Childcare staff shortages ‘must top jobs summit agenda’
The Australian - Sarah Ison - August 11, 2022
Early educators are urging the federal government to put workforce shortages in childcare at the top of the jobs summit agenda before trying to fix issues in other sectors, arguing such efforts would be “derailed if parents can’t access quality appropriate childhood education...
Childcare sector reaching crisis point over workforce shortages and low wages
Community childcare centre director Rebecca Stiles is close to breaking point. After 27 years in the industry, she's now contemplating what was once unthinkable – joining the exodus from childcare and education. "That's actually heartbreaking, to think that crosses...
read more »Kindergartens to refund parents all advanced 2023 fees under overhaul
Herald Sun - Olivia Jenkins - August 8, 2022
Kindergarten centres must refund parents all advanced 2023 fees and accept as many children as their facility allows when Victoria’s early childhood system is overhauled next year. Under new guidelines seen by the Herald Sun that will be sent out to providers...
ABS reports 4.6% fall in net childcare costs as CCS affordability changes trump fee increases
The Sector - Jason Roberts - August 8, 2022
Child care prices fell by 4.6 per cent in the three months ended June 2022 across the metropolitan cities of Australia compared to the same period last year as changes to the Child Care Subsidy continued to flow through to improve overall affordability for families...
LDC new supply growth at just 2.7%, OSHC sees another big jump says latest NQF snapshot
The Sector - Jason Roberts - August 8, 2022
The growth in supply of new long day care (LDC) centres across Australia rose just 2.7 per cent year on year according to the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority’s (ACECQA) latest NQF Snapshot. The result was the second consecutive print...
NSW preschools set for upgrades in $15m government cash splash
The Daily Telegraph - Emily Burley - August 7, 2022
There will be an extra 600 places created at 18 community preschools across NSW. The $15 million upgrades to centres will allow hundreds more to attend a program at least two days per week, and cut wait times for prospective families. This will include centres across...
The 6 very distinct phases of your toddler's first week at childcare
MamaMia - Hannah Mansur - August 5, 2022
Parenting in the internet age is a constant reminder that my experience is not unique. Yes, every child is special, et cetera, et cetera, but there’s a reason parenting memes are so relatable. Here’s why: we’re all having the same core experience, just in different packaging...
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) lends support to action plan
The Sector - Freya Lucas - August 4, 2022
Peak early childhood advocacy body Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has joined Thrive By Five and a broad coalition of unions, educator groups, experts, and advocates for children and parents, to launch the Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Action Plan...
Fix low wages for ‘women’s work’ before childcare sector falls over: Aged care commissioner
The Sydney Morning Herald - Angus Thompson - August 3, 2022
The childcare sector is at risk of experiencing the same fate as aged care and its exodus of underpaid and burnt-out staff unless the federal government funds a wage increase, one of the aged care royal commissioners says. Lynelle Briggs – one of three former commissioners...
ATAGI recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine use in children aged 6 months to <5 years
Australian Government - Department of Health and Age Care - August 3, 2022
ATAGI recommends COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months to <5 years with severe immunocompromise, disability, and those who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe COVID-19. These include children with the following...
Australia should look overseas for ECEC solutions, new report recommends
The Sector - Freya Lucas - August 2, 2022
Australia should look at successful overseas policy options to deliver affordable, quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), a new report from the Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre has recommended. New research has recommended the terms of reference...
CPD creates briefing paper Starting Now to offer roadmap for ECEC reform
The Sector - Freya Lucas - August 1, 2022
The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) has created Starting Now, a roadmap for State and Commonwealth cooperation to secure the benefits of early childhood reform. Starting Now recommends a number of actions to ensure that high-quality, accessible and affordable...
‘Massive brake’: Sector says workforce shortages a barrier to progress on childcare
The Sydney Morning Herald - Katina Curtis - July 31, 2022
Advocacy groups say dire workforce shortages in childcare need to be overcome if state and federal governments are to achieve their goal of improving outcomes in the sector. With about 6500 job vacancies across early education, experts are also urging governments to...
Desperately short of qualified staff, childcare centres ask to bend the rules
The Sydney Morning Herald - Adam Carey - July 27, 2022
More childcare centres are operating without enough qualified early childhood teachers because of a worsening staff shortage that could undermine the federal government’s pledge to make childcare more affordable. The latest data from the national early childhood education...
Securing before and after school care in regional NSW
NSW Government - July 26, 2022
Balancing work and life for families in regional NSW will become easier thanks to a $37.9 million investment in before and after school care. Acting Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell yesterday visited Bulahdelah Central School...
