Childcare News
The latest childcare news, stories and developments.
How do children learn good manners?
Pexels/Anna Shvets Sophia Waters, University of New England Ensuring kids have manners is a perennial preoccupation for parents and caregivers. How, then, do you teach good manners to children? Modelling good manners around the home and in your own interaction with...
read moreParents say ‘good girl’ and ‘good boy’ all the time. Here’s why you should try and say something else
Fizkes/Shutterstock Amanda Niland, University of Sydney Good girl! Good boy! Parents, relatives and teachers say these phrases all the time and mean them positively. They may use it when a child puts on their shoes when asked, when they draw something interesting, or...
read moreMore Indigenous children are going to preschool, but is this enough?
Grace Sarra, Queensland University of Technology and Marnee Shay, The University of Queensland The latest Closing the Gap data contains some good news – there is a marked increase in early childhood enrolments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The...
read moreIs your child experiencing ‘winter burnout’? Here’s what to look out for
Karolina Grabowska/Pexels, CC BY Samantha Vlcek, RMIT University We know children often miss more school days in the winter months, as sickness sets in. But at this time of year, parents and teachers can also notice children disengaging from preferred activities and...
read moreEarly childhood educators are not ‘babysitters’. What do their jobs really involve?
Victoria Minson, Australian Catholic University There is a new push to make early education and care more affordable for Australian families. The Productivity Commission is due to hand a major report to the federal government at the end of June on how to give all...
read moreOther countries have struggled to control how kids access the internet. What can Australia learn?
Rawpixel/Shutterstock Lisa M. Given, RMIT University Debate continues to rage in Australia over whether children should (or can) be banned from social media. Following politicians’ recent promises to ban those under 16 from the platforms, eSafety Commissioner Julie...
read moreHow a little brown bird could sound the alarm on lead poisoning in Australian children
Simon C Griffith Max M Gillings, Macquarie University; Mark Patrick Taylor, Macquarie University, and Simon Griffith, Macquarie University Recent public health threats such as COVID, and the current bird flu outbreak in Victoria, show we can’t separate human health...
read moreNo, sugar doesn’t make your kids hyperactive
Sharomka/Shutterstock Amy Reichelt, University of Adelaide It’s a Saturday afternoon at a kids’ birthday party. Hordes of children are swarming between the spread of birthday treats and party games. Half-eaten cupcakes, biscuits and lollies litter the floor, and the...
read more‘A budget for mums and middle Australia’: Jim Chalmers
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra As it looks to an election next year when holding up Labor’s female vote will be vital, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared Tuesday will bring “a budget for mums and middle Australia”. “The primary focus of our economic plan is...
read moreFamily law has been overhauled. With the new changes about to kick in, how will they affect children?
Shutterstock Zoe Rathus, Griffith University In October 2023, the federal parliament passed major changes to how children’s cases are decided under the Family Law Act, which kick in next month. Among other things, they repeal a controversial legal presumption...
read moreAfter a second knife attack in Sydney, how can parents talk to their kids and help them feel safe?
Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University and Tomer Berkowitz, Deakin University In the space of three days, there have been two devastating knife attacks in Sydney. Your child may have seen these on the news or social media. Or they might be hearing about it from friends...
read moreKids and ‘bad’ news: how can parents safely introduce their children to news and current affairs?
Elise Waghorn, RMIT University While much attention has been drawn to the detrimental impact of violent video games on children’s developing brains, there has been relatively little discussion regarding the negative effects of news and current affair programs children...
read moreA hollow egg or the whole basket? How much chocolate should my kid eat this Easter?
Clare Dix, The University of Queensland; Helen Truby, The University of Queensland, and Stella Boyd-Ford, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making...
read moreBushfire smoke affects children differently. Here’s how to protect them
Dwan Vilcins, The University of Queensland; Nicholas Osborne, The University of Queensland, and Paul D. Robinson, The University of Queensland Bushfires are currently burning in Australian states including Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia. In...
read moreIs it OK if my child eats lots of fruit but no vegetables?
