The national branch of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) has called for caution in relation to the use of marketing and incentives for early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres to increase enrolments to their service, concerned about breaches of a variety of laws and policies.

When Gibb was ready to start school, his mum, Caitlin, took him on a school tour. She had picked this school because of its “small village feel”, thinking they would embrace her son, who has Down syndrome, and provide him with the right support to thrive.

The New South Wales police force announced late yesterday that a further 11 people have been arrested in relation to their alleged role in a criminal syndicate said to have conducted co-ordinated fraudulent activities targeting family day care (FDC) operations.

An inspection program to explore safety issues in Western Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sites has revealed “a widespread lack of risk assessment and training in hazardous substances”.

With hospital admissions for children with severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) doubling over the past decade, and with one in ten children living with a food allergy or sensitivity, the “allergy issue” and how to manage it is something every early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting will have to face at one time or another.