Child Care News
Female workers now more unionised than men
Sydney Morning Herald - Anna Patty - March 18, 2014Women are for the first time more unionised than men, a shift that has seen family-friendly hours, equal pay and paid parental leave start to dominate the labour agenda. The typical unionist is now more likely to be a teacher, nurse or childcare worker than to wear a hard hat. Associate...
Australia's Stirling childcare company cancels $180 mln IPO
Reuters - March 17, 2014Australian childcare centre owner Stirling Early Education Ltd has canceled plans for a A$200 million ($180 million) public float after it failed to attract investors. The company said on Monday that it was considering its options. The decision to shelve one of the first floats of the year comes as...
The first victim of Morcombe killer breaks his silence
The Australian - Mitchell Nadin - March 17, 2014A VICTIM of Brett Cowan has explained how he was abused by the convicted pedophile and murderer while in a childcare centre cubicle when he was just seven-years-old. In an interview with Channel Nine's 60 Minutes program last night, Tim Nicholls said he was sexually assaulted by...
Parliament set for red-tape repeal: PM
Ninemsn - March 16, 2014Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the government will scrap 9000 regulations on a red-tape repeal day, which will free up childcare centres, cafes, schools and hospitals. Mr Abbott said Wednesday's repeal day would be a first for the federal parliament, and was part of the government's...
Fix childcare before superannuation: Perpetual
Financial Review - Bianca Hartge-Hazelman - March 16, 2014Perpetual's head of equities Matt Williams has called for improvements to the nation's childcare framework to be prioritised ahead of government plans to raise the superannuation levy over the next decade. Speaking on the Financial Review Sunday show on Channel 9, Mr Williams said...
Goodstart's bad news over red-tape 'nightmare'
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - March 15, 2014THE nation's biggest childcare provider predicts more than 5000 families at its centres will exceed the rebate cap in the next year, forcing many mothers to drop or reduce work. Goodstart Early Learning says the complex childcare payment system has become a red-tape nightmare, with a...
Beware childcare centres' claims to educate
The Australian - Angela Shanahan - March 15, 2014THE other day I was intrigued by a news item marked "exclusive" which announced that six months with mum was, according to an academic expert imported by a leading childcare provider, not enough for infants. My initial response to this exclusive revelation was "duh"; blind Freddie...
Sydney couple turns adversity into opportunity with daycare for children with autism
ABC News - Sharon O'Neill - March 14, 2014A Sydney couple has opened the doors of Australia's first family daycare service for children with autism. Dennys Martinez and his wife Maria Huayllasco say they were devastated when doctors diagnosed their two children Eric and Maya, now aged 5 and 7 respectively, with the condition...
Sterling seeks $200m float cornerstone backers
Financial Review - Sarah Thompson - March 13, 2014Sterling Early Education has fixed its initial public offering at $2 a share and is seeking cornerstone backers to support its $200 million float. Sources said Sterling was locked in one-on-one meetings with potential investors on Thursday, after revising its prospectus forecasts to account for recent...
Push continues for mandatory reporting of suspected kindy child abuse
ABC News - March 13, 2014Two Townsville grandparents say they are disappointed with the Queensland Government's response to their petition calling for mandatory reporting by child care workers who suspect cases of child abuse. John and Sue Sandeman started the petition after the death of their 17-month-old...
Demand falls for childcare across the state
The Mercury - Anne Mather - March 13, 2014DEMAND for childcare is sliding in some pockets of the state - with one childcare centre closing its doors and others amalgamating rooms because of shrinking numbers. While some of the fall in demand appears to be because of unemployment, childcare experts have also noted a surplus of...
Fundies shy on Sterling over childcare acquisition concerns
The Australian - Amanda Saunders - March 12, 2014Fresh doubt has been thrown over the float of childcare company Sterling Early Education, after fund managers were spooked by reports that listed rival G8 Education bought some of the 77 childcare centres that Sterling had options to acquire. A spokesman for Sterling said the claims...
Reporting of suspected child abuse by childcare centre workers not mandatory in Queensland
Courier Mail - Kelmeny Fraser - March 12, 2014REPORTING by childcare centre workers of suspected child abuse will not be made mandatory in Queensland, with the Newman Government instead opting for stronger reporting guidelines. A petition to the State Government by the grandparents of murdered north Queensland toddler...
Sterling IPO delayed
The Australian - Amanda Saunders - March 12, 2014In a move likely to send jitters through the IPO market, ASX hopeful Sterling Early Education is delaying its $200 million bookbuild as it runs further due diligence on some of its childcare centre acquisitions. Macquarie Group's bookbuild for the childcare centre roll-up was set down for...
App-tapping tots need cyber bully lessons
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - March 12, 2014THE growing popularity of apps, tablets, smartphones and computers among toddlers has triggered a call for them to be taught about the dangers of cyber bullying in childcare. In a submission to a federal government inquiry, Early Childhood Australia has called for education on online safety to...
