The unsavoury practice of pre-announcing budget goodies to massage the media perception continues today with Joy Burch and Andrew Barr doling out $2 million for upgrading community based childcare:
The 2013-14 ACT Budget will deliver an extra $2 million to continue the ACT Government’s successful childcare centre upgrade program, which has supported centres in Government owned [...]

ABC News are reporting that the ACT may follow NSW’s lead in considering to allow childcare centres and preschools to excuse children who have not been immunised during outbreaks.
Katy Gallagher is against the idea.
Ms Gallagher says ACT’s chief health officer is looking at better ways to keep non-immunised children at home when cases of whooping [...]

Joy Burch is letting it be known there are more childcare places coming online:
“New childcare centres opening at the Franklin Early Childhood School (120 places) and at Barton (88 places) commencing operation shortly will give Canberra families combined total of 208 new places,” Ms Burch said.
“In addition, investment in existing ACT Government facilities has added [...]

I enrolled young Master Cholet at Isabella Pre-School earlier this year. Thankfully the little tyke has been accepted and is very much looking forward to being a big boy at big school. At this stage he attends a fabulous long daycare facility that does also provide pre-school education for his age group – but at [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher is promising more childcare centres, places, and educated workers if given another 4 years at the top:
If re-elected, ACT Labor will provide $4.5 million to deliver more affordable quality childcare across Canberra to create up to 100 new childcare places.
We will release at least three additional sites for new childcare centres with [...]

Calling all people from Fraser!
Federal member Andrew Leigh has asked that anyone living in the Fraser electorate with kids aged 0-4 fill in a survey regarding your views on child care.

Joy Burch is letting us know she’s sold more land for the purpose of building childcare places in the increasingly stalinist ACT land release system:
Ms Burch said the Land Development Agency had this week sold the 3,505sqm corner block with frontage to Anthony Rolfe Avenue and Hinder Street for $2.4 million to developer Kai Wen [...]

Joy Burch is celebrating her publication of all that is good in childcare:
Ms Burch said the ACT Government-produced information booklet, Delivering Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care, shows that since 2001 there has been an increase of more than 80 per cent in the number of long day care places across Canberra, from 4121 [...]

Joy Burch has the happy news that the land has been sold for a childcare centre in Holt.
Ms Burch said the sale to developer Temloc Pty Ltd for $685,000 is part of the broader childcare planning strategy to ensure that Canberra families have choice in their children’s education and care, in areas most in demand.
The [...]

Afternoon all…
Why is it seemingly so difficult to find places for child care in the ACT?
Let us know if you are on a wait list like us, and how long you have been waiting?
If there are over 500 new places that are / have been approved then why is the demand so high still… why [...]

The ongoing prostitution of the budget process continues with today’s announcement that there’s some money (a bit less than the amount required to build a seagull intersection on a highway) going into childcare.
Making the announcement at Civic Early Childhood Centre, Ms Burch also released the ACT
Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012-2014, which outlines the Government’s [...]

Minister for Community Services Joy Burch is celebrating a rise in the number of licensed long day care places in Canberra’s childcare centres:
Data from the Community Services Directorate shows that between January 2011 and March 2012 the Directorate approved licenses for an additional 532 long day care places in 26 centres across Canberra.
“These extra places [...]

The Liberals’ Vicki Dunne has taken the very brave step of announcing she’s going to try and block the construction of a childcare centre in Holder:
In 2008, the ACT Labor Government promised two new childcare centres at a cost of $4 million. Neither has been built, but the government now wants to spend almost double [...]

There’s an interesting discussion going on over at smh about the Mad monk’s proposed nanny benefit.
We’ve all been here- by we I mean working parents, solo parents etc. You know the drill- Child care centres full, waiting lists, requiring care after the standard 9-5 work schedule because you may be a shift worker, rushing to [...]

Wearing her Community Services hat Joy Burch has announced that all is sweetness and light in the world of childcare:
An ACT Government survey of childcare centres across Canberra has found there has been a net growth of childcare places in 2012, and minimal cost increases, with the implementation of the National Quality Framework.
The Community Services [...]

