Two women were charged on Thursday (3 May) in an ongoing investigation into an alleged $5.7 million family day care fraud in which more than 1600 children were claimed to have enrolled in one month.

All families currently in receipt of Child Care Benefit and/or Child Care Rebate for approved care will receive a Centrelink letter about the transition to Child Care Subsidy.  Families should follow the instructions in their Centrelink letter and go online to complete their Child Care Subsidy assessment or claim for Child Care Subsidy as soon as possible. The following provides information on the childcare subsidy, new families starting care from April and their requirements, family transition checklist, additional childcare subsidy and more. 

A 10-month-old baby boy named Liam fractured his femur after spending the day at a Central Melbourne daycare centre.

A study has found that children aged between two and five years old have found 66 percent of children are not getting the nationally recommended three hours of daily physical activity needed for their growth and development.

The federal government is trialling a STEM program for preschoolers in a bid to encourage interest in the sector from a young age.

A reminder for NSW Early Childhood Services, that The Quality Learning Environment program is offering grants of up to $15,000 (excluding GST). These are available to services to enhance their learning environments, for example with minor construction, equipment or other resources to help provide inclusive, safe and supportive preschools that contribute to positive experiences and outcomes for children. Submission close soon!

The Free SAFE Training Workshops (available in NSW) has been developed as a tool for child-related educators who want to introduce the concept of personal safety in a non-confrontational way to children under the age of six.

For all services, both persons in day-to-day charge and all nominated supervisors must complete an approved child protection course.

The ACT's 354 National Quality Framework-approved early childhood services reported more than 500 serious incidents last financial year, translating to an average of almost 150 serious incidents per 100 National Quality Framework-approved services - well above the national average of 99.3.

Victorian researchers have found that by the time a child turns three and a half, a quarter of children's energy intake was fueled by foods deemed too high in saturated fat or sugar to belong in the five healthy food groups.