Child Care News

More sex pests caught loitering near Victorian schools
Herald Sun - Christopher Gillett - April 3, 2016

SEX pests are increasingly being caught loitering near schools, parks and childcare centres, prompting calls for electronic tagging of all serious sex offenders. Victoria Police data shows predators were caught around "child heavy" areas 35 times last year - the highest tally since 2012. But the law...

Anti-vaccine mother starts Go Fund Me campaign to prevent the courts from enforcing immunisation
Herald Sun - Jane Hansen - April 3, 2016

AN anti-vaccine campaigner mum has started a crowd-funding appeal to stop her former partner from vaccinating their two children. Anna Patel, from Caboolture in Queensland, posted an appeal on the Go Fund Me website asking for help to raise $10,000 for a lawyer to stop her "ex-partner...

Victorian prep students to be tested for dyslexia, learning difficulties
Herald Sun - Bridget Davies - April 2, 2016

ALL children beginning prep in a Victorian school will be tested for dyslexia and other learning difficulties under a new State Government program. Teachers will use the online Early Years Screening Tool to assess each child's literacy abilities, including reading, writing, speaking and listening. State...

Child care: Families worried about rising costs amid Government's activity test proposal, survey finds
ABC News - Julie Doyle - 31 March 2016

A survey of 3,500 families using child care has found more than 80 per cent are worried about rising costs. The research by childcare provider Goodstart Early Learning identified affordability as the biggest factor stopping parents from working more hours. The survey also questioned parents about their...

Anti-vaccination lobby flags High Court challenge to 'no jab, no pay'
The Australian - Nicola Berkovic - March 30, 2016

Anti-vaccination activists are seeking funds to pay for a shot at overturning the government's "no jab, no pay" policy in the High Court. However, they insist they cannot say - just yet - who will ­represent them or on what grounds they will seek to defeat the legislation. Under the policy, parents...

Parents urged to keep kids moving
The West Australian - Natalie Richards - March 29, 2016

Parents are urged to replace backyard entertaining areas with sandpits, and childcare centres to have activity policies as WA researchers try to get children active "as soon as they're moving". The researchers want to encourage an active culture among WA''s youngest children and parents, and childcare...

Playgroups give children better start at school, study finds
Daily Telegraph - Geraldine Cardozo - March 28, 2016

Childcare experts are urging parents to get their kids into playgroups, with research showing children who attend have a better start at school than those who don't. Research from the Telethon Kids Institute found children who do not attend playgroups are more than twice as likely to have developmental...

Childcare, with chef, yoga and barista, comes to a CBD tower near you
Financial Review - Nick Lenaghan and Michael Bleby - March 28, 2016

The sound of little feet will soon be mingling with the more intense tread of bankers as new childcare centres prepare to open at premium towers in Sydney and Melbourne. At 101 Collins Street, arguably Melbourne's most prestigious business address, Guardian Early Learning, has taken out 2168...

Autism: Early childhood development programs phasing out sparks parent backlash
Herald Sun - Brittany Vonow and Sarah Vogler - March 27, 2016

EDUCATION programs to help children with a disability prepare for school will be extended, with the State Government moving to keep them running until 2020. The early childhood development programs were to end with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme but The Sunday...

Victorian childcare centre incidents: kids lost, left alone
Sunday Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien and Fiona Hudson - March 27, 2016

VULNERABLE children wandering off or being left unattended by carers - including a toddler locked on a bus for five hours - have triggered a slew of actions against Victorian childcare centres. New data reveals seven centres faced investigation over missing children last year, and a probe into a...

NSW preschools most expensive and least attended in Australia
Sydney Morning Herald - Eryk Bagshaw - March 23, 2016

NSW children risk being left behind as the state's preschools suffer from the lowest levels of hourly attendance in the country while parents pay more money for their child's early education than in any other state. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that only 66 per cent of NSW...

Abused toddlers let down: inquiry told
9News.com.au - March 22, 2016

Two mothers say they have been let down by the justice system after their toddler daughters were allegedly sexually abused at a Sydney childcare centre. In tearful statements to a royal commission on Tuesday, the women said they and their children endured traumatic investigative processes only...

Memo to Canberra: 3 changes that could win the women's vote this election
Women's Agenda - Annika Blau - March 22, 2016

It is statistically evident that most voters in Australia have children, will have children (or were at least children once!). Needless to say, childcare is a critical issue for both gender and economic equality. But the situation is getting worse: fees and waiting lists have increased, while the number of...

Federal election 2016: rush on for 'crucial legislation'
The Australian - Brendan Nicholson - March 22, 2016

The changes would include abolishing a $7500 cap to ensure parents on family incomes of $185,710 or less aren't limited on the amount of childcare they can access. The cap will be increased to $10,000 for families earning more than $185,710. Childcare changes were introduced into the house on...

Talking Point: Earlier school start critical to state prosperity
The Mercury - Jeremy Rockliff - March 22, 2016

As it stands, almost half of our children miss out on high-quality early learning because not every family can afford child care or private education. This change is about equity. It would give every child access, and is estimated to increase the number of three and four year olds accessing early learning...