For the month of February 2025:
For the month of January 2025:
- The Fair Work Commission (FWC) increased the Level 1.1 pay rate under the Children's Services Award due to its review of entry-level wages (C14 and C13 rates) in modern awards. The minimum rate for a Children's Service's Employee Level 1.1 for FY2024/2025 was $23.97 per hour and has been increased by 13 cents to $24.10 per hour effective 1 January, 2025
- New IFA templates became available to ensure the changes to Level 1.1 of the Children's Service's Award is refelcted
- Since 1 January, 2025, Wage underpayment is a criminal offence (penalties can be a maximum of $7.825 million for companies or $1.565 million and a maximum of 10 years in prison for individuals) IF they knowingly fail to pay wages, superannuation or other entitlements under the Fair Work Act or industrial agreements
- Since 1 January, 2025, Right to disconnect laws are in effect, however small businesses with fewer than 15 employees will not be affected until 26 August, 2025
- Since 1 January, 2025, Tax and BAS Agent obligations - those agents with over 100 employees must comply from 1 January, 2025 whereas others have until 1 July, 2025.
- Since 1, January, 2025, you can no longer supply certain banned plastic items including polystyrene cups, plastic spoons and straws that come included in packaging
- ACA NSW wrote to the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning (the Hon Prue Car MP) seeking urgent plausible alternatives to address Regulation 272 given it is not the vocational expectations of early childhood teachers
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NSW Payroll Tax returns are due 14 January, 2025
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Superannuation Contributions by 28 January, 2025
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Business Activity Statements (BAS) by 21 January, 2025 (if due monthly) unless you are entitled to extra time
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On January 30, 2025, ACA President Paul Mondo presented a joint webinar with the team at LoveHeart in relation to the Cycle of Planning
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Submissions to join the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Corporate Leadership Group close by Friday 31 January, 2025
For the month of December 2024:
For the month of November 2024:
- On November 1, 2024, ACA National President Paul Mondo provided an update and a full explanation of the Worker Retention Payment
- The Department of Education announced that the Retention Payment fee growth cap for the second year (8 August, 2025 to 7 August, 2026) will be set as 4.2%
- ACA received feedback from members that information about their service(s) on Starting Blocks website was not up to date, particularly with their fees. ACA Engaged directly with ACECQA, and the Department of Education to address this issue as soon as possible
- On November 15, 2024, ACA announced that we have reached an agreement with the unions and other employer groups involved in the multi-employer bargaining process
- ACA's partner, Guild Insurance, released an article which assists services with managing employment disputes
- ACA partnered with Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors (ABLA) to provide members with a low-cost, comprehensive Sexual Harassment Positive Duty 'How-to' Guide and Toolkit.
- The Multi-Employer Agreement (MEA) was finalised, and became available for our members to view
For the month of October 2024:
For the month of September 2024:
For the month of August 2024:
For the month of July 2024:
- ACA NSW calls on the NSW Deputy Premier to intervene in excessive regulatory workload. Despite NSW occupying about a third of the national proportion of all services, the excessively high number of confirmed breaches by NSW-based early childhood education and care services dwarfs all confirmed breaches by all other states and territories combined across the last 4 years.
- Membership Fees Increase by 4% beginning 1 July 2024.
- Nominations are now OPEN for the. Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards 2024. The largest Awards for early childhood education and care services, educators, teachers, leaders and more are on again for 2024! Nominations are now open from 29 June 2024 and will close on 1 September 2024. The Gala Awards Night will be on 2 November 2024 which will be French-inspired (a nod to the 2024 Paris Olympics)!
- It's time for all Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved providers and services to complete the National Workforce Census (NWC). Completing the NWC is a requirement under Family Assistance Law (FAL)
For the month of June 2024:
- Reminder to complete the National Workforce Census. by 14 July 2024. It is mandatory for all CCS approved providers and services to participate.
- Membership Fees Increase by 4% beginning 1 July 2024.
- Latest Child Care Subsidy data now available. We’ve published data about the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) in the March quarter 2024. Each quarter we issue a summary report about CCS-approved care in Australia. The report includes data on child care usage, services, fees and subsidies in Australia. Go to the March quarter 2024 report.
- NSW President announces scholarships and assistance to get affordable housing and electric vehicles. In addition to the State of our Sector awards winners on 22 June 2024, ACA NSW President Lyn Connolly took the opportunity to make the following announcements for the 2024/2025 financial year: Firstly, ACA NSW strongly recommends that ACA NSW members read the ACA National Committee's advice also released today. ACA NSW members will need to firstly log in and use their username and password to access.
- The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) is receiving many incomplete applications. Here’s what you can do to ensure you submit your application correctly. ISP helps early childhood education and care (ECEC) services address barriers to inclusion. The program is receiving a high volume of incomplete applications, in particular for additional educators. This has a direct impact on processing timeframes. The Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM) has developed a checklist for additional educator applications. Please use the checklist when submitting to ensure your application can be processed.
- Using electronic devices in early childhood settings. A new National Model Code released earlier this month outlines a set of recommended child-safe practices for using electronic devices in ECEC.
- ACECQA developed the code, in partnership with all governments, as part of a range of actions in response to last year’s child safety review
- Changes with New Financial Year (FY2024/2025) From 1 July 2024, the following changes take effect: the Awards' wage rate increase by 3.75% (log in to access the 2024/2025 wage summaries); The statutory minimum Superannuation Rate will be increased from 11% to 11.5%; and the individual income tax rates and threshold changes (aka Stage 3 Tax Cuts). For any further information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.
- ACA NSW calls on the NSW Deputy Premier to intervene in excessive regulatory workload. Despite NSW occupying about a third of the national proportion of all services, the excessively high number of confirmed breaches by NSW-based early childhood education and care services dwarfs all confirmed breaches by all other states and territories combined across the last 4 years.
For the month of May 2024:
- Reminder to complete the National Workforce Census. by 14 July 2024. It is mandatory for all CCS approved providers and services to participate.
- The NSW Department of Education are offering grant writing workshops to assist in preparing your application for the Flexible Initiatives Trial. Register here.
- Annual Service Approval fees payable by providers will be issued on 31 May 2024 and must be paid by 1 July 2024.
- The upgraded NQA IT System is now live but ECEC Services must register to access the new system
- From July 2024 notice periods for A&R will be reduced to 5 business days.