Child Care News

Soaring childcare costs forcing women out of work
Meet The Press - Kathryn Robinson - July 21, 2013

Many mothers across the nation are refusing to work full time of get a job at all because of the exorbitant costs of childcare. On average the national rate of child care is $80 a day, but exclusive analysis by News Corp Australia reveals many families are forced to pay much more. In some...

Affordable childcare a must, not a luxury
Daily Telegraph - Sarrah Le Marquand - July 21, 2013

DENYING women an education might sound more like a policy in keeping with the Taliban than the Australian government, but until affordable childcare becomes a reality it makes sense for universities to become male-only institutions. Why bother investing millions of dollars in some of...

Childcare costs keep NSW mums out of the workforce
Daily Telegraph - Jessica Marszalek and Jackson Gothe-Snape - July 20, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work - and even refusing to return to the workforce at all - because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. The revelation from parents and industry groups comes as exclusive analysis by The Sunday Telegraph has revealed the most...

Mothers spurn return to full-time employment
Herald Sun - Jessica Marszalek and Jackson Gothe-Snape - July 20, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work - and even refusing to return to the workforce at all - because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. The revelation from parents and industry groups comes as exclusive analysis by the Sunday Herald Sun has revealed the most...

Childcare costs a job killer for mothers
Courier Mail - Jessica Marszalek and Jackson Gothe-Snape - July 20, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work - and even refusing to return to the workforce at all - because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. The revelation from parents and industry groups comes as exclusive analysis by The Sunday Mail has revealed the most...

Childcare costs return to work
The Mercury - Blair Richards - July 21, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work -- and even refusing to return to the workforce at all -- because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. The revelation from parents and industry groups comes as exclusive analysis by the Sunday Tasmanian has revealed the most...

Data analysis shows south Adelaide electorate of Boothby having high childcare cost
AdelaideNow - Jessica Marszalek and Jackson Gothe-Snape - July 20, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work - and even refusing to return to the workforce at all - because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. The revelation from parents and industry groups comes as exclusive analysis by The Sunday Mail has revealed the most...

Mums 'can't afford to work' because of high cost and confusion of finding childcare
PerthNow - Jessica Marszalek and Jackson Gothe-Snape - July 20, 2013

MOTHERS are saying no to full-time work - and even refusing to return to work - because of the high cost and confusion of finding childcare. Analysis by The Sunday Times has revealed the most expensive areas in Australia for childcare. WA parents are paying about $83 a day on average...

Asian nannies could help parents and ease childcare shortages
The Australian - Ross Taylor - July 20, 2013

TONY Abbott's pitch to young women with his paid parental leave scheme may prove highly attractive to young families desperately in need of maintaining their income stream while wanting to ensure their new child has the best care possible. Australia not only faces a severe skills shortage...

Desperately seeking longer stay for extra au pair of hands
The Australian - Ben Westcott - July 20, 2013

AU pair agencies are calling on the government to make changes to the Working Holiday visa as demand for overseas nannies soars. They want the working period extended from six months to at least a year and for students from more countries to be eligible for a Working Holiday visa...

Childcare wage subsidy to start
Financial Review - Fleur Anderson - July 20, 2013

Childcare centre operators can now apply for a slice of a $300 million taxpayer-funded scheme to subsidise some childcare workers' wages for up to two years. The Early Years Quality Fund will provide a $3-an-hour top-up to early childhood educators' pay as long as their employers sign an...

Mind the gap: lessons for parents
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 19, 2013

MENTORS will be deployed into the homes of indigenous families in 25 regional communities across the nation to help parents prepare their young children for school. Under the program, tutors teach disadvantaged parents with pre-school children how to help them learn before they go to school...

Business backs PM on mums' leave
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - July 19, 2013

THE Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has backed the Rudd government's paid parental leave scheme and slammed Tony Abbott's alternative, arguing that childcare assistance is a more pressing issue. In a submission to a government review, ACCI says any levy on business...

Pitiful pay shows we do not value child and aged care workers who care for our most valuable and vulnerable
Courier Mail - Jane Fynes-Clinton - July 18, 2013

CHILDCARE workers are among the lowest paid in Australia. Pay for aged care workers improved this month, but they are still on a pittance. It is ludicrous that those whose profession involves caring for those most precious in our society - our very young and our very old - are paupers...

Coalition will call for childcare inquiry
Financial Review - Tony Abbott - July 17, 2013

Maria O'Brien is right when she argues the clear linkage between low female participation rates and the rigidities of the current childcare system. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 120,000 parents say they can't access employment because they can't find suitable childcare...