News
Providers seek clarity as childcare wage subsidy deadline approaches
10+ hour, 22+ min ago (556+ words) Early education news, events and more The payment, introduced as a two-year measure, funds a 15 per cent wage increase for eligible educators and teachers, with a 10 per cent increase from December 2024 and a further five per cent from December 2025." While…...
Australian Childcare Alliance calls for long-term certainty for wages funding for the early learning sector
10+ hour, 22+ min ago (593+ words) Early education news, events and more As the peak body for early learning (childcare) services, whose educators support more than 360, 000 families across Australia, ACA has consistently advocated for government support to attract and retain educators amid ongoing workforce shortages. ACA…...
Federal Budget leaves families, early educators and services in limbo
3+ day, 9+ hour ago (381+ words) Early education news, events and more Services have been left in limbo about federal funding for educators" 15 per cent wage increase, which runs out in November 2026. Community Early Learning Australia CEO Michele Carnegie said an extension should be a straightforward…...
Family Day Care Capability Trial supports regional early learning access
1+ week, 4+ day ago (1161+ words) Early education news, events and more Family day care (FDC) has long played an important role in Australia's early childhood education and care (ECEC) system, offering flexible, home-based education and care that can respond to the needs of children, families…...
The 2026 Queensland childcare centre sale landscape: confidence is returning " but discipline is driving decisions
1+ week, 6+ day ago (675+ words) Early education news, events and more Now, as we move through 2026, confidence is strong across Queensland. Buyers are active. Enquiry levels are healthy. But the market is more disciplined. Vendors are achieving strong outcomes, however, early preparation and a considered…...
Tasmania's regulator confirms family day care restrictions are policy choice, not law
1+ week, 6+ day ago (840+ words) Early education news, events and more Two Tasmanian family day care services are facing closure after the state's early" childhood regulator confirmed that its ban on dual-educator operating models is a" policy decision to align with national consistency, not a…...
Fair Work finds dismissal of Melbourne early childhood teacher was "extremely harsh
2+ week, 3+ day ago (499+ words) Early education news, events and more Commissioner Redford found the dismissal of the Melbourne employee was harsh, unjust and unreasonable, ordering compensation of more than $41, 000 plus superannuation." The case arose after a staffroom dispute between two colleagues." Commissioner Redford found…...
Guardian appoints former police child protection officer to new national investigations role
3+ week, 4+ day ago (385+ words) Early education news, events and more The appointment forms part of Guardian's broader Safety Plus program, which the organisation says is designed to enhance child protection practices, support wellbeing outcomes, and respond to evolving legislative and regulatory expectations across Australia....
Fixating on a "magic number" of childcare hours misses what"s most important for kids" development
1+ mon, 3+ day ago (1105+ words) Early education news, events and more Data from a major Australian study, the First Five Years project, was released by the Department of Education last December. It tracked 274, 000 Australian children and linked their experiences of early childhood education to their…...
Implementing Queensland's Child Safe Standards: from compliance to culture in 2026
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (535+ words) Early education news, events and more Led by the'Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC), the framework establishes 10 Child Safe Standards alongside a Universal Principle focused on cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Together, these reforms require early…...