Yasmine Probst, University of Wollongong; Olivia Wills, University of Wollongong, and Shoroog Allogmanny, University of Wollongong Does it seem like most vegetables you serve your children end up left on the plate, or worse, strewn across the floor? But mention...
read moreWhat are bush kinders? And what makes a good one?
Marcus Wallis/Unsplash, CC BY-SA Chris Speldewinde, The University of Melbourne In Australia we have a long history of taking children outdoors to learn about the natural environment. But thanks to computer games, tablets and busy lifestyles, children aren’t getting...
read moreSanta Claus is coming to town! How to help kids manage the big build-up to Christmas
Richard Stachmann/Unsplash, CC BY Penny Van Bergen, University of Wollongong School is out and Santa is on his way, but there’s still a bit of a wait before he wriggles down that chimney. The days before Christmas are both exciting and challenging for children and...
read moreSome kids with reading difficulties can also have reading anxiety – what can parents do?
Element5 Digital/Pexels , CC BY-SA Genevieve McArthur, Australian Catholic University Australian children are facing some big challenges. NAPLAN data shows about one in three students in years 3 to 9 are behind in reading-related skills. It is also estimated about one...
read moreAI is now accessible to everyone: 3 things parents should teach their kids
Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels, CC BY-SA Kathy Mills, Australian Catholic University and Christian Moro, Bond University It is almost a year since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, fuelling great excitement as well as concern about what it might mean for education. The changes...
read moreMore Bluey, less PAW Patrol: why Australian parents want locally made TV for their kids
Liam Burke, Swinburne University of Technology Australian kids today have greater access to screen entertainment than any generation before. Across smartphones, tablets, laptops and the old-school TV set, streaming services mean there is an endless supply of kids’...
read more‘Why did he Leve Me?’ 5 things grieving children want to know about the death of a loved one
Shutterstock Lauren Breen, Curtin University Death and grief are not easy to talk about. Talking to children about these can be harder still. Our instinct to protect children from harsh realities means we might avoid these topics altogether. But, as we discovered in...
read moreTake risks, embrace failure and be comfortable with uncertainty: 3 activities to help your child think like an artist
Naomi Zouwer, University of Canberra As a visual artist and educator, I know how important it is to encourage your child to think and behave like an artist. But this is not necessarily about drawing or painting in a particular way. The habits of an artist include the...
read moreHow ‘dad jokes’ may prepare your kids for a lifetime of embarrassment, according to psychology
Shutterstock Shane Rogers, Edith Cowan University and Marc Hye-Knudsen, Aarhus University This Father’s Day you may be rolling out your best “dad jokes” and watching your children laugh (or groan). Maybe you’ll hear your own father, partner or friend crack a dad joke...
read more20% of children have developmental delay. What does this mean for them, their families and the NDIS?
Andrew Whitehouse, The University of Western Australia Professor Bruce Bonyhady is often described as the architect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and is co-chair of the panel reviewing it. He spoke last week about the sustainability challenges...
read moreWe need more than police checks: how parents and educators can keep childcare services safe from abuse
Shutterstock David Bartlett, Griffith University; Amanda L. Robertson, Griffith University, and Danielle Arlanda Harris, Griffith University Last week, a former childcare centre worker was charged with more than 1,600 child abuse offences, sending shivers through the...
read moreFixing the global childhood obesity epidemic begins with making healthy choices the easier choices – and that requires new laws and policies
Clean and safe city parks can be important factors in supporting kids’ health and well-being. paci77/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Kathleen Trejo Tello, College of Charleston The global childhood obesity epidemic has exploded. Over the past four decades, the...
read moreAs fees keep climbing, this is why competition isn’t enough to deliver cheaper childcare
Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels Danielle Wood, Grattan Institute The Australian consumer watchdog is halfway through an inquiry into childcare prices. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s interim report was released on Wednesday. It comes just days after the...
