesday moved to extend the Senate sitting hours in an effort to push the childcare package and the recast savings bill...
Lambie not swayed by childcare bid with scores to miss extra welfare dollars
The Mercury - Nick Clark and Tim Minear - March 22, 2017A crossbencher who remains critical to the Coalition's hopes of getting the measures through, Senator Lambie said she was concerned that costs were going up for Tasmanian families. "I have to ask, is that going to stop costs from going up?" she said. "Honestly, if you're going to give more subsidy to families...
Health minister gives tentative support to 'no jab no play' laws for ACT childcare centres
The Canberra Times - Katie Brugess - March 22, 2017Health minister Meegan Fitzharris has offered tentative support for 'no jab no play laws' which would stop unvaccinated children enrolling in ACT childcare centres. But the minister said she would prefer the ACT to opt into a national scheme and will raise the issue with her federal counterpart, health minister...
Family tax freeze 'to save billions'
News.com.au - March 22, 2017The rates of family tax benefits will be frozen for two years under a reworked government approach to reshaping welfare payments. The Turnbull government wants to pause indexation on family tax benefits for 24 months from July 1 after slicing and dicing its earlier plans on child care and welfare reforms...
Child care changes pass lower house
News.com.au - March 22, 2017Not a single coalition MP spoke on changes to the way child care is subsidised as the government rushed its package through parliament's lower house. The bill was resurrected for debate on Wednesday, six months after it was introduced, following a decision to not go ahead with a separate bill that tied it to welfare cuts...
Childcare reforms split from welfare cuts
News.com.au - Claire Bickers - March 22, 2017CHILDCARE reforms look set to pass after the Turnbull Government secured a deal with key crossbench senators. Family Tax Benefits will be frozen at current rates for two years as part of major changes to the Coalition's new omnibus savings bill, which will fund the $1.6 billion child care reforms..
University of Melbourne study finds kids don't get top quality learning in childcare
Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien & Harrison Johnstone - March 21, 2017JUST one per cent of Australian children receive top-quality learning in childcare and kinder, a new report has revealed. Children are well cared for emotionally, but miss out on vital play-based learning, a landmark national University of Melbourne study shows. Even tertiary-educated teachers...
LDP and Derryn Hinch thwart childcare deal
The Australian - Simon Benson - March 21, 2017A potential deal on the Coalition's $1.6 billion childcare reforms that would leave welfare payments intact could be derailed by a push from two crossbench senators for the package to be watered down by axing subsidies for families earning more than $200,000 a year. As the government tries to...
Government's childcare reforms to be blocked in Senate if family welfare cuts are not dropped
ABC News - Henrey Belot - March 20, 2017Labor and the Greens have already opposed the omnibus bill, which means the Government must secure nine votes from the crossbench to pass the legislation. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who controls three votes in the Upper House until former senator Rod Culleton is formally replaced by his...
''An embarrassment': Turnbull government faces Senate showdown over childcare plan and welfare cuts
Sydney Morning Herald - Michael Koziol - March 20, 2017The Turnbull government is staring down concerted resistance over its combined welfare cuts and childcare package, as crossbench senators threaten to derail the government's number one legislative priority before the budget. A controversial decision to link the "omnibus" savings package...
Childcare costs rise at five times the rate of inflation over single year
The Guardian - March 19, 2017Australia's childcare costs have risen at five times the rate of inflation over the course of a year, with the average hourly fee increasing by 7.6%. The education minister, Simon Birmingham, said data released on Sunday showed the Turnbull government's "temporary stop-gap" measures are not enough...
Shorten won't be bullied on child care
The Australian - Colin Brinsden - March 19, 2017Education Minister Simon Birmingham says Bill Shorten should stop talking with a "forked tongue" on child care and back the government's reform package at a time of escalating fees. But the opposition leader says while clearly there is a problem in the child care sector, he won't be "bullied" into...
Childcare reform hinges on savings bill, says government
Sydney Morning Herald - Jacob Greber - March 19 2017The Coalition has seized on a surge in childcare fees to ramp up pressure on Parliament to back a package of changes that would put downward pressure on what parents pay. With a new report showing fees jumped 7.6 per cent in the last quarter, Education Minister Simon Birmingham called on Labor to...
Politicians argue on pay vs bills
The Australian - Katina Curtis - March 19, 2017The Turnbull government is determined to get its overhaul of childcare subsidies through parliament before the five-week Easter break. It also wants to keep the heat on Labor over power prices, after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Snowy Hydro 2.0 and lectured gas company bosses on...
Goodstart survey: Childcare costs too expensive for parents
Herald Sun - Lanai Scarr - March 19, 2017EXCLUSIVE: Parents are being crippled by childcare costs with a new study showing many would take on more work if costs were lower. News Corp Australia can exclusively reveal the results of a national Goodstart survey of more than 1500 families which has found 60 per cent of households find...
