Child Care News

Childcare trumping preschool: report
News.com.au - Melissa Jenkins - February 8, 2017

Longer opening hours and government subsidies are encouraging parents to enrol their children in childcare centres rather than preschools, new research shows. As the federal government introduced proposed changes to childcare payments into parliament on Wednesday, IBISWorld released research...

Before and after school child care shortage leaves Tasmanian parents in lurch
ABC News - Rhiana Whitson - February 8, 2017

A booming economy in southern Tasmania and more parents working is leading to growing waiting lists for before and after school care, according to childcare providers. They also expressed concern that plans to lower the school staring age would further drive demand and a lack of space at schools...

Extra parental leave for childcare deal
News.com.au - February 8, 2017

Families will reportedly receive an extra two weeks of paid parental leave under a government deal to get is childcare reforms passed. The $700 million compromise deal will be introduced to parliament on Wednesday as part of an omnibus savings bill aimed at passing the childcare reforms and cuts to...

Push to boost family paid parental leave payments
The Australian - Sarah Martin - February 8, 2017

Families will receive an extra two weeks' paid parental leave under a $700 million compromise deal to be introduced to parliament today, as part of an omnibus savings bill aimed at passing the government's childcare reforms and cuts to family tax benefits. Substantial changes will also be made to...

Government budget savings bill: What are the changes to child care subsidies?
ABC News - Julie Doyle - February 8, 2017

Here's what you need to know about the changes. What are the child care changes? Currently the Government provides two payments to families to help with child care costs: the means-tested Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate, which is not means-tested. The proposal is to create one...

Centrelink overload sees families unable to access payments
Sydney Morning Herald - Bianca Hartge-Hazelman - February 8, 2016

Parents are being prevented from accessing the government's childcare rebate and other family payments because Centrelink staff are blocking phone lines and fudging caller wait times when reporting back to their bosses. Centrelink has been flooded with calls in recent weeks in response to the...

Government considers welfare deal to secure childcare package
Financial Review - Phillip Coorey - February 6, 2017

Recipients of family welfare payments may get to keep their full benefits under a compromise being considered by the government in order to secure the passage of its childcare reforms. With Parliament to resume on Tuesday, one of the government's priority pieces of legislation will be to usher in the...

Parents sending children to school too early
Courier Mail - Lauren Martyn-Jones - February 6, 2017

PARENTS struggling with the cost of child care are sending their kids off to school before they are ready. La Trobe University lecturer and Murdoch Children's Research Institute fellow Tanya Serry said the soaring cost of child care was driving kids from lower-income families into formal schooling at...

Childcare Changes
Ten News - February 6, 2017

Will we be better or worse off under the Government's new proposed changes to childcare payments...

'Food police' shame pre-schooler for snacking on piece of chocolate cake
Yahoo News - Mel Buttigieg - February 5, 2017

A South Australian mother was shamed for sending her child to kindergarten with a slice of cake, causing an online stir from other parents who rallied against the pre-school's "nanny rules". A note was sent home with the pre-schooler alerting the child's parents the chocolate slice was "from the...

Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority data show half of SA's childcare centres failing to meet quality standards
The Advertiser - Matt Smith - February 4, 2017

MORE than half of South Australia's childcare providers are yet to be assessed or are failing to meet national quality standards, new education data reveals. Analysis of the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority national registers by the Sunday Mail shows 607 of the state's...

ACT childcare workers still least qualified in Australia: Productivity Commission
The Canberra Times - Katie Burgess - February 4, 2017

Canberra families still aren't getting bang for their buck on childcare, with spiralling out-of-pocket fees and the sector struggling to retain qualified staff. While more ACT childcare workers have formal accreditation, the sector still has the lowest level of qualified staff in the country, new figures from the...

Childcare fees continue to bite families
SBS News - February 3, 2017

The Turnbull government is renewing its plans to overhaul childcare subsidies as new data shows parents are paying about $1 from every $13 of their disposable income on fees. The coalition wants to roll the existing complex system of childcare payments into a single subsidy but it can't...

Dwindling VET funding reflected in results: PC report
The Australian - John Ross - February 3, 2017

The figures are contained in the latest Report on Government Services, a massive analysis of the performance of government services in Australia. The chapter on child care, education and training was released this morning. Government spending on VET fell to $5.15 billion in 2015, the...

500 Queensland childcare services operating in breach of law or regulations in 2016
Courier Mail - Lauren Martyn-Jones - February 3, 2017

ALMOST 500 Queensland childcare services were found to have been operating in breach of the law or relevant regulations last year. A Productivity Commission report, to be released on Friday, reveals 472 Queensland childcare services, mostly long-daycare centres, were...