read moreHeard of ‘kindy flu’? There’s no such thing. But kids are at risk this flu season for one simple reason
Shutterstock Asha Bowen, Telethon Kids Institute and Christopher Blyth, The University of Western Australia The 2023 flu season may be one of Australia’s largest flu seasons on record, and doctors are concerned about the impact on children. You may have seen headlines...
read moreMost parents don’t pick a parenting style. But that’s why being a ‘conscious parent’ matters
Josh Willink/Pexels Cher McGillivray, Bond University The program Parental Guidance has been showing on Channel 9 this month. This is the second season of the show that pits 12 sets of parents with very different parenting styles against each other to work out which...
read moreExhausted, disconnected and fed up – what is ‘parental burnout’ and what can you do about it?
Shutterstock Alan Ralph, The University of Queensland For many parents, the reality of juggling the demands of caring responsibilities on their time, energy and resources leaves them with little time to take care of their own wellbeing. This can result in “parental...
read moreEarly educators around the world feel burnt out and devalued. Here’s how we can help
Anne Nygard/Unsplash Marg Rogers, University of New England South Australia’s royal commission into early childhood education led by Julia Gillard has released an interim report. The key recommendation is preschool for all three-year-olds (in a move similar to other...
read moreAt chocolate time, we’ve discovered what the brands that score best on child labour and the environment have in common
Companies require profits to survive. But if profit and making chocolate are their only drivers, they are likely to hurt people and the environment while doing it.
This Easter it is possible to support firms that are making profits without hurting the planet or its inhabitants. Our scorecard finds there are more and more of them.
read moreIs there a vaccine for RSV or respiratory syncytial virus? After almost 60 years, several come at once
Shutterstock Lara Herrero, Griffith University and Wesley Freppel, Griffith University You might not have heard of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. But it caused more than 100,000 global deaths in 2019, making it a leading cause of death in children under one year...
read moreBetter, cheaper childcare is on the horizon in Australia, but 4 key challenges remain
Paul Hanaoka/Unsplash Melissa Tham, Victoria University; Cynthia Leung, Victoria University, and Peter Hurley, Victoria University About 100 early childhood experts are meeting in Canberra today for a national summit on children who are five and under. This is part of...
read moreA message to anxious parents as 320,000 Australian children start school
Erik Anderson/AAP Kate Highfield, Australian Catholic University Around Australia, about 320,000 children are starting school for the first time. As an early childhood researcher, former kindergarten teacher, and parent of a child beginning school on Monday, this...
read moreA push to raise the school starting age to 6 sounds like good news for parents, but there’s a catch
Written by Amanda Niland, University of Sydney and Marianne Fenech, University of Sydney The decision about whether to send a child to school “early” or “hold them back” can be a tortuous one for families who have a child born in the first half of the year. So a...
read moreGive the gift of presence and love during the holidays
Family traditions and being present provide children with trusted, safe, secure, loving experiences and relationships that are important for their healthy development and future self. (Shutterstock) Nikki Martyn, University of Guelph-Humber The holidays are a time for...
read moreWhy we feel like Christmas comes around more quickly each year
How can it be December already.Luis Molinero/Shutterstock Written by Ruth Ogden, Liverpool John Moores University Think back to your childhood. December was the longest of months. It might have been filled with rehearsing school nativity performances, writing up your...
read more3 ways app developers keep kids glued to the screen – and what to do about it
Shutterstock Written by Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Deakin University and Sharon Horwood, Deakin University From learning numbers to learning how to brush your teeth, it seems there’s a kids’ app for everything. Recent US statistics indicate more than half of toddlers and...
read moreReal dirt, no fake grass and low traffic – what to look for when choosing a childcare centre
Jelleke Vanooteghem/Unsplash Written by Anne-Marie Morrissey, Deakin University and Deborah Moore, Monash University Choosing a childcare centre for your child can be a challenging process. To start with, choices may be limited if there are not many childcare centres...
read moreBaby sling safety is under the spotlight – a 5-point checklist can keep infants safe
Shutterstock Written by Jeanine Young, University of the Sunshine Coast Carrying babies in a soft fabric sling or carrier close to their parent or caregiver has been practised throughout the world for centuries. However, the recent inquest into the death of a...
read moreParents and screen time: are you a ‘contract maker’ or an ‘access denier’ with your child?
