Childcare, leave, housing: Where women won in Labor’s first budget
The Sydney Morning Herald - Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon - October 27, 2022
In a policy already announced, from July next year, a higher income eligibility threshold of $530,000 will lift subsidy rates for 96 per cent of families using childcare. Under $80,000, the refund will be 90 per cent for a first child. The rates are also more generous for...
The cost of what the Budget doesn’t address will cost us all in the long run
The Sector - Dr Marg Rogers and Associate Professor Laura Doan - October 27, 2022
The recent Federal Budget offers a solution to the cost of childcare for families, which will be a welcome relief for many families who are struggling with the cost of living. However, it does not deal with the elephant in the room, the lack of educators. Whilst some recent...
Cheaper childcare promise could be scuppered by staff shortages
Financial Review - Euan Black - October 26, 2022
Childcare workers will need pay rises if the sector is to attract enough staff to meet the surge in demand triggered by extra spending in Tuesday’s budget, economists say. The federal government will increase the maximum childcare subsidy rate to 90 per cent for families...
Couples earning $350k to get parental leave benefits in ‘family-friendly’ budget
The Sydney Morning Herald - Anthony Galloway - October 23, 2022
Couples will be assessed on their combined income to be eligible for the Commonwealth’s paid parental leave scheme for the first time in what Treasurer Jim Chalmers promises to be a “family-friendly” budget on Tuesday. The move, to be announced on Sunday, will form...
Government to use boosted paid parental leave to entice fathers to do more caring
The Sydney Morning Herald - David Crowe - October 20, 2022
New fathers will be given incentives to shoulder more of the work in raising young children under a federal bid to use a $600-million boost to paid parental leave to force a change in culture to keep mothers in the workforce. A federal taskforce will push for a “use it or lose it”...
New Educational Leader wage allowance – How does it work?
The Sector - Freya Lucas - October 20, 2022
With the recent announcement made by the Fair Work Commission that the Children’s Services Award would include a new educational leader allowance many early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals have had questions about how the allowance will be paid...
Period of emergency declared for ECEC sector in parts of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania
The Sector - Freya Lucas - October 20, 2022
Following heavy rainfall and flooding, the Federal Department of Education (DET) has declared a period of emergency for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in parts of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. This means that early learning service providers...
Landmark childcare reforms become law
NSW Government - October 18, 2022
Families across NSW will be able to access cheaper, high quality childcare after the legislation underpinning the Government’s landmark women’s economic opportunity reforms passed Parliament. The NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Act 2022 will drive...
NSW Government addresses key questions on Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund
The Sector - Jason Roberts - October 17, 2022
As the New South Wales Government progresses the Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Bill 2022 through its legislative assembly additional details on how the fund is expected to be governed has been provided by the NSW Department of Education. Governance is...
Andrews government announces $31m plan to upgrade kindergartens across Victoria
Herald Sun - Laura Placella - October 14, 2022
An almost $4m expansion of a kindergarten in Melbourne’s south east is among hundreds of early learning centres that will be upgraded by the state government. Scammell Child and Family Hub in Oakleigh South is set to receive $3.7m to create an additional 66 places...
Horrible problem being faced by parents across the country
The Courier Mail - Brooke Rolfe - October 11, 2022
Working parents across the country are enduring an unprecedented childcare catastrophe, with many struggling with eleventh hour communication of centres being full. Extreme shortages of childcare staff – one of many devastating side effects of the Covid pandemic...
As frustrated parents give up on work over lack of regional childcare services, calls are growing for a rural model
ABC News - Shannon Schubert and Jonathon Kendall - October 5, 2022
As a mother living on a farm between Boort and Wycheproof in northern Victoria, Amy Fay has a one-hour round trip to the closest childcare centre in Wycheproof. In the Loddon Shire, there are no childcare centres. Ms Fay and her husband moved to the region for work, where...
Have your say on NSW landmark ECEC reforms
The Sector - Freya Lucas - October 4, 2022
The New South Wales Government is seeking feedback from the early childhood education and care (ECEC) community in relation to its landmark reforms which will see big changes to early learning and the introduction of a universal pre-Kindergarten year...
Unpacking the new Family Assistance Legislation – What are the key elements and how will they impact ECEC providers?
The Sector - Jason Roberts - September 30, 2022
On Wednesday the Federal Government introduced its Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Cheaper Child Care) Bill 2022 to the House of Representatives with the aim of enshrining into law the pre-election commitments outlined in Labor’s Plan for Cheaper Child Care...
’Burnt out’ childcare workers say centres are being forced to shut down and turn children away
The Daily Telegraph - Angira Bharadwaj - September 29, 2022
Childcare workers are leaving the industry in droves with red tape and strict rules forcing centres to shut up shop or care for fewer children, the sector’s peak body has claimed. The Australian Childcare Alliance has written to Premier Dominic Perrottet calling for an urgent “intervention”...
