Child Care News

Free preschool hours now guaranteed for another year by ACT Government
ABC News - September 17, 2015

Canberra families will now be able to rely on 15 hours of free preschool a week, following an announcement from the ACT Government. The future of the current preschool funding arrangement had been in doubt, creating uncertainty for families. But today the territory's Education Minister....

Australia to block government benefits for unvaccinated children
Yahoo News - September 16, 2015

Australia Wednesday introduced a "no jab, no pay" law which would block parents who refuse to vaccinate their children from accessing some government benefits. The new legislation introduced to parliament was announced by the government in April. It was prompted by growing concern...

G8 Education bows out as Anchorage Capital buys Affinity
The Australian - Kylar Loussikian - September 16, 2015

Affinity Education will be sold to Anchorage Capital Partners after the private equity firm lobbed a higher bid yesterday afternoon, securing the support of one of Australia's largest childcare operators, G8 Education, which owns more than a quarter of its smaller rival. Anchorage...

Ditch parental leave changes and make childcare affordable, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged
News.com.au - Lauren Wilson - September 15, 2015

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Kate Carnell said her powerful lobby group would be urging the Turnbull Government to ditch its proposed changes to so-called double-dipping arrangements. Parenting groups and a member of the crossbench also expressed...

G8 backs $213m Affinity takeover
The Australian - Michael Roddan - September 15, 2015

Listed childcare centre operator and takeover target Affinity Education has received an increased $213 million takeover offer from Anchorage Capital Partners, which has been backed by rival suitor and key shareholder G8 Education. Queensland-based Affinity, which owns and operates a...

Government seeks nannies for 10,000 kids
News.com.au - September 10, 2015

Wanted: nannies for 10,000 adorable children. The federal government has started its search not for Mary Poppins, but for service providers who can supply taxpayer-subsidised nannies to take part in a trial of new childcare arrangements. The year-long nanny trial will help the government...

Financial literacy and childcare changes will help women's super
SuperReview - Jassmyn Goh - September 10, 2015

The Association of Financial Adviser's (AFA) national president, Deborah Kent, said moving the issue along starts with incentives around childcare. "One key thing would be around 'how do we get better plans around childcare?', keeping women in the workforce, and helping them out when it...

Sceptics, experts warn on Qld vax laws
SBS.com.au - September 10, 2015

But Sydney University immunisation expert Associate Professor Julie Leask warns the law could have unintended consequences. She says they could lead to further clustering of unvaccinated children in "pop-up childcare arrangements" if they are turned away. "By doing that it intensifies...

Senate rejects Newstart changes but Scott Morrison vows to fight
The Australian - Sid Maher - September 10, 2015

Last night, Tony Abbott said the Senate would have to pass savings measures before the government would bring forward its families and childcare package. "And so far, the Senate has not been prepared to pass the savings measures that we think are important if this very, very...

Anti-vaccination body before Qld committee
9News.com.au - September 10, 2015

A controversial anti-vaccination group is due to make submissions to a parliamentary committee examining the Queensland government's proposed law changes on immunisations. A bill aimed at protecting childcare centres that exclude children who are not immunised against vaccine...

Hungry Jacks turns into happy Jills as childcare demand soars
Financial Review - Su-Lin Tan - September 9, 2015

Childcare operators in Victoria and Queensland continue to scoop up sites. A private childcare investment trust paid $4.35 million for a former Hungry Jacks outlet at 311-321 Sydney Road, Coburg, Melbourne, to build a childcare centre. Teska Carson's Michael Taylor, who brokered the...

KPMG says dump tax-free threshold, cut top tax rate to 45pc
Financial Review - Joanna Mather - September 8, 2015

Similarly, someone on a low income can be disinclined to take extra shifts because it eats into their welfare payments. Mr Wardell-Johnson said the ideal scenario would be for childcare and other family assistance payments to be made per child. Furthermore, eligibility for such assistance...

Poor language skills in school-age children, linked to increase in iPad use and skipping preschool
Daily Telegraph - Stacy Thomas - September 8, 2015

AN increasing number of schools are hiring speech pathologists to help their youngest students learn basic language skills. One school, Wattle Grove Public, has noticed an increasing trend in students presenting in their early years with speech problems. The school's principal Nicholas...

Family daycare: Scott Morrison reboots 'child-swap' crackdown
The Australian - Jared Owens - September 8, 2015

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison will today launch a revised crackdown on family daycare educators who engage in "child swapping" - the practice of claiming public subsidies to supposedly watch over each other's children. The compliance effort comes after random audits of childcare...

Immunisation: Withholding services won't convince vaccine refusers
The Age - Julie Leask - September 7, 2015

History tells us there will always be vaccine refusers. Governments can keep them at a minimum and keep communities safer by ensuring the exclusion of the un-vaccinated from school or childcare during an outbreak and requiring registration of exemptions with a healthcare provider...