Child Care News
Fears for childcare quality in overhaul
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 24, 2014THE nation's biggest childcare provider believes a new streamlined assessment of childcare centres will water down the national system set up by Labor. Goodstart Early Learning wants urgent talks with the Abbott government because it fears that centres may not get the information they need...
Sussan Ley's early learnings unlikely to save preschool funding
The Age - Lisa Bryant - April 23, 2014Rarely do we know what influences a politician’s decision about what policy issues will define them. Bob Hawke saw starving children at the gates of an Indian palace as a 23-year-old. Was this what made him promise some 35 years later that under his government "no child would live in poverty...
Importing nannies is not the right solution for Australia's childcare crisis
The Age - Maria Platt - April 22, 2014The first thing I notice is the car out the front. Once I'm inside the large single-level house I spy a small flat-screen TV and enough kitchen appliances to make Martha Stewart envious. For many Australians this is the norm. But in an Indonesian rural village this type of house means...
Affinity Education Group's Laboo confident of public listing
The Australian - Bridget Carter - April 21, 2014THE Affinity Education Group's chief executive, Justin Laboo, said the first thing he had to do before the company recently went public was fend off questions from prospective investors as to why it would be any different to ABC Learning Centres. "I can tell you, it was the first question," Mr...
Whistleblowers make 100 complaint a month against childcare
Daily Telegraph - Alicia Wood - April 19, 2014PARENTS and staff whistleblowers are making an average 100 complaints a month against NSW childcare centres. Figures from the Department of Education and Communities showed more than half of complaints made to the department about childcare centres were concerns a child's...
Child care centre certification scheme cut by Federal Government
NEWS.com.au - April 19, 2014A TROUBLED certification scheme which had forced child care centres to sideline experienced staff and direct valuable time away from childminding has been wound back under a federal and state government deal to slash red tape. The deal means parents could be in line for some hip-pocket...
Childcare tax deductibility 'a loser for everyone'
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 17, 2014AUSTRALIAN families will be significantly worse off if childcare is made fully tax-deductible rather than removing the cap on current government subsidies, according to a new analysis. The proposal to scrap subsidies and make approved care tax-deductible has been suggested by several...
Childcare game becomes aggressive
Financial Review - Trevor Hoy - April 16, 2014Some recent large childcare centre acquisitions and the seemingly unstoppable share price run of G8 Education bring back memories of the rise and rise and eventual demise of ABC Learning. However, to date G8 appears to have taken a measured approach in expanding its child centre...
'Too much' childcare takes toll on learning
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 15, 2014CHILDREN who spend more than 21 hours a week in long daycare are at greater risk of performing below average in maths, literacy and overall academic achievement, a new study finds. The Australian National University work, based on four waves of longitudinal data over six years...
Jolene Vella says up to half children at daughter's early development centre aren't vaccinated
Courier Mail - Laura Chalmers - April 15, 2014IT WAS only after speaking to parents at her daughter's early development centre Jolene Vella realised how few of the children her daughter was playing with were vaccinated. Jazmine, 6, has autism and attended a specialist group for children with autism. Ms Vella estimated that at least...
Childcare demand drops because of high jobless rate
ABC News - Claire Todd - April 14, 1014There is concern the high jobless rate in Tasmania's north-west is putting pressure on the viability of childcare centres. The region's population is declining rapidly as the unemployment rate hovers about 9 per cent, putting pressure on household budgets. Steph Rubock who runs a centre in...
Childcare centre ratings and assessment process streamlined
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - April 12, 2014CHILDCARE centres will face a radically streamlined assessment and ratings process from July 1 after federal Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley signed off with states and territories on a new regulatory regime. Agreement with the states and territories was crucial to meet the mid-2015...
Preschool hours will be cut unless Federal Government commits more funding, state Education Minister Jennifer Rankine warns
The Advertiser - Peter Jean - April 11, 2014THE number of hours South Australian children spend in preschool each week will be cut by three hours unless the Federal Government commits to more funding, state Education Minister Jennifer Rankine warns. The number of hours that each SA four-year-old is entitled to each week had...
Morgan Stanley near deal to sell Learning Care - sources
Reuters - Greg Roumeliotis and Soyoung Kim - April 11, 2014Morgan Stanley's (MS.N) private equity arm is in advanced talks to sell Learning Care Group Inc, the second-largest for-profit child care provider in North America, to buyout firm American Securities LLC, people familiar with the matter said. The deal, which is expected to come later...
Doctors want vaccination reforms for childcare centres
Courier Mail - Laura Chalmers - April 11, 2014DOCTORS have demanded the introduction of 'no jab, no play' reforms in Queensland to give childcare centres the power to ban unvaccinated children. Australian Medical Association President Dr Steve Hambleton said the introduction of the measures in NSW had clearly had a positive...