Annie Spratt/Erik Eastman (Unsplash), CC BY-SA Written by Xinyu (Andy) Zhao, Deakin University and Sarah Healy, The University of Melbourne Screen time was a battle for parents before COVID and it continues to be a battle, long after lockdowns have ended. The Royal...
read moreCOVID changed drop-off and pick ups – but parents can still have a strong relationship with their child’s educators
Written by Katherine Bussey, Deakin University; Deborah Moore, Monash University; Natalie Robertson, Deakin University, and Shelli Giosis, Deakin University One of the most obvious changes COVID has made to early childhood education in Australia has been around...
read more5 tips for building kids’ resilience after bumps, scrapes and other minor injuries
Shutterstock Written by Sarah Wallwork, University of South Australia Bang! A child trips and grazes their knee. Your toddler bumps his head on the table. Your niece stubs her toe. The tears flood in. Do you: (a) tell them to “brush-it-off”, (b) make a fuss and...
read moreCOVID vaccines for children under 5 are almost here. Here’s what parents need to know
Shutterstock Written by Daryl Cheng, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Margie Danchin, Murdoch Children's Research Institute COVID vaccines for children as young as six months look set to be available in the coming months, now the Therapeutic Goods...
read moreMore diversity can help solve twin problems of early childhood staff shortages and families missing out
Shutterstock Authors: Marilyn Campbell, Queensland University of Technology and Yan Qi, Queensland University of Technology Early childhood education and care is facing serious staff shortages in Australia. Thursday’s announcements by the New South Wales and Victorian...
read moreYes, the ‘terrible twos’ are full-on – but let’s look at things from a child’s perspective
Shutterstock Written by Rochelle Matacz, Edith Cowan University and Lynn Priddis, The University of Western Australia Meet Eli. He entered the second year of his life with gusto and now, aged 18 months, he is discovering new things every day including ideas he wants...
read moreHigh childcare fees, low pay for staff and a lack of places pose a huge policy challenge
Lukas Coch/AAP Written by Hannah Matthews, Victoria University and Peter Hurley, Victoria University Cheaper childcare was Labor’s largest single election promise, at an estimated cost of A$5.4 billion a year. Anthony Albanese went so far as to outline universal...
read moreThe 2018 childcare package was partly designed to help families work more. But the benefits were too modest to matter
Shutterstock Written by Rob Bray, Australian National University; Ben Phillips, Australian National University; Ilan Katz, UNSW Sydney, and Matthew Gray, Australian National University The federal government introduced the Jobs for Families Child Care Package in July...
read moreMore than 1 million Australians have no access to childcare in their area
Shutterstock Written by Peter Hurley, Victoria University About 9 million Australians, 35% of the population, live in neighbourhoods classified as childcare deserts – populated areas where there are more than three children per childcare place. In the first research...
read moreHow to Raise Successful Children
Good parenting plays a key role in determining the kind of person a child will become as an adult. In fact, studies conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that quality parenting leads to a number of positive child outcomes, including improved...
read morePicnic season is upon us!
With summer in full glory, who doesn't love picnic season? Nobody should be cooped up indoors when our country offers a wealth of enviable outdoor spaces to take in the fresh air. Find the perfect place to get amongst nature and appreciate what we - too caught up in...
read moreBoys that like barbie dolls and other great stories
Boys like trucks and diggers, right? And girls love wearing dresses and sparkly things.... isn't that so? So what happens if your little boy prefers wearing tutus and playing with Barbie? Or your daughter dresses herself in shorts and truckers caps, and can name all...
read moreThe spirit of Christmas… teaching children about giving
I'm sure, as parents, you may have imagined what Christmas with your children might be like. Dreams of magic and selflessness and warm, caring moments... and sure, there are moments like this, but the harsh reality is that the world of today is a somewhat...
read moreRough-and-tumble… the hidden benefits!
