Child Care News

Companies to use new incentives to shield mums from double-dipping
News.com.au - Lauren Wilson - August 17, 2015

COMPANIES could start offering new mums return to work bonuses or extra childcare support rather than maternity leave, as they seek to shield their employees from the federal government's push to stop so-called double-dipping. Australian businesses have warned the government it...

Kids' 'gut feelings about creepy adults' help detect pedophiles
The Australian - Natasha Bita - August 17, 2015

Schools, childcare centres and sporting clubs must do better background checks on workers to detect pedophiles, National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell said yesterday. Ms Mitchell said institutions relied too much on police checks and "blue card" clearance to prove staff did not have...

A big commitment
Financial Review - Alexandra Cain - August 16, 2015

Research shows the cost of childcare is rising at a substantially faster rate than the cost of primary, secondary or tertiary education. AMP and the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling figures indicate a 48 per cent rise in the cost of early childhood education over the past five years...

New 'no jab, no play' vaccination laws to be introduced in Victoria
ABC News - August 16, 2015

Victorian pre-schoolers will be banned from attending child care or kindergarten unless they are vaccinated, under new 'no jab, no play' laws to be introduced by the State Government. The new laws will be introduced within weeks and will come into effect on January 1. "Vaccinations save...

Coping with potentially crippling change in the childcare industry
ABC News - Justin Huntsdale - August 13, 2015

It's been a bumpy ride for preschool organisations in recent years. Federal Government changes have seen the childcare industry deal with a suite of new rules that have proved testing for finances and staff resources. First, the law was changed to ensure one teacher for every four students...

Growing pains in Melbourne's 'baby belt' suburbs
The Age - Aisha Dow - August 11, 2015

The south-eastern council of Casey is home to the largest baby boom, recording 86 newborns each week. By 2035, it is expected 137 children will be born weekly. Casey mayor Mick Morland said the council was building a childcare centre every year to keep up with demand. Another eight...

Shoddy day care
The West Australian - Angela Pownall - August 11, 2015

The number of WA childcare services found breaking the law has doubled for the second year running after Government inspectors stepped up compliance visits in the State's growing childcare sector. Officials uncovered 130 offences under the Education and Care Services National Law in...

More children in preschool over long term equals success for G8, says CEO Chris Scott
Sydney Morning Herald - Simon Evans - August 10, 205

G8 Education managing director Chris Scott said government support of childcare and a growing population will underpin solid growth, but declined to say if G8's increased $185 million takeover bid for smaller rival Affinity Education would succeed. Mr Scott was speaking from Singapore on...

G8 Education first half profit soars 73pc
The Australian - John Conroy - August 10, 2015

Australia's largest listed childcare centre operator G8 Education has lifted its first-half profit after a rapid expansion in its site numbers. For the six months to June 30, the group's profit rose 73 per cent to $28.24 million compared to the prior corresponding period. Revenue increased 63 per...

Day in the life of a kindergarten teacher
Sydney Morning Herald - Julia Proctor - August 9, 2015

In the year before they begin school, children at kindergarten learn a little more about how to learn and they continue developing the skills they will need for the next 13 years. Justine Wickham is a kindergarten teacher at Shelford Girls' Grammar School's Early Learning Centre, responsible for...

Working mums to lose some or all of their government paid parental leave payments under new changes
The Sunday Telegraph - Samantha Maiden - August 9, 2015

WORKING mums stand to lose $4000 on average under Tony Abbott's decision to scrap double dipping in both an employer and a government paid parental leave scheme. The majority are public servants. Almost 80,000 parents will lose some or all of their government parental leave...

Play clothing could face overhaul after child found hanging at play centre
Sydney Morning Herald - Leesha McKenny - August 8, 2015

The incident may mean that the rules governing what children are permitted to wear at play centres could face an overhaul after the child was discovered hanging by her scarf, a child safety expert says. A NSW Police spokesman said officers had been told the girl was attending before-school...

The Abbott government's evidence allergy
The Age - Judith Ireland - August 7, 2015

Look around the government's wider activities and you see a repeating pattern of either ignorance or ignoring of evidence. In answers submitted to the Senate over the winter break, the Department of Social Services says it has not modelled (i.e. doesn't know) how families will be hit by changes...

Parents of five in six unvaccinated kids support vaccination. So why no jabs?
News.com.au - Sue Dunlevy - August 6, 2015

THE majority of unvaccinated children have parents who do not object to immunisation groundbreaking new research has found. Adelaide University researchers analysed the 9.3 per cent of children who are partially immunised or not immunised, and found only one in six had parents...

Why Australia's parental leave scheme is a 'joke'
The New Daily - Rose Donohoe - August 6, 2015

When it comes to paid parental leave, Australia's current policy is laging well behind other OECD countries. And with an election looming next year - or perhaps this year - the issue of paid parental leave could prove to be a key battleground. But a look at economically-comparative countries...