Child Care News
Stopping childcare price hikes: Sinodinos
SBS News - November 1, 2015Price gouging by childcare centres will be restrained under planned federal government changes to the childcare rebate. Senior Liberal Arthur Sinodinos said in the past parents were directly subsidised for childcare, but this coincided with an increase in daily fees. The new plan, which has not yet...
Arena REIT To Deliver Early Childcare Centres For Victorian Government
The Urban Developer - October 30, 2015Childcare property trust Arena REIT has entered into agreements with the Victorian Government to design and construct multiple early learning centres in a $15 million project. The early learning centres will each accommodate over 100 licensed childcare places and will be located adjacent to...
Queensland childcare centres will have power to reject unvaccinated children
Brisbane Times - Amy Remeikis - October 30, 2015Queensland child care centres will have the power to reject unvaccinated enrolments after Labor's 'no jab, no play' laws received bipartisan support. The rare display of congeniality between the major parties, which so far has been reserved largely for domestic violence legislation, came with...
Tuberculosis disease explodes in Australians' favourite holiday spots, WHO report shows
News.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - October 29, 2015"Childcare workers and teachers are coming back from holidays and have caused concern among those facilities and they have had to have everyone tested," Results International chief executive Maree Nutt said. More than 100 children had to be tested for TB at a Sydney childcare centre...
Lawyers warn on 'no jab, no pay' immunisation bill
The Australian - Stefanie Balogh - October 29, 2015One of the nation's peak law groups is cautioning senators against supporting government plans to strip payments from parents who fail to vaccinate their children, including conscientious objectors, claiming it is a "punitive approach" and "not in the best interests of the child" . In an unusual...
Grannies exemption doesn't impress Labor
9News.com.au - October 25, 2015Labor has turned its nose up at the olive branch offered by Treasurer Scott Morrison, who is prepared to protect grandparents and some single parent families from the payment cuts. Mr Morrison is willing to negotiate with Labor "if they're genuine", saying grandparents could be kept "exactly where...
Grandparents and single parents to be spared in welfare cuts - others to lose up to $5700-a-year
The Australian - Samantha Maiden - October 25, 2105TREASURER Scott Morrison has offered to exempt grandparent carers and some single parents from tough family payment cuts that will slash up to $5700-a-year from families with teenagers. In an exclusive interview, the Treasurer said it was vital to secure Labor's support for the budget savings...
24/7 childcare may be coming to Australia
The Daily Telegraph - Susie O'Brien - October 23, 2015CHILDCARE services could start operating 24 hours a day seven days a week under a new federal government proposal to deregulate opening hours. In a bid to meet the flexible work demands of parents, centres will no longer have to operate eight hours a day, five days a week, Minister for...
It's the policy, stupid – has Turnbull learned the lesson of Abbott's failure?
The Guardian - Lenore Taylor - October 23, 21015The question is, when the Turnbull government gets down to legislating, rather than just "changing the tone of the debate", will it have learned the Abbott government's lessons? Will it talk to Australians about the services they want governments to pay for, rather than assume smaller government...
Family Tax Benefit cuts to affect thousands
The Australian - Rick Morton - October 22, 2015Almost 140,000 single parents and 76,000 couples will have their Family Tax Benefit Part B reduced under new changes announced by the Coalition this week, senate estimates has been told. Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said the cuts would make life "remarkably harder" for struggling...
Families win as Coalition eases cuts to benefits
The Australian - David Crowe - October 21, 2015Treasurer Scott Morrison has labelled the government's compromise package on cuts to family tax benefits a "better offer", as the Turnbull government retreats on the controversial policy from last year's unpopular budget. Mr Morrison said today's package was the product of months...
Watered down family payments plan no certainty to pass Senate
Sydney Morning Herald - Judith Ireland - October 21, 2015The Coalition's new family payments package has been met with caution and criticism from Labor and the crossbench, suggesting its passage through the Parliament is not guaranteed. Treasurer Scott Morrison and Social Services Minister Christian Porter confirmed details of...
Canberra childcare workers to face court on assault charges
The Canberra Times - Michael Inman and Christopher Knaus - October 21, 2015Four Canberra childcare workers will face court over allegations of physical abuse on children as young as one. It is understood police are also considering laying charges of failing to report against a fifth staff member of the northside centre. The four staff members were this week issued with...
Scott Morrison waters down cuts to family payments
Financial Review - Phillip Coorey - October 20, 2015Savings from the welfare cuts have already been earmarked to help fund a childcare package unveiled in the 2015 budget. To try and keep the changes budget-neutral and pay for childcare, the government has proposed reducing by about $2000 a year family tax benefit part B for eligible single...
Crossbench seek sweeteners for supporting revised family benefit cuts
The Guardian - Lenore Taylor - October 20, 2015Senate crossbenchers are seeking a smorgasbord of sweeteners from the Turnbull government in return for supporting revised cuts to family tax benefits for low-income families. As revealed by Guardian Australia, the new package achieves much lower budget savings than the $6bn in cuts...