Childcare workers say government subsidy won't work unless staff shortages addressed
ABC News - Meg Bolton and Jessica Lamb - September 28, 2022
A Sunshine Coast childcare provider says parents won't be able to take advantage of a proposed federal government subsidy unless more workers enter the industry. Sunshine Coast daycare centre owner Pam Maclean has two centres in the region and a third one under construction...
Legislation designed to cut ECEC costs formally introduced to parliament
The Sector - Freya Lucas - September 28, 2022
Legislation designed to deliver promised cuts to the cost of early childhood education and care (ECEC) was introduced to parliament yesterday. The Federal Treasury estimates the proposed reforms will add the equivalent of up to 37,000 extra full-time workers to the economy...
Government removes key barrier to early learning for First Nations families, boosts subsidised hours
The Sector - Freya Lucas - September 27, 2022
he Federal Government will introduce new reforms this week which include a relaxation of CCS activity test requirements, designed to encourage more First Nation families to enroll their children into an early childhood education and care (ECEC) service. Currently 4.3 per...
What’s the one thing parents should know before choosing childcare? 17 women weigh in.
MamaMia - Alyssa Carver - September 22, 2022
As a first time mum, when it comes to my child I’m constantly worrying about… well, everything and anything. Has my daughter eaten enough today? Why is she so quiet in her room? When was the last time she pooped? What does green poop even mean? My big worry...
Australia can solve its childcare worker crisis, experts say — but only if we're 'bold'
ABC News - Gabriella Marchant - September 22, 2022
For most parents, giving their child a great shot at life is a fairly common ambition. Modern neuroscience tells us the answer isn't hours of remedial high school tutoring, but enriching their social, emotional and educational experiences in early life. In fact, about 90 per cent...
Competition watchdog to review spiralling childcare costs
The Australian - Catie McLeod - September 21, 2022
Australia’s competition watchdog will review spiralling prices in the childcare sector which have leapt by 41 per cent over the past eight years. The Albanese government has ordered the investigation to begin in January and report back by the end of 2023...
FDCA National Conference kicks off in Hobart, celebrating all things family day care
The Sector - Freya Lucas - September 14, 2022
The Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) 2022 National Conference begins this week in Hobart, bringing together family day care (FDC) professionals and early childhood education and care (ECEC) experts for three days of networking, workshops and plenary sessions...
Over 70 initiatives launched by major ECEC stakeholders to fight workforce challenges
The Sector - Jason Roberts - September 13, 2022
Faced with a persistently challenging workforce environment, key stakeholders from across the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector continue to invest heavily in a range of initiatives that focus on improving the current status quo of the sector and advancing...
ACECQA’s National ECEC Workforce Strategy implementation and evaluation plan released
The Sector - Freya Lucas - September 7, 2022
The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has released the implementation and evaluation framework plan for its National Workforce Strategy: Shaping our Future. The plan provides additional detail as to how the Strategy will be implemented...
'I'm an early childhood educator. This is why yesterday's shutdowns were essential.'
MamaMia - Laura Jackel - September 7, 2022
After a tumultuous few years for the early childhood sector, Early Childhood Educators Day (Wednesday September 7) will this year be used to highlight the urgent issues faced by the industry with an Australian wide shutdown of facilities and a series of rallies...
Childcare ‘a mess’: Early learning educators demand better pay, conditions
The Age - Nicole Precel - September 7, 2022
Thousands of early learning educators have packed Melbourne’s Federation Square to call for better pay and conditions, as the childcare sector struggles to cope with nationwide staff shortages. More than 1000 childcare centres temporarily shut down across...
Why the childcare changes can’t be fast-tracked
The Sydney Morning Herald - Katina Curtis - September 6, 2022
More voices are calling for the government to bring forward its planned increases to childcare subsidies to give parents more help with fees amid the cost-of-living crisis, but logistically, it will be nearly impossible for the changes to start before the mooted date...
Jobs and Skills Summit 2022 – What did it mean for the ECEC sector?
The Sector - Jason Roberts - September 5, 2022
The Federal Government wrapped up its first Jobs and Skills Summit on Friday 2 September after a broad coalition of representatives from over 140 unions, employers, peak bodies, civil society and government came together to discuss shared economic challenges and...
Improving childcare to get more women into work ‘biggest lever that we can pull’: Andrews
The Sydney Morning Herald - Rachel Clun - September 1, 2022
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says improving access to childcare to boost women’s participation in the workforce is the most important topic of the federal government’s two-day jobs and skills summit. “[It is] is perhaps the biggest lever that we can pull...
Multiple benefits to bringing CCS changes forward highlighted in new report
The Sector - Freya Lucas - August 30, 2022
Bringing forward the proposed changes to the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) would help address critical workforce shortages and save low-income families an additional $295, according to new analysis by Per Capita. From 1 July 2023, proposed changes to CCS income...