Online event will see ECEC gather to improve cultural safety for First Nations children
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 26, 2022
Hundreds of representatives from across the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in NSW are expected to attend an online event tomorrow with the aim of improving cultural safety for First Nations children and families. The event will be the first time that ECEC...
Peak bodies CCC and ELAA call off merger discussions post review and feedback
The Sector - Jason Roberts - July 25, 2022
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) peak bodies, the Community Child Care Association (CCC) and Early Learning Association of Australia (ELAA), have confirmed in an email to members that the two organisations have called off an exploration as to whether an...
Special grants to support women returning to work in NSW can fund ECEC
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 22, 2022
Women who are returning to work in New South Wales can apply for grant funding which can be used to cover the gap fee for early childhood education and care (ECEC) and other expenses such as education, work appropriate clothing, transport or technology. The $32 million...
Childcare workers to strike nationally amid sector ‘crisis’ with poor pay and working conditions
The Australian - Blake Antrobus - July 21, 2022
Childcare workers across the nation will strike amid a “crisis” over poor pay and working conditions which have plagued the early learning sector for years. United Workers Union delegates voted on Wednesday to stage the mass walkout, with the strike to take place...
$10,000 grants available for ECEC services to help them get children moving
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 21, 2022
The Heart Foundation will offer ten grants of up to $10,000 each to early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers, as well as other select groups, to help fund new, innovative projects that get more people moving. Falling under the Active Australia Innovation...
COVID vaccines for children under 5 are almost here. Here’s what parents need to know
The conversation - Daryl Cheng and Margie Danchin - July 19, 2022
The vaccine has been approved for children aged six months to five years. However, we need to wait for advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to provide further scientific advice and recommendations around an immunisation...
$11 million in NSW Budget allocated to support ECTs through scholarship program
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 19, 2022
Thanks to an almost $11 million NSW Government investment funding scholarships, 439 aspiring early childhood teachers (ECTs) from across the state are set to receive a cash boost to complete their studies. The scholarships are being awarded across the state to attract...
Educator crisis impacts the OSHC sector as vacation care demand peaks
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 19, 2022
Families in the nation’s capital are struggling to care for their children during the winter school holiday break as a shortage of educators in the outside school hours care (OSHC) sector impacts. While the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is already facing...
Pandemic life has affected our kids and their behaviour. This is what we can do.
MamaMia - Laura Jackel - July 16, 2022
After over two years of stress and disruption to our lives from the COVID-19 pandemic, a cohort of children has started daycare, pre-school and primary school without spending much time in the company of others. During lockdown, parents looked after kids, often while...
Andrews government splashing $1m to woo New Zealand teachers
Herald Sun - Susie O'Brien - July 15, 2022
The Andrews government will attempt to steal qualified early childhood educators from across the ditch to help fill kindergarten staff shortages across Victoria. Early Childhood Education and Pre-Prep Minister Ingrid Stitt on Friday unveiled a new $1 million program aimed...
ACTU says ECEC is the key to filling record number of job vacancies
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 14, 2022
Job vacancies have doubled since before the pandemic, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has remarked, and access to affordable quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is one of the key ways in which the country can boost workforce participation...
Preschool program must cater for Indigenous children in their own language
The Australian - Stephen Lunn - July 12, 2022
The Albanese government is looking to improve outcomes from a key government-funded early learning program for disadvantaged preschoolers by offering more services in First Nations languages. The $30m-a-year Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters...
Early childhood teachers offered $50k bonus to relocate
Herald Sun -Susie O'Brien - July 12, 2022
Qualified early childhood teachers are receiving bonus payments of up to $50,000 for taking up hard-to-fill jobs in Victorian preschools. With the new kindergarten reforms creating demand for 6000 early-childhood educators, incentive packages starting at $9000...
RACP latest organisation to partner with Thrive by Five and call for reform
The Sector - Freya Lucas - July 12, 2022
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has lent its support to calls for early learning reform being made through the Thrive by Five campaign, noting the correlation with goals of its own Kids COVID Catch Up Campaign, which aims to support children...
Story of Bogong moth feasts brings Indigenous language into schools
The Age - Jack Latimore - July 5, 2022
A children’s book about an annual trip to Victoria’s high country to feast on Bogong moths is introducing an Aboriginal language that has not been spoken fluently since the 19th century into schools and kindergartens in the state’s north-east. Bijil Ba Wudhi Deberra: Bijil...
