Child Care News

Treasurer Scott Morrison takes on childcare sector for unfair practices
The Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - August 15, 2016

THE childcare sector has been criticised by Treasurer Scott Morrison for being inflexible and charging fees even when kids are absent. Mr Morrison yesterday said he was "passionate" about helping to make child care more affordable, saying it was unfair to make families pay for a full day of care if...

Baddy day care: the childcare rort that cost us millions
The Age - Nick McKenzie & Michael Bachelard - August 14, 2016

The Melbourne and Sydney police operations, and a third inquiry last year that involved an alleged $4 million family day care fraud in Albury on the NSW border, raise the prospect that significant rorting may be going undetected. An official familiar with the federal police's efforts to police the...

Two men charged with childcare fraud in multi-million-dollar counter-terrorism investigation
ABC News - Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop - August 13, 2016

Two men have been charged with fraud and another two have been questioned in a multi-million-dollar Australian Federal Police (AFP) counter-terrorism and fraud investigation that has exposed gaping holes in Australia's childcare system. The AFP this week raided the Lakemba family...

Call for better support of Indigenous children in Government's child care funding overhaul
ABC News - Julie Doyle - August 13, 2016

As part of its overhaul of child care, the Government will end the so-called Budget Based Funded (BBF) program, which provides funding for child care centres outside the mainstream system. These centres mostly cater for Indigenous families in regional and remote communities. Professor Stanley...

Tasmania's lower school age plan 'fundamentally flawed', says AEU
The Mercury - Helen Kempton - August 12, 2016

MORE than two thirds of Tasmanian public school educators surveyed by the Australian Education Union's local branch do not back the State Government's push to lower the school starting age. The survey of 5700 Tasmanian teachers, principals and support staff, released today, shows...

Talking Point: Leaping early into learning
The Mercury - Michael Rowan & Eleanor Ramsay - August 12, 2016

When the new Act becomes law, we will know only two things for certain: who will pay for care and education for children from age three-and-a-half attending kindergarten, and from age four-and-a-half starting Prep, and who will be able to access that service. Despite the very definite claims...

WA uni aims to make children more active
News.com.au - August 9, 2016

Researchers are looking to boost physical activity among children after a pilot study found 82 per cent attending child care in Western Australia are not meeting national guidelines. Data already collected from more than 40 childcare centres and 800 families in Perth shows on average children are...

Xenophon offers hope on childcare deal
SBS News - August 8, 2016

Parents awaiting changes to childcare subsidies may see a glimmer of hope from the new Senate crossbench, with Nick Xenophon saying his team will go through the government's plans forensically. The Turnbull government continues to insist it can''t make changes to childcare payments until it...

Tasmanian Greens' alternative to Government's early-schooling plan rejected by state principals
ABC News - Stephen Smiley - August 7, 2016

The Tasmanian Government and the state principals association have dismissed a proposal by the Greens to divert money earmarked for early-years schooling to young children in low-income areas. The Government is still consulting on the details of its proposal to lower the...

Tasmanian Greens unveil new early learning policy
The Examiner - Holly Monery - August 6, 2016

The Tasmanian Greens have released a policy alternative to the state government's plan to lower the mandatory school starting age. Greens MP Andrew Dawkins said the $60 million over four years would be better directed to Child and Family Centres which help to target at-risk children...

Child care tech start-up Xplor raises $6m to keep parents connected
Financial Review - Paul Smith - August 2, 2016

Xplor has created an online platform which is used to allow parents to interact with their children in real-time during the day, but also by the child care centres and schools to manage their operations, by accepting fees, processing payroll and monitoring real time data such as internal finances...

Talking Point: Much more than just child's play
The Mercury - Ruth Forrest - August 2, 2016

While kindergarten is not compulsory and many children benefit from a part-time transition to formal learning, kindergartens are not equipped to care for three and a half year olds. Many children of this age still require assistance with toileting and language. Evidence shows four and a half...

ACT government eases restrictions on land for childcare to stem oversupply
Domain - Emma Kelly - August 1, 2016

The ACT government is easing restrictions on land earmarked for childcare to help stem an oversupply of centres in Canberra. The shift in focus follows a period of tightened restrictions on blocks of land being sold for childcare in order to boost the number of places available in the nation's capital...

'No jab, no pay': thousands immunise children to avoid family payment cuts
The Guardian Australia - July 31, 2016

The federal government's 'no jab, no pay' policy has prompted thousands of parents who had previously refused to immunise their babies to get them vaccinated. Social services minister Christian Porter says more than 5,700 have secured their child care payments by having their children immunised...

Do the research first: Michelle O'Byrne
The Advocate - Sean Ford - July 29, 2016

Ms O'Byrne pointed to childcare costs as an issue, with many children not attending because of cost. She said the federal government must resolve that issue. She said Mr Rockliff's proposal was not the only way to help the families which needed help. "My worry is we're trying to find a quick fix for...