Strong demand for Sydney childcare assets holds up at Burgess Rawson auctions
Financial Review - Su-Lin Tan - June 27, 2017
Investors showed their support for childcare centres once again, with sub-4 per cent yields achieved at Burgess Rawson's auction in Sydney on Tuesday. Demand for childcare centres is strong, particularly for inner-city areas such as Vaucluse and Chatswood, and it has spread into Sydney's north-west...
Working mums use holiday time to care for kids with colds and flu
News.com.au - Cara Jenkin - June 27, 2017
MUMS are being forced to use their annual leave to get out of work and care for a family member who is sick with a cold or flu, because dads are not using their sick/carer's leave to do it. A third (33 per cent) of mums still admit to feeling sad, guilty, stressed and anxious about their decision to...
Children can use smartphones but can't tie shoelaces
News.com.au - Chris Honnery - June 27, 2017
PRE-SCHOOLERS are more likely to be able to use a smartphone than tie their own shoelaces as parents increasingly outsource what was once a basic life skill. Working mums and dads are struggling to keep up with teaching their kids basic life skills and children as old as eight can't tie up their shoes...
Men quitting pink collar jobs because they feel stereotyped
University of Queensland - Dr Courtney von Hippel - June 26, 2017
Men often appear to have an advantage over women in the workplace, but that is not always the case in female-dominated industries. A study led by University of Queensland School of Psychology researcher Dr Courtney von Hippel has found that men working in 'pink-collar professions' – such as...
Pay parity for teachers: Low-quality preschooling could be hurting year 10 students, experts say
Sydney Morning Herald - Pallavi Singh - June 25, 2017
Australia is lagging significantly behind other OECD countries when it comes to the number of three-year-olds enrolled in high-quality preschool programs, which could be affecting students' academic performance up to at least year 10. Pay parity for teachers: Low-quality preschooling could be hurting year...
Educators and advocates say it's good for everyone if more men work in childcare
Border Mail - Janet Howie - June 25, 2017
Throughout Australian childcare centres and preschools each day, arriving youngsters are greeted mostly by female, not male, staff members. While quality care is quality care regardless of gender, industry representatives believe increasing the number of men in the sector helps in terms of role...
Child cruelty program intervenes to stop nightmare behaviour in the very young
Daily Telegraph - Jordan Baker - June 25, 2017
Her clinic, based at the university, treats children aged between three and seven whose behaviour raises red flags. Many of them have been kicked out of preschools or childcare, and other intervention programs directed at difficult kids have failed. Two-and-a-half years after it began, the program...
Childcare centre cuts rates to allow parents to work more
Herald Sun - Emma Hastings - June 24, 2017
A PASCOE Vale South childcare centre is slashing its fees to allow parents to work more days each week. Community Kids Pascoe Vale Early Education Centre is one of four G8 Education Group centres across Australia to cut fees by up to $30.50 a day. Centre manager Gemma Lewis said the decision...
Active Kids Rebate to fund more than traditional sports in anti-obesity drive
Daily Telegraph - Jason Tin - June 23, 2017
The state this week announced it would spend more than $200 million over four years on an "Active Kids Rebate" which will allow families to claim a $100 voucher per child each year to reduce the cost of getting their kids active. While the exhaustive list of sports is yet to be finalised, it appears...
Australia is still lagging on some aspects of early childhood education
The Conversation - Kate Torii, Sarah Pilcher & Stacey Fox - June 23, 2017
The OECD's latest Starting Strong report provides an update on early childhood education opportunities across the developed world, and a fresh insight into how Australian children are faring. The Starting Strong series, which began in 2001, provides valuable comparisons and analysis of early...
Future Melbourne: Women contribute most to unpaid economy, many struggle to get paying jobs
Herald Sun - John Masanauskas & Charlotte Brundrett - June 23, 2017
WOMEN are contributing most to the $565 billion "unpaid economy" but many of them are being held back from getting paying jobs due to geographic isolation, says a new report. The study by business consultant PwC revealed that childcare formed the lion's share of the unpaid economy, with women...
School starting age changes in Tasmania versus Australia
The Examiner - Caitlin Jarvis - June 21, 2017
The proposed changes by the government hinge on the definition of pre-school, or Kindergarten, and the first year of formal school, also known as Prep. The current procedure for Tasmanian children is they start their first formal year of school, or Prep, at five years old. They have access to pre...
One-third of preschoolers own smartphones
SBS News - June 21, 2017
It appears owning a smartphone or tablet is the new normal for Australian children, raising serious health concerns among pediatricians. The latest Australian Child Health Poll shows one-third of preschoolers and two- thirds of primary school-aged children own such devices and 50 per cent of them...
Big data, ample opportunity: property sector embraces analytics
Financial Review - Nick Lenaghan - June 21, 2017
Mall owners such as GPT have begun employing data analytics to understand and influence shoppers. Childcare centre landlord Arena REIT is also looking to use the predictive power of big data to forecast supply and demand. Canadian-listed real estate software player Altus, in a recent visit to...
Frasers signs up Guardian, Corning in Mulgrave business park
Financial Review - Larry Schlesinger - June 20, 2017
Frasers Property Australia has secured leasing deals with childcare provider Guardian and specialist manufacturer Corning worth a combined $8.2 million at its business park in Mulgrave in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. Guardian, one of Australia's largest childcare providers, has committed to...
