Child Care News
Baird government opens door to potential pokie palace childcare centres
Sydney Morning Herald - Kirsty Needham - October 19, 2014The NSW government will consider giving licensed clubs tax breaks on poker machine profits for expanding into childcare and aged care services. A memorandum of understanding signed by Premier Mike Baird and ClubsNSW last week states the NSW government had committed to...
Children as young as four are getting homework at pre-school to prepare them for kindergarten
The Sunday Telegraph - Jordan Baker - October 19, 2014CHILDCARE centres and pre-schools are giving homework to four-year-olds, fuelling fears the culture of homework is out of control and putting too much pressure on young children. At Bright Beginnings at Guildford, the pre-school program gives homework to children to prepare them…
Federal Government's 'kindergarten cop' squad issued almost $2m in fines to dodgy childcare operators
NEWS.com.au - October 18, 2014SCORES of dodgy childcare operators across the country have together been slapped with almost $2 million in fines, after being targeted by the Federal Government's new childcare fraud squad. The crack team of 'kindergarten cops' set up by the government in July has already taken action…
Kroger back with $12m childcare foray
The Australian - Ben Butler and Eli Greenblat - October 17, 2014MICHAEL Kroger and his associates are set to reap up to $12.5 million from the Liberal Party powerbroker's second foray into the listed childcare sector in a decade. A trust associated with Mr Kroger is among the vendors of 15 childcare centres sold into Think Childcare and Education...
Racial connotations over black sheep prompts changes to Baa Baa Black Sheep at Victorian kinders
Herald Sun - Andrea Hamblin - October 17, 2014BAA, Baa, Black Sheep has been put out to pasture at some Victorian kindergartens because of concern over the racial connotations of "black". Staff at childcare centres in the south-eastern suburbs told the Herald Sun the lyric was being changed to reflect a multicultural community...
Red tape hampers childcare standards
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - October 15, 2014A REPORT into the new quality standards for childcare has found broad support for the system but administrative demands on centres mean that sometimes children get less attention. In feedback on the National Quality Framework, some respondents said adequate face-to-face time with...
Childcare quality gets tick from carers, parents
Sydney Morning Herald - Judith Ireland - October 15, 2014The national framework which seeks to boost child-carer qualifications and lower staff-to-child ratios has received a broad tick of approval from parents and the child care sector, according to a government-ordered review. Based on the opinions of more than 1,300 childcare professionals...
Minister Jennifer Rankine makes random visits to Families SA care homes
The Advertiser - Lauren Novak - October 14, 2014EDUCATION and Child Development Minister Jennifer Rankine has made random visits to homes where Families SA workers are caring for some of the state's most troubled children. Ms Rankine told Parliament on Tuesday that she joined senior Families SA staff conducting unannounced...
100 SA child carers to face psych review
The Australian - October 14, 2014MORE than 100 Families SA staff will face further review by a panel including a psychologist after an audit questioned their suitability for working with children. FAMILIES SA has suspended 25 residential carers from working one-on-one with children, following an audit of internal staff...
Paperwork burden means childcare centres have less time for kids
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - October 14, 2014A REPORT into the national quality standards introduced to regulate childcare centres has found there is broad support for the system introduced by Labor. But it says the regime must address paperwork and documentation issues to reduce an administrative burden that has at times led to...
Childcare worker pleads guilty to theft of $42,000 from northside centre
Canberra Times - Michael Inman - October 14, 2014A childcare worker has pleaded guilty to the theft of $42,000 from a northside centre. Tanya Maree Diamond, 42, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday on one count of obtaining property by deception. She had originally faced 47 separate counts, but the prosecution rolled them into...
Goodstart Rated in Global Philanthropy Top Ten
Pro Bono News - October 14,2014The landmark Not for Profit GoodStart initiative facilitated by Social Ventures Australia to run more than 600 child care centres around Australia has been recognised as one of 10 top innovations, in a new report on global philanthropy. The report, 10 innovations in global philanthropy, was...
Tax rebate for nannies as childcare needs grow?
The Canberra Times - Julieanne Strachan - October 11, 2014More Australians are turning to nannies and au pairs to mind their children to get around long waiting lists at childcare centres and avoid the high cost of multiple children in care, industry groups have said. Census data shows the number of in-home carers is growing, adding to pressure on…
Childcare issues resolved by hiring au pairs
The Canberra Times - Julieanne Strachan - October 11, 2014Whatever the federal government decides about extending the childcare rebate to cover nannies and au pairs, Charnwood mum Katherine Hayes knows she's already ahead. "We have had two au pairs and it's been life changing," she said. "It was not something we always intended to do but at the…
Child-care rebate: Split looms over nannies and au pairs
The Canberra Times - October 11, 2014Back in 2012 then opposition leader Tony Abbott had what many referred to as a "women problem". The problem being that women didn't like him - or at least that was the assessment of some political commentators. One of Mr Abbott's first serious attempts to turn around this perception was a plan…
