Child Care News
Rising pressure for child care
ABC Radio Brisbane - Lachlan Mackintosh - August 28, 2014New figures from the federal government show that while the number of child care providers is rising, Queensland is not following the same trends as other states. Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley recognises the pressure on families and discusses changes on the way...
Lack of affordable childcare keeping mums out of the workplace
The Advertiser - Peter Jean - August 28, 2014A SHORTAGE of affordable childcare places is keeping many South Australian mothers out of the workforce, according to the Federal Government. The SA childcare sector had the lowest growth in enrolments on the mainland in the six years to September 13. The number of children in formal...
WA Government commits to funding kindergarten hours if Commonwealth pulls out
ABC News - August 27, 2014The Western Australian Government has committed to funding extra kindergarten hours if the Commonwealth fails to renew an early education funding arrangement. The national partnership agreement allocates just under $50 million to WA to help fund a 15-hour a week kindergarten...
Goodstart learning says deemed cost of childcare model will hurt thousands
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - August 26, 2014THE nation's biggest childcare provider Goodstart early learning will today tell the Productivity Commission the new "deemed cost of care" model they are recommending will hurt thousands of families who will go backwards financially and many of their centres would become unviable if a...
Child Care NSW president warns a creche is not regulated like a daycare centre
NEWS.com.au - August 26, 2014One of the NSW's most senior childcare experts has warned parents of the risk of using a creche to mind their children because the service is not regulated by law. The claim by Child Care NSW follows the Manly Daily's story yesterday about two-year-old Eva Ness who was bitten by an older...
Schools and sports clubs key to childcare crisis
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - August 26, 2014LOCAL councils should co-locate childcare centres with schools, sports clubs and other community buildings or with workplaces, without requiring zoning changes, new national guidelines suggest. The guidelines also seek better co-operation between local and state governments so local land...
Parents want childcare workers to be highly qualified, says group The Parenthood
Sydney Morning Herald - Judith Ireland - August 25, 2014Australian parents do not want the qualification requirements watered down for childcare workers looking after small children, according to a survey by a leading parents group. The Productivity Commission's draft report into childcare last month recommended that educators working with...
High-quality childcare helps kids be more attentive and better deal with their emotions, study shows
The Advertiser - Katrina Stokes - August 25, 2014PARENTS who choose high-quality childcare for their children are better ensuring their kids will be attentive and able to deal with their emotions when they start school, University of Adelaide research reveals. A study of more than 1000 Australian two- and three-year-olds found high...
Arena to spin off childcare management
The Australian - Ben Wilmot - August 25, 2014THE Morgan Stanley Real Estate-owned Arena Investment Management this morning took a step towards determining the future of the $900 million property funds business by announcing plans to spin off the management of its listed childcare property trust. The Arena REIT fund, announced a...
ACT has highest demand for childcare in country as supply slips
Canberra Times - Primrose Riordan - August 25, 2014The ACT has had the greatest enrolment boom in childcare in the country, jumping by nearly 70 per cent in six years, new analysis from the Department of Education shows. More than 23,160 Canberran children were enrolled in formal childcare services in September last year, a 69.2 per...
Clouds remain over the future of childcare in Parliament House
Canberra Times - Primrose Riordan - August 25, 2014Clouds remain over the future of Parliament House childcare after the provider of the service confirmed it will pull out after the end of this year and the centre will go to tender. The Department of Parliamentary Services and Anglicare broke the news to parent representatives at meetings...
Child carers tell Productivity Commission to leave ratios alone
Canberra Times - Matthew Raggatt - August 23, 2014Canberra childcare managers have warned draft recommendations to overhaul the system's qualifications and ratios would compromise children's safety. Suggested changes which would allow staff to child ratios to be averaged, potentially across a week, and lower education standards…
Education Minister Peter Collier says new guidelines will improve kindergarten standards
PerthNow - Claire Bickers - August 24, 2014THE expectations on children and teachers at kindergarten are being raised significantly under new guidelines. WA's first curriculum guidelines for kindergarten include a set of criteria kids should be able to meet before they turn 6, including: STARTING conversations with teachers. LOOKING…
Goulburn dangles childcare carrot in advertising campaign to lure Canberrans to the municipality
Canberra Times - Julieanne Strachan - August 23, 2014Goulburn is trying to tempt Canberrans to up stumps and move to NSW, with an advertising campaign hitting the ACT where it hurts - in the childcare shortage. It has taken print ads in ACT publications boasting a solution, within a "short drive to Canberra", to long waiting lists at…
Labor willing to back change in childcare, says Kate Ellis
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - August 21, 2014LABOR childcare spokeswoman Kate Ellis has declared the opposition is open to embrace big changes in the childcare system. However she says the recommendations by the Productivity Commission will increase out-of-pocket fees for most families and hurt children by offering...
