Child Care News
Childcare - like life - is about so much more than economics
The Guardian (UK) - Zoe Williams - November 20, 2013Solve childcare and you win the election. This is the calculation politicians make - whether they set about it like Nick Clegg, rolling out childcare for the poorest under-twos, or like Ed Miliband, promising 8am to 6pm care for schoolkids, or you take David Cameron's rather perverse course...
Call for Bold Reform on Child Wellbeing
Pro Bono Australia - November 19, 2013A research alliance has called on the Federal Government to make Australia a top five OECD country for education performance, physical wellbeing, social and emotional wellbeing by 2025 in Australia's first national plan for child and youth wellbeing. The Nest action agenda was launched...
G8 Education expects to beat consensus earnings
Motley Fool - Tim McArthur - November 19, 2013Childcare centre owner and manager G8 Education (ASX: GEM) on Friday last week released guidance to the market that it expects to exceed the average earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) forecast by the four brokers that cover the stock "by less than 5%" for the financial year...
Childcare must work for parents and kids
Financial Review - November 19, 2013As many working parents will attest, we don't have childcare sorted in this country and that is harmful for both workforce participation and children's learning and development. The Productivity Commission inquiry will look at both these areas. We spend $5 billion a year - a large chunk of...
Quality childcare creates manifold economic benefits for Australia
Sydney Morning Herald - Lisa Bryant - November 19, 2013Women are a pesky gender. They are going along, doing their bit for the economy and being productive members of the workforce and then boom. They get to their mid-20s, and suddenly their workforce participation drops. For some reason it doesn't recover for another two decades...
Childcare inquiry to test government's commitment to difficult reforms
Sydney Morning Herald - November 19, 2013Some will see the Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare as a convenient excuse for Tony Abbott to introduce subsidies for nannies; one that allows him to weaken unions and stop plans to lift staff- qualification rules in the sector. These are valid concerns, but not insurmountable...
Productivity Commission childcare hearings likely to pit nanny against centre
Sydney Morning Herald - Daniella Miletic, Rachel Browne - November 19, 2013A proposal to provide government rebates for families who employ nannies would drive up the cost of childcare and cause greater disruption in a sector already beset by high staff turnover. As the Productivity Commission prepares to hold public hearings and take submissions as part of a...
No changes to PPL scheme despite review
Nine News - November 18, 2013There will be no changes to the coalition's signature paid parental leave policy despite it being included in a childcare sector review. Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne says the scheme was included in a Productivity Commission review into the childcare sector only because it would...
Libs put paid parental leave in the mix for childcare inquiry
The Australian - Nicola Berkovic and Patricia Karvelas - November 18, 2013TONY Abbott has given the Productivity Commission scope to examine his pre-election commitment of a $5.5 billion paid parental leave scheme as part of a sweeping inquiry into the childcare sector. The government yesterday released terms of reference for the inquiry, which will examine...
Affinity confident float will allow deals for 68 childcare centres
Financial Review - Sally Rose - November 18, 2013Affinity Education Group hopes a successful $77.5 million equity raising will allow it to strike deals to buy 68 childcare entities from 30 groups as part of an initial public offering opening on November 18. Affinity chief executive officer and executive director Justin Laboo said based on the...
PCYC considers childcare
The Examiner - Rosemary Bolger - November 18, 2013TASMANIA'S largest youth organisation is considering opening up a network of childcare centres as part of a major restructure to avoid collapse. As crucial federal funding remains in doubt, the Police and Community Youth Clubs are undergoing a major restructure to make the organisation less...
Wise review of childcare
Herald Sun - November 17, 2013AUSTRALIA spends $5 billion a year and counting on childcare assistance for working parents. But ask many parents racing to pick up children before the childcare centre closes, asking their son to eat a muesli bar in the back seat of a car for breakfast or struggling to pay rising fees and you...
Childcare: Regulator says third of centres not meeting benchmarks
Sun Herald - Cosima Marriner - November 17, 2013Early childhood centres are struggling to meet demanding new standards for the education, health and safety of young children, according to the national regulator. But new data shows most services are rated highly for their relationships with children, staffing arrangements, and partnerships...
Childcare call to lift burden of red tape
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - November 16, 2013PRIVATE childcare providers have delivered the government a blueprint for red-tape reform, highlighting the areas where they believe the system is broken. The areas of contention include forcing centres to spend so much time on proving they have good "sustainability" processes...
Prime Minister Tony Abbott's plan for childcare choice as parents have their say
Sunday Telegraph - Samantha Maiden - November 16, 2013PARENTS will be asked to deliver their verdict on childcare assistance, tax breaks for nannies, workplace childcare and after-school care in the biggest childcare review in two decades. Declaring the current 9-5 model for childcare out of touch with the modern workplace, Prime Minister...
