New Brunswick government making child care priority in poverty reduction strategy

Every Child, Every Opportunity: Curriculum and Pedagogy for the Early Learning Program

Over the past few days there has been a lot of activity in the Australian child care world so this week our child care news focuses on Australia and three particular developments. 

1. The Council of Australian Governments COAG (federal and state governments)  has agreed on new compulsory national standards for child care and early childhood education services.  The Australian Federal Government is providing approximately $61 million between 2010-11 and 2013-14 to the States and Territories to support the new framework.

See the Prime Minister's media release. 

Some related media coverage:

Parents count cost of reform in child care
The Australian - December 5, 2009
By the time many children start school, they have spent more time in day care than they will in the classroom over the next 13 years. But while schools are tightly regulated by governments -- which control where they are built, who owns them, what they teach and who teaches it -- child care is a lucky dip.

ABC Online - Dec 8, 2009
The commercial child care sector says wage costs will rise dramatically under new national guidelines agreed to by Commonwealth, state and territory leaders. 

2. The successful bidder for the remaining ABC Learning Centres has been announced at the same time as a public examination of the failed company is underway.