Child Care News
Childcare body in U-turn on nannies
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 7, 2014NANNIES should be included in the nation's childcare system if they meet the requirements of the new National Quality Framework, says the peak body previously resistant to their inclusion. Early Childhood Australia, in its submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare...
Sterling brings forward IPO plans
Business Spectator - Amanda Saunders - February 7, 2014Childcare centre roll-up Sterling Education will push to price its float before the end of the month and aim to list in early March, after sounding out fund managers during a roadshow in Sydney and Melbourne this week ahead of a $200 million IPO. Fund managers questioned the timetable for...
Launa Inman wants nanny tax breaks for working mums
Financial Review - Nassim Khadem and Joanna Mather - February 6, 2014Australia shouldn't be "picking winners" by specifying which types of childcare should be tax deductible, Commonwealth Bank director and former Billabong CEO Launa Inman says. One of Australia's top businesswomen, Ms Inman, says she personally supported tax deductions for...
Childcare subsidy plea for shift workers
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 6, 2014FAMILIES that receive childcare outside of normal work hours should be paid a higher childcare subsidy, according to the peak body representing the family day care sector. Family Day Care Australia has also asked the Productivity Commission to ensure that the nation's spending...
Child care should be tax-deductible, Tax Institute of Australia says
ABC News - February 6, 2014Child care should be tax-deductible in order to get more people back into the workforce, the Tax Institute of Australia says. The Productivity Commission is already conducting a wide-ranging review of Australia's childcare system and there is a childcare rebate of up to $7,500 which is not...
Childcare workers driven out by pay
NT News - February 6, 2014ABOUT 20 Territory childcare workers leave the job every week because of poor pay, and this turnover could increase because of the Federal Government's retraction of a proposed pay rise last year, the sector's union body said. It was also claimed that some childcare workers were...
Want cheap, plentiful, quality childcare? Go to Finland
Women's Agenda - Lisa Bryant - February 5, 2014When a government calls upon its people for ideas about how to fix a pressing policy problem, it is inevitable that the call will be answered by a variety of people, with a variety of opinions. This was certainly the case for the Productivity's Commission Childcare Inquiry, which closed for public...
Rule change trips up schools
The Australian - Andrew Trounson - February 5, 2014THE national teaching standards body is forcing some universities to revise their early childhood courses by cracking down on the number of practical placement days required. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership said it was simply taking a more "explicit...
Women still battling for a seat at the top table
The Australian - Michael Bennett - February 5, 2014But Mr Narev said solving issues like flexible work arrangements and affordable childcare would take time. Mr Rothery said retaining senior women in Goldman's Asia business was not an issue because of affordable childcare, emphasising how "absolutely critical" it was. In contrast to senior...
Call to dump generous paid parental leave
The Australian - February 5, 2014MORE child-care access outside of business hours is needed to accommodate growing numbers of shift workers, a leading business group claims. The Australian Industry Group wants barriers to affordable and accessible childcare addressed to boost workforce participation and address skill...
Dump 'gold-plated' baby pay plan: AiG
Financial Review - Phillip Coorey - February 4, 2014The Australian Industry Group has called on the Abbott government to dump its "gold-plated" $5.5 billion paid parental leave scheme and devote the money to improving childcare. In a submission into the Productivity Commission review into childcare, AiGroup chief executive Innes Willox...
Korea Adopts Name-and-Shame Tool to Boost Jobs for Moms
BusinessWeek - Eunkyung Seo and Cynthia Kim - February 4, 2014South Korea will adopt a name-and-shame policy, publicly identifying companies with low female employment levels, as President Park Geun Hye targets 1.65 million extra jobs for women. Policy steps will include increased subsidies for parents on childcare leave and preferential treatment for...
Jobs warning on cuts to care cash
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 4, 2014THE workforce participation rate of mothers will take a hit if childcare subsidies are reduced, according to a national survey of parents conducted by major not-for-profit early learning and care provider Mission Australia. Submissions to the Productivity Commission inquiry closed yesterday...
Childcare roll-up Stirling seeks north of $200m
Financial Review - Tim Dodd - February 4, 2014A group of former Study Group executives is preparing childcare roll-up Stirling Early Education for an initial public offering, which is scheduled for the June quarter and aims to raise more than $200 million from new investors. Macquarie Group’s securities arm has booked fund managers to...
Private schools take pre-kindy at three
The West Australian - Bethany Hiatt - February 4, 2014Many children are experiencing their first day of school as young as three years old as more parents choose school programs instead of child care. Compulsory schooling for WA students used to start at Year 1 in the year children turned six, but pre-primary became the first stage of...
