Child Care News
Childcare costs rise
Melbourne Weekly - Rhiana Whitson - February 14, 2012The changes are designed to create a better caring and learning environment for children and relieve pressure on staff. MW surveyed 20 Whitehorse and Manningham childcare centres and found 18 had raised their fees because of the changes...
Ms Ellis, the buck stops with you
Sussan Ley MP - Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 13, 2012The critical breakdown of the computer system which manages Government payments to and from childcare centres and families, is yet another stuff-up under the watch of childcare Minister, Kate Ellis. Opposition spokesperson for Childcare, Sussan Ley, says "I have examples of families...
Statement on Child Care Management System
Kate Ellis MP - Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care - February 11, 2012An article that appeared in today's edition of The Australian newspaper about the Child Care Management System is misleading and fails to mention critical facts. The vast majority of payments to child care centres are being made as usual through the Child Care Management System...
Childcare in crisis as systems crash
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas - February 11, 2012The nation's childcare data and payment systems are in crisis, with at least one child's confidential information sent to the wrong centre, some families charged $40,000 when they owed closer to $40, and data being wiped altogether. The government has failed to get the system...
Fathers juggling work-life time bomb struggling to nurture parent-child bond
The Age - Ben Schneiders and Michelle Griffin - February 11, 2012It is a paradox of the times. Fathers want to be more involved in raising and caring for their children but pressures from work are pulling them in the other direction. A book to be released next week points to the long hours worked in Australia and the even longer hours...
Here's Looking at You, Kid!
ABC Online - Lisa Chidlow (with Georgia Wilson) - February 10, 2012A team of researchers has captured a baby's eye-view of the world, right in the Central West town of Bathurst. Have you ever wondered just what babies or toddlers are thinking? It's a question many parents of young children would love answered at various times of the day...
High-quality childcare key to mothers' involvement in children's learning
NurseryWorld (UK) - Katy Morton - February 8, 2012Good quality childcare isn't only important for children, but their mothers too, claims a new study. Researchers from the University of Texas in the United States analysed data from the Early Child Care and Youth Development longitudinal study of more...
Property trust turns a profit on childcare
Ninemsn - February 08, 2012Strong demand for childcare has helped an Australian property trust turn a million dollar loss into a tidy little packet. Australian Education Trust (AET), which invests in early learning centres, on Wednesday recorded a net profit of $11.8 million for the half-year to December 31...
Finding job flexibility is the mother of all challenges
Australian Financial Review - Katie Walsh - February 08, 2012"A number of workplaces have definitely worked hard to facilitate women in the work place but there's no doubt the figures show there's still a long way to go," said Dr Harris. The government also had a role to play in keeping child care affordable, she said. While the child care rebate had...
Transport, childcare, and violence are key reasons for joblessness: study
The Australian - Sophie Gosper - February 07, 2012A major new study has blamed access to public transport, lack of childcare and violence in communities as the main reasons joblessness exists in lower socio-economic areas. A labour market study has revealed that families living in disadvantaged areas are confronted...
In-demand au pairs call for nanny status
The Australian - Patricia Karvelas and Sophie Gosper - February 07, 2012A surge in demand for au pairs, as working families search for a flexible, high-quality childcare option, has sparked a push for changes to rules governing visas for in-home nannies and childcare rebates. Ms Spicer backed the au pair industry's campaign for the childcare rebate to be...
SA childcare system cheapest in the nation
The Advertiser - Lauren Novak - February 06, 2012South Australia's childcare system is the cheapest in the nation - and is also clean, safe, accessible and well-funded by government, the Productivity Commission says. Its report on government services shows South Australia has the cheapest family day-care rates...
Paid parental leave changes proposed
Australian Finiancial Review - Pip Freebairn - February 7, 2012The Coalition will push for changes to the government's paid parental scheme when Parliament resumes today that it said would reduce small business compliance costs. Employers are responsible for administering the government-funded...
Lift the dead hand of government
Australian Finiancial Review - Jamie Briggs - February 7, 2012For instance, according to South Australian childcare providers, because of the government's "reforms" the cost of sending a three-year-old to childcare in 2016 will jump by more than $80 a week above normal increases...
Parents miss out on cash
Herald Sun - Angus Thompson - February 06, 2012A staggering number of families are adding unnecessary pressure to household expenses by failing to claim childcare rebates. Federal Government figures show that one-in-eight Victorian households are missing out on thousands of dollars...
