Child Care News

Childcare centre hit with fine for boy, 7
The West Australian - Elle Farcic - May 2, 2016

A childcare provider has been fined $30,000 for allowing a "particularly vulnerable" boy with Down syndrome to wander away from a school and into a stranger's backyard. The seven-year-old, who is low functioning, non-verbal and autistic was in after-school care with Camp Australia when...

Federal budget 2016: Daycare costs set to double as rebates run out
The Australian - Natasha Bita - May 1, 2016

Daycare costs will double for almost 100,000 families during the election campaign because of a federal government freeze on subsidies. The federal Education Department estimates a record 93,500 families will hit the $7500-per-child limit for the daycare fee rebate, which refunds half of out-of-pocket...

Concept learning: Abstract concepts at play as little people think big
The Age - John Elder - May 1, 2016

At most schools a reading of Charlotte's Web might end with a bunch of little spiders made from pipe cleaners and a few tears at the poignancy of the story itself. At Preshil independent school, the classic yarn is the stepping off point to an understanding of life cycles, problem solving and the concept of...

Call to study gay issues at preschool
The Australian - Rebecca Urban - 30 April 2016

Preschoolers should be introduced to the concept of same-sex marriage, according to a leading early education academic who is advocating against the notion of "compulsory heterosexuality" in the classroom. Melbourne University research fellow Kylie Smith, a contributor to the education...

Malcolm Turnbull's indulgence of negative gearing out of kilter with stinginess on childcare
The Age - Anne Summers - April 29, 2016

Where is the justice, and economic sense, in spending billions on subsidising property investment by a government that says it cannot afford the $3 billion needed to finance urgently needed reforms to the childcare system? At present we pay parents $7500 a year, which is $144.23 per week, to help...

Record number of men sign up for childcare courses at TAFE SWSi in Campbelltown
Daily Telegraph - Tarik Elmerhebe - April 27, 2016

TIMES are definitely changing with a record number of men studying childcare at TAFE SWSi in Campbelltown this year. A total of 18 men are studying early childhood courses with the aim of securing a position in what is traditionally a female-dominated industry. The number makes up a...

David Leyonhjelm's alternative budget: shave everything to end the deficit
Financial Review - David Leyonhjelm - April 27, 2016

As welfare is more than a third of commonwealth government spending, it cannot be immune from cuts. Government spending on welfare should be cut by $300 per Australian per year, noting that this would still leave $6,000 per Australian. A third of this should come by freezing welfare payments and child care subsidies...

Mid-north coast 'Nature School' leads a new approach to early childhood education
ABC News - April 26, 2016

A unique 'Nature School' has begun on the New South Wales' mid-north coast, offering an alternative form of preschool education, in a bid to reconnect children with the great outdoors. The Port Macquarie Nature School is a not-for-profit organisation, which runs outdoor preschool...

Proposal to cut costs and boost female participation in workforce
The Courier Mail - Renee Viellaris - April 25, 2016

MOTHERS for the first time will be able to pay for the daycare hours they need, under a Turnbull Government plan to boost female workers and drive down childcare costs. The shake-up - believed to be a key plank in the Government's election strategy to encourage mothers back to work...

Childcare sex assault stirs tougher security hopes
The Australian - Paige Taylor - April 23, 2016

The Barnett government has suspended a community-run school holiday care program where two small children were lured away and sexually assaulted this week, triggering hopes of stricter security for 1100 childcare services in the state and possibly nationally. Albert Jacob, Acting Minister...

North Perth sex assault: report lists numerous childcare safety bungles
WA Today - Heather McNeill - April 22, 2016

A recent report by the State Administrative Tribunal showed 22 childcare facilities had been fined in the past 10 years to December 2015 for leaving children unsupervised. At least eight of the incidents involved children wandering away from centres and three involved children being lost or left...

Child care is costing some families as much as a yearly tuition to Brisbane's elite high schools
The Courier Mail -April 22, 2016

SENDING toddlers to child care is costing some families as much as a yearly tuition to Brisbane's elite high schools. An analysis of industry figures by The Courier-Mail shows a family sending one child to long day care in Brisbane's CBD five days a week is charged about $26,300, less the $7500...

Government must boost attendance rates in early education
Women's Agenda - Megan O'Connell, Bronwyn Hinz, Hannah Cole, Stacey Fox - April 20, 2016

All children should be able to participate in a high-quality preschool program in the year before school – regardless of whether their parents are working or can afford it – in the same way that all children have a right to attend school. Access to preschool should be a legislated entitlement that all...

Pre-school: 60,000 Australian children not receiving recommended number of hours
ABC News - Rachel Pupazzoni - April 20, 2016

The report's authors have called for the Government to make further changes to pre-school beyond the national standard benchmarks set four years ago - including making it compulsory. "[And] ramping up quality across the system, so that every child experiences positive play-based...

How can we improve access to child care?
ABC Brisbane 'Drive' - Emma Griffiths - April 20, 2016

If you're a parent of young children, the availability and cost of childcare is something you've probably had to deal with. And once you manage to find a spot, you want to know you're getting value for money. According to a new report into early education, a third of child care centres are failing to meet...