Play is an important way for children to learn about the world around them. Through play, they learn cultural norms, socialisation guidelines and experiment with different ways to interact with their environment. But play between a father and their child or children...
read moreEasy ways to be a better listener to your child
We’re all guilty of getting distracted when our kids want to talk to us, but experts say that offering our undivided attention is one of the most important things we can do as parents. Here’s how to shift your mindset so that you can truly tune in. We are, it seems,...
read moreDoes your toddler need a sleep routine?
Some children fall asleep easily, barely able to keep their eyes open by the time bedtime arrives, making their lucky parents’ evening routines a dream. On the other hand, parents raising night-owls often find putting their child to bed one of the most frustrating...
read moreSun protection for our littles
It's only mid-September, yet today, just two weeks into spring, my children are swimming to get some relief from the heat. That's the red-hot reality of the Australian environment. Each year, summers are seemingly becoming hotter and lasting longer. We're not here...
read moreEarly literacy skills in children
The English language is a complicated skill that must be learnt, can be difficult to master and generally takes years to perfect. Rhymes, songs and stories aren't just a bit of fun, they help young children develop essential pre-literacy skills, so all the ducks are...
read moreHolidays with children
For children, holidays are a break from their routine. It is a time to enjoy with friends and family, exploring interests and making memories. For families, holidays can equate to quality time with your loved ones. What memories are made of - whether you are heading...
read moreInvesting in childcare, it’s a no-brainer
Childcare is a major expense for families and the government. With some families paying $200 a day for a single child, this great expense must be questioned. Is it worthwhile spending such a great amount of money on childcare? In short … yes! For many years it has...
read moreCoronavirus from an Australian perspective
What is the coronavirus The coronavirus is around every year, but usually doesn’t affect humans. The current strain of coronavirus is called 2019-nCoV, which is short for "2019 novel coronavirus." It is just the third strain of coronavirus to cause severe symptoms in...
read moreKids and Sport
Sport is a major part of Australia’s culture. We have sporting events happening all year round, with Australian Rules Football and rugby taking place in the winter months, and basketball, soccer and plenty of cricket during spring and summer. With so much sport...
read moreIt’s all about parents
As a parent, you are your children's’ single most important influence. The way you behave and raise your children will significantly impact their development. As they say, “the apple never falls far from the tree”. However, healthy parenting is no easy task. This...
read moreBooks on raising toddlers
Being a parent to a toddler is an emotional roller coaster. One moment, they are loving, cuddly and happy to play. The next, they are crying over the wrong coloured juice cup or because they can’t get their own way. Despite their age, toddlers are complex little...
read moreHand washing facts
Even the cleanest looking hands can harbour nasty bacteria and germs. They are not always indicative of good hygiene. A whopping 80% of infectious diseases are transferred by touch. Harmful germs such as bacteria and viruses that cause illness and infection are...
read moreCyber Bullying Awareness
The internet has transformed modern life in so many positive ways. With the good, however, comes a dark side that is impacting young lives like never before. The rise of the internet has brought the emergence of cyberbullying. This form of bullying occurs not face to...
read moreHow to prepare your baby for daycare
With over half of all Australian mothers active in the workforce, childcare providers have never been more popular. Returning to work is just one of the many reasons to enrol a baby or child into a childcare service. Whatever your reason, most parents will agree those...
read moreWhat is a Superbug
A superbug is the stuff of nightmares. Caused by harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi, a superbug is ‘a bug’ that is resistant to common antibiotics, spreads easily and causes catastrophic damage to the body. Superbugs are responsible for 700,00 deaths worldwide...