I have recently withdrawn my child from a certain childcare center in Canberra. I have since discovered that this childcare center has featured in a past article of the Canberra Times in relation to its negligent standards and abusive staff.
I have made a formal complaint with the relevant government bodies and today received a letter [...]

Hi
Are there any childcare centres on the Southside that offer part time hours or half days?  If so, what is your experience with this centre?
Thanks Rioters!

Joy Burch has announced the opening of a new childcare centre in Flynn:
ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch said the new Alkira Childcare Centre is part of the ACT Government’s $8 million redevelopment of the former Flynn Primary School site.
“The new childcare centre has the capacity for 115 children and it has effectively filled [...]

In the continuing stoush between Labor’s Joy Burch and the Liberals’ Vicki Dunne we’re back to the subject of childcare.
Vicki opened up with a go about the cost of the business.
Joy Burch was today forced to admit that the cost of childcare will increase by five times her original estimate under Labor’s childcare reforms, according [...]

Labor MLA Joy Burch has had a go at Liberal MLA Vicki Dunne again over childcare.
As part of the ongoing deathmatch Burch accused the Liberals of trying to “quietly abandon their policy” on childcare.
She said:
“The alternative plan from the Opposition is to create one big childcare waiting list, a policy which families don’t want, the [...]

Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh has posted about his research (when he was a researcher) on the impacts of childcare on children.
The basic findings of the paper are:
– the differences in behaviour between kids in parental and non-parental care are small;
– there isn’t ‘one effect’ of daycare – it differs across socioeconomic groups; and
– kids [...]

Our beautiful 3 year old daughter is ready for school however because she was born in June she wont be able to attend preschool until 2013. We’ve been looking into Playschools in the ACT for 2012 and have ended up on a waiting list for a few as they seem to be extremely popular.
I would [...]

Does anyone know has it sold yet or is coming up for sale?
I am interested to know who purchased it?
ie Is it going to be a childcare centre?

Joy Burch has announced money to upgrade childcare centres around town:
Capital upgrades to community childcare centres worth more than $9 million and which will create an extra 173 places were announced today by ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch.
“In addition to the increased places this money will help nine childcare centres significantly improve their [...]

ACT Fire Brigade currently on scene at ABC Childhood Centre on Farr Place, Isaacs investigating a smell of smoke.
No sign of fire.
Smell of smoke from a faulty light fitting.
Staff have safely evacuated 64 children from the centre as ACT Fire Brigade crews conduct atmospheric monitoring before allowing children to return inside.
Time of Emergency Triple Zero [...]

Hi Canberrans
Can anyone recommend a good nannying agency? A few of the mums in my mother’s group are thinking of hiring a nanny and splitting the cost rather than dealing with the nightmare of childcare centre  waiting lists, etc.
I’ve checked the yellow pages but there are not many results. A google search comes up with [...]

Standing at the front of my daughter’s daycare (admittedly in Queanbeyan but I have been told it’s the same in Canberra) I watch as at least 3 out of 5 drivers speed past the centre.
Some of them are travelling at more than 50km/hr which is the standard zone in a residential area.
I am puzzled [...]

Hey All,
Wondering if anyone can tell me what government agencies have a Childcare onsite.
I have been told DFAT have one – are there any others?

Joy Burch has announced grants to help childcare providers meet the new standards coming into effect next year.
Sharing the $233,500 are:
– Anglicare ACT – Calwell Early Childhood Centre
– Anglicare ACT -Gordon Early Childhood Centre
– Australian National University – Central Canberra Family Day Care
– Baringa Childcare Centre Incorporated
– Belconnen Community Services Inc – Belconnen Early Childhood [...]

Ask Riotact – Childcare, Northside.

I’m looking for recommendations of child care or family daycare providers in the Gungahlin area.
Bub #3 is only 4 months and I won’t be needing care until she’s about 2 but I’ve heard you need to put your name down on a waiting list quick sticks.
My other 2 kids are in primary school [...]

Joy Burch has released some intriguing stats on childcare, which appear to show that better (or at least more compliant) childcare centres are cheaper.
The data found:
– The average cost of per day of long day childcare centres in the ACT that meet the new staff ratios is $76.91 (for 47 centres)
– The average cost of [...]