Child Care News

Healthcare is a booming industry and Australia is in the box seat
Sydney Morning Herald - Matt Wade - October 1, 2016

Healthcare and social assistance – which includes doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, childcare workers and aged care providers – has made the largest contribution to the nation's jobs growth over the past 15 years. It now employs more than 1.5 million people, or one in every eight Australian...

Do 'kindy bootcamps' get children ready for school?
The Conversation - Louise Phillips - September 29, 2016

The problem with such "bootcamps" is that they put the pressure on the child to fit in with school systems – and what they perceive as being "ready". Yet extensive research on starting school has identified that what really counts is schools working with early childhood and community...

Gastroenteritis outbreak predicted as Melbourne researchers identify new norovirus strain
Herald Sun - Brian O'Connell - September 29, 2016

VICTORIAN child care centres and aged care homes are being warned to brace for an increase in gastroenteritis outbreaks in the coming months, after Melbourne researchers identified a new strain of norovirus. Analysis by the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), based at...

'This is awful': robot can keep children occupied for hours without supervision
The Guardian - Julie Carrie Wong - September 29, 2016

The iPal takes the debate over the automation of human jobs to the next level. The ethics of how robots should interact with children is necessarily more fraught than the ethics of robots in the workforce. Childcare has rarely, if ever, been a particularly well-remunerated or respected job, but...

Early learning business success as husband joins family affair
Sydney Morning Herald - Alexandra Cain - September 28, 2016

Few blokes would have the confidence to leave a well-paid role to work for their wife's new venture. Luckily, Michael Gale isn't like most men. It's not often I hear a story about the male partner of a female entrepreneur leaving a great career to start working for his spouse. But that's exactly...

Politicians need to stop waste at state and federal level
The Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - September 28, 2016

And, if there's ever an example of a federally sponsored multibillion-dollar debacle, it is the vocational training sector. Here is just one example. Last year, the Australian Childcare Alliance raised concerns about how some registered training organisations signed up people with intellectual...

Is it right to be prepping for prep?
The Canberra Times - September, 26 2016

And what does that even mean in today's society? Does being school ready mean knowing how to share, how to use a toilet independently, how to follow simple instructions? Or does it mean knowing how to read two year levels above year age, do times tables and being able to play a piano concerto?...

Why we must embrace digital disruption and ensure no worker is left behind
The Guardian - Stephen Martin - September 26, 2016

The vocational education and training sector has seen a rise in the share of students studying service-sector courses such as aged care, child care, nursing and disability care – reflecting that this sector is adapting to changing workforce needs despite being traditionally blue collar. Some...

Employers step in to ease parents' school holiday headache
The Age - Neelima Choahan - September 26, 2016

In an effort to help families and retain valuable staff, a number of companies are running school holiday programs on site. Some of the schemes are funded by the businesses, while others require families to pay. The programs have been welcomed by hard-pressed parents. Nathan Jones says he and...

Responsible parents pay high price in 'no jab no pay' bungle
The Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - September 26, 2016

CENTRELINK is threatening to cut thousands of dollars in childcare payments from parents who have vaccinated their children because of months of bureaucratic bungling. Families who have done the right thing and immunised their children, are receiving formal letters warning them they are about to...

Worried parents seek out registered nannies following family's nightmare
The Daily Telegraph - Jackie Sinnerton - September 26, 2016

Australian Nannies Association president Annemarie Sansom said there had been an increase in interest. "Reports of this case hit home with other parents and all agencies say there has been a rush of people asking advice on how to ensure they hire the best nanny" she said. "Before this, agencies...

Pauline Hanson gets her wish: child support to be audited
Financial Review - Fleur Anderson - September 25, 2016

The federal government's independent auditor has flagged an investigation of the $3.5 billion child support system, a move that could provide further ammunition for Pauline Hanson's claim that the system is unfair to non-custodial parents. It's the latest in a push to test the integrity of the...

Unregulated au pair industry puts young girls at risk of exploitation
Sydney Morning Herald - Cosima Marriner - September 25, 2016

A Fairfax Media investigation has discovered that, in the absence of any regulations for au pair arrangements in Australia, some au pairs are being underpaid, overworked and left vulnerable to instant dismissal, and even homelessness and assault. To better protect both au pairs and the families...

NSW families waiting on holiday care
7News - Anna Hitchings - September 25, 2016

Families waiting on school holiday care for their children are being left in the lurch as the NSW government takes its time delivering thousands of promised places, the opposition says. Figures from the NSW Budget estimates reveal just 7753 of 45,000 promised vacation care places have...

Mid-year surge in white collar jobs, Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals
Sydney Morning Herald - Matt Wade - September 23, 2016

In contrast, non-routine jobs have become steadily more important. "These jobs tend to be more difficult to automate for a number of reasons," Ms Heath said. "For example, some non-routine occupations, such as architecture, may require creativity and the ability to solve non-routine...