read moreToddlers biting at daycare
No parent wants to hear their child has been bitten by one of their peers, or worse, has bitten another child. Biting is a common issue among children aged 1-3 years. It can manifest at home or at childcare. It is important for parents to understand that biting isn’t...
read moreNational quality standard (ACECQA Childcare NQS 2019)
Australia has a National Quality Framework in place to assist child care providers in meeting national minimum standards.
read moreQuality child care in Australia
Brand new doesn’t always mean the best.It may be tempting for parents to send their child to the shiny,new child care centre close to home, but how do you know if it is good quality?
read moreAu Pair Australia (cost, visa, agencies, tax, contract & job description)
An au pair is an economical, flexible child care arrangement. An au pair will cost the same amount of money, whether you have one child or four.
read moreLice at daycare (prevent, checking, treatment, policy & protocols)
Also known as head lice, these tiny, parasitic insects are no bigger than sesame seeds. They live and breed in human hair and feed by sucking blood from one’s scalp. Vacancy.Care takes a look at childcare and school lice policies and protocols.
read moreFamily tax benefit in 2019: calculator, threshold, eligibility & online claims
Family Tax Benefit is a family assistant payment for carers of young children. It consists of two parts, known as Family Tax Benefit Part A and Family Tax Benefit Part B. You may be eligible for one, or both of these payments.
read moreParticipate in the National Working Families Survey
Through a short survey, it asks parents and childcare providers to provide information about how the Australian workplace could become more family-friendly .
read moreBest Age To Start Daycare/Preschool
At Vacancy.Care we understand that deciding what age your children should begin attending a child care service is an important decision that requires you to consider a multitude of factors
read moreHow Much is Child Care in Australia: Daycare Costs, Prices, Fees and Rates
In July 2018, the Australian Government made a huge change to the early childhood and child care system — the first of its kind in 40 years.
read moreTypes of Childcare in Australia – Child Care Options Analysed
As a parent, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make in the first few years of your child’s life is where and what type of care they’ll receive.Luckily, Vacancy.care is here to help you find the perfect child care solution for your needs.
read moreThe cost of coming back: a better deal for working mothers
More than 125,000 returning-to-work Australian mums are actually financially worse off by increasing their working days above three days a week, a new report from KPMG ,finally achieving a better deal for working mothers, has found.
read moreChild Care Subsidy: A guide to everything you need to know
The Child Care Subsidy will be the main way the Government will assist families with their child care fees. It will replace the Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) with a single, means-tested subsidy.
read moreFace-painting Fun
Kids just love to have their faces painted. It always seems like something which only happens at fetes, fairs and birthday parties.
Why not have some face painting fun at home.
What is long day care?
Often called a childcare centre or simply day-care, long day care is centre-based childcare provided by professional staff where babies and children up to school-age can be cared for while their parents work, study or have time for their other commitments.
read moreWhat is family day care?
Family day care is childcare provided by individuals in their homes. Family day care is organised into local schemes that have a coordination unit to support a group of family day carers. Carers are recruited, trained and resourced by the coordination unit.
read moreThinking of starting childcare? Here’s what you should know
Everything you need to know about starting day care.If you’re planning on placing your child into an early childhood education and care service, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what type and where would suit you best. Plan early as places are often limited.
read moreIllness at childcare
Children come in contact with lots of other children and people during care and it can result in them catching illnesses. They can range from the common cold to more serious communicable diseases.
read moreOvercoming first day nerves
Starting early childhood education and care can be an emotional experience for both you and your child. Children can often experience some difficulty settling into a new environment.
read moreDemand for childcare vacancies at an all-time high
Australians families are struggling to find adequate and flexible childcare as waiting lists become longer and permanent places more difficult to find. Vacancy.care is here to help you find the perfect child care solution for your needs.
read moreGrandparents step in to fill the void for busy parents
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, most grandparents provide childcare so their daughters or daughters-in-law can return to work after having a family, but only 3 per cent are paid.
read more