Arena nurtures bounty in childcare portfolio
Financial Review - Nick Lenaghan - June 20, 2017
Arena REIT has captured more value from the busy market in childcare centres, booking a $23.8 million lift in its portfolio valuation over the past six months. The represents an increase of 4.2 per cent over book value. "It has been an active six-month period with several positive portfolio outcomes...
School starting age changes 'serious issue': Launceston Legislative Council member Rosemary Armitage
The Examiner - Caitlin Jarvis - June 20, 2017
Impact of the state government's proposed school starting age on child care and the early education sector will be paramount when Launceston Legislative Council member Rosemary Armitage considers the changes. Ms Armitage and her Legislative Council colleagues are expected to debate the changes...
TAFE director appeals for federal support
Central Western Daily - Danielle Cetinski - June 20, 2017
TAFE diploma enrolments have plummeted by half due to red tape and federal intervention is needed to preserve quality training, according to the organisation's managing director. Jon Black spoke out on Tuesday, prompted by skills shortages in construction and early childhood in the state's west...
WA Catholic Education fined $9000 after 6yo wandered away from school
WA Today - Heather McNeill - June 19, 2017
The WA Catholic Education Commission has been fined $9000 after a six-year-old child wandered away from a Bayswater after-school care unnoticed and was found by a member of the public 20 minutes later. The girl left St Columba's Primary School around 5pm on February 2 - the second...
Nannies train to protect kids from terrorism and kidnap attempts
Daily Telegraph - Clarissa Bye - June 17, 2017
IT looks like Mary Poppins meets James Bond but this training is deadly serious. Nannies are now being taught how to cope with extreme emergencies including terrorism or attempted child abductions. While such security was once only for nannies to the royals or high-profile families...
The new type of debt fuelling private equity's next buying spree
Financial Review - Jemima Whyte - June 14, 2017
In April, Bain Capital Private Equity was in the market syndicating the debt for its $400 million acquisition of after school care business Camp Australia. Now, its bankers are in the market seeking to refinance a portion of the $320 million of debt in $A TLB, possibly with a five to seven-year tenure...
Low yield property deals an investment 'suicide': Quintessential Equity
Financial Review - Larry Schlesinger - June 14, 2017
Concerns about a potential bubble building in the commercial property market have been growing louder as yields have tumbled on sought-after assets like childcare centres, supermarkets, take-away restaurants and petrol stations. Last month, a new record low 3.6 per cent yield was...
Mason's Law sees rise in abuse reports from childcare workers
Townsville Bulletin - Rachel Riley - June 13, 2017
REPORTS from childcare workers over potential child abuse have increased more than 20 per as carers embrace Mason''s Law even before it is officially enforced from July 1. The Department of Child Safety has revealed that from January to March this year, the number of calls from childcare personnel to...
Childcare centres offer parents giftcard incentives to switch from rival businesses
The Daily Telegraph - Natasha Bita - June 10, 2017
DESPERATE daycare providers are poaching clients in a fight for toddlers, giving gift cards to parents who transfer from rival centres. Established operators are now demanding a ban on competitors opening nearby, in a bid to protect their taxpayer-funded profits. Despite long waiting lists and...
School days stretched to 12 hours to help time-poor families burdened by long commutes and childcare
The Daily Telegraph - Bruce McDougall - June 10, 2017
SCHOOLS are staying open for 12 hours a day in a radical overhaul of traditional class time that is providing major relief to pressured and stressed families. A new school in Sydney's booming west is operating from 6am to 6pm - and more are set to offer longer hours as parents struggle daily...
Childcare, primary schools to teach about suicide, mental health
Courier Mail - Lanai Scarr - June 8, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: Three-year-olds in childcare and students from preschool and kindergarten upwards will be taught about suicide awareness and mental health as part of a $53 million Mental Health in Education program to be announced by the Turnbull government today (Thursday)...
White Gum Valley childcare centre to take part in WA study into children's physical activity
Fremantle Gazette - Jessica Nico - June 8, 2017
A NEW WA study will investigate the physical activity of local children with the help of a White Gum Valley childcare centre. The UWA, Telethon Kids Institute and Australian Childcare Alliance PLAYCE study will look into the physical activity levels of children when at home and at childcare to ...
Toddler diet link to rapid infant growth and future obesity
Herald Sun - Brigid O'Connell - June 6, 2017
THE diets of toddlers will go under the microscope to discover at what point, and from what food, the roly-poly puppy fat of early childhood starts to increase the risk of future obesity. Previous studies have shown that rapid growth in the first two years of life puts a child at a two-to-threefold...
Chloe Shorten leads gender equality campaign for babies and toddlers
News.com.au - Liz Burke - June 5, 2017
The startling research suggests children learn "gender-role" behaviour that could lead to domestic violence by the age of two. The report says: "Children start learning 'gender appropriate' and 'gender-role' behaviour by the age of two, and develop their understanding of ideas about gender-related...
Gonski funding: give money to the parents, not the schools
Financial Review - David Leyonhjelm - June 1, 2017
When I proposed that childcare subsidies be reduced where household income exceeds $250,000, and eliminated where it exceeds $350,000, the major parties wet their pants. I had the government over a barrel so it said nothing, but Labor and the Greens went into conniptions. Labor claimed it...
