Child Care News
Childcare costs another negative for Coalition in teal seats
Financial Review - Julie Hare - May 10, 2022Exorbitant childcare costs in key blue ribbon Liberal seats could be a secret weapon for teal independents against the federal government. New data from the Mitchell Institute shows that five of the 10 most expensive electorates for childcare in Australia have...
Launch into Work could be the answer to workforce shortage for some ECEC services
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 10, 2022Launch into Work, an initiative of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) could be the answer to the workforce shortage challenge being experienced by many early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. The program supports the delivery...
‘Childcare deserts’ leave the nation’s at-risk kids even worse off
The Sydney Morning Herald - Nicole Precel and Nigel Gladstone - May 9, 2022Parents in regional Australia have the most developmentally vulnerable children but the poorest access to childcare, according to new analysis which also reveals that some of the country’s most expensive childcare is in Liberal-held electorates being challenged by “teal”...
Building Futures Montessori submit development proposal for Wynnum childcare centre
The Courier Mail - Brayden Heslehurst - May 9, 2022A southeast Queensland early learning giant could be the latest company to move into Brisbane bayside’s booming CBD after submitting a development proposal to build one of the area’s biggest childcare centres. Building Futures Montessori submitted a development...
Applications open for early childhood education flood grants
NSW Government - May 8, 2022Applications are now open for grants of up to $30,000 for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services impacted by major flooding in the Northern Rivers. $9 million in funding is available to help eligible services in the Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Kyogle, Richmond...
LDC new centre growth rate falls again whilst other settings spike higher according to latest NQF Snapshot
The Sector - Jason Roberts - May 8, 2022The annual growth rate of long day care (LDC) services in Australia has fallen to just 2.8 per cent, a level not seen since 2016 and materially lower than the high point recorded prior to COVID-19, according to the latest release of the Australian Children’s Education...
Early learning & care is radically unaffordable but there is a bigger crisis
Women's Agenda - Georgie Dent - May 6, 2022On Mother’s Day in 2015 the then-Social Services Minister, Scott Morrison, announced a substantial package to make early childhood education and care more affordable and accessible to families. A Media Release, published on 10 May 2015 announcing the investment...
New Child Safe Standards come into effect on 1 July 2022
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 6, 2022The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) have released resources to help organisations implement the new Child Safe Standards which come into effect for Victorian organisations, including early childhood education and care (ECEC) services from 1 July 2022...
New research aims to highlight the barriers and facilitators to participation in ECEC
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 6, 2022New research from Australian and International researchers has aimed to highlight the barriers and facilitators to participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) finding that the availability of longer days drew families to ECEC while cost was noted as a detractor...
ECEC workforce needs strong investment to overcome shortages new report finds
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 6, 2022Shortages in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce should be tackled through investment which would in turn boost employment, unlock productivity and support life-long development outcomes for children, a new report from the Carmichael Centre...
Childcare staffing crisis set to get worse, warns report
The Daily Telegraph - Julie Cross - May 6, 2022Exclusive: About one in 10 childcare centre roles are vacant, according to the latest data, as a new report predicts the staffing crisis will only get worse. The lack of workers means thousands of centres are operating with waivers to permit operation despite inadequate...
Goodstart Early Learning to expand EChO network to support more children
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 5, 2022Goodstart Early Learning, Australia’s largest early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider has announced that it will provide support services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and child and family practitioner support to more of its centres using...
Vic government directs more than $217 million to early learning in 2022/23 Budget
The Sector - Freya Lucas - May 4, 2022The recently announced Victorian Budget for 2022/23 has allocated an investment of more than $217 million to various facets of early learning including its Universal Access program for Kindergarten. Aside from the investment in maintaining universal access to four-year-old...
Make affordable childcare part of the education system
Financial Review - Georgie Dent - May 3, 2022Speak to any working parent with children under five and they have a similar problem. They either can’t get a spot in their local early learning centre or if they do, they are paying fees starting at $130 plus per day for access before receiving any subsidy. We pay some of...
190,000 Before and After School Care vouchers already downloaded by families
NSW Government - May 3, 2022More than 190,000 vouchers, worth $500 each, have been claimed by families for Before and After School Care (BASC) since the NSW Government program was announced in February. The $155 million BASC Voucher Program is providing one voucher per child to...
