Kids' mouths taped shut during 'breathing' exercise at childcare centre
The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore.
The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education.
A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing.
"It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said.
READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms
Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added.
The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern.
This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said.
The Department of Education was contacted for comment.
READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby
A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'.
The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore.
The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education.
A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing.
"It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said.
READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms
Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added.
The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern.
This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said.
The Department of Education was contacted for comment.
READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby
A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'.
The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore.
The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education.
A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing.
"It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said.
READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms
Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added.
The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern.
This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said.
The Department of Education was contacted for comment.
READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby
A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'.
The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore.
The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education.
A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing.
"It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said.
READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms
Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added.
The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern.
This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said.
The Department of Education was contacted for comment.
READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby
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News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Concerning daycare images show children with their mouths taped shut in yoga exercise
A Sydney daycare centre has received a warning from the NSW Department of Education after concerning images emerged of children with their mouths covered with tape. The toddlers at Heritage House in Wahroonga, on Sydney's north shore, were participating in a breathing exercise as part of a yoga session last year. No injuries were reported from the exercise which was meant to be relaxing, but the Department launched an investigation into the matter after concerns were raised by a parent. 'While no children were harmed in this incident, it was an inappropriate activity that should not have taken place in an early learning centre,' a spokesperson from the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority told 'A thorough investigation was immediately conducted and a compliance action issued to the approved provider, which remains on their record.'  An external visitor was not running the yoga session, and the centre provided evidence to the Department that the mouth taping exercise has since been discontinued.  In a statement, Heritage House told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'It was a well-intentioned activity led by one of our educators, a yoga instructor.' 'We accept that the Department issued a warning and as a result we took steps to ensure that the activity was not repeated.' Photos of the activity were shared on the centre's parents app alongside a caption where an educator described the activity as 'unique'. 'The children gathered for a unique lesson combining breathwork, gentle yoga, and the tape-mouth technique. Guided to focus on nasal breathing, they playfully mimicked animals in yoga poses, learning to breathe deeply and calmly through their noses, fostering early mindfulness,' they wrote, according to SMH. A number of parents whose children attend the daycare threw their support behind the centre and its educators on Tuesday. One parent told 7News: 'They've always been very careful about the kids, their growth, their education, everything.' Another said: 'People are friendly, they seem engaged, kids are happy here.' Mouth taping, specifically for adults prone to mouth breathing while sleeping, has become a recent trend on TikTok but concerns have been raised about the dangers of restricting airflow.
The Advertiser
29-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Kids' mouths taped shut during 'breathing' exercise at childcare centre
A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'. The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore. The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education. A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing. "It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said. READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added. The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern. This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said. The Department of Education was contacted for comment. READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'. The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore. The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education. A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing. "It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said. READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added. The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern. This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said. The Department of Education was contacted for comment. READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'. The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore. The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education. A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing. "It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said. READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added. The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern. This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said. The Department of Education was contacted for comment. READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby A childcare centre has admitted to taping toddlers' mouths shut as part of a controversial 'breathwork exercise'. The incident occurred at Heritage House Childcare Centre in Wahroonga on Sydney's north shore. The incident was reported to the NSW Department of Education. A spokesperson for Heritage House told ACM that it was a "well-intentioned activity" led by a yoga instructor with tape used to help keep the mouth closed to promote nasal breathing. "It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families," the spokesperson said. READ MORE: 'Epic Humans': teachers urged to address kids with gender-neutral terms Some parents had responded positively to the 2024 exercise after images from the day were published on an internal app that parents could access, the spokesperson added. The centre self-reported the matter to the Department of Education after a parent expressed concern. This exercise has not been repeated since the incident, the spokesperson said. The Department of Education was contacted for comment. READ MORE: Two female childcare workers charged with allegedly assaulting 17-month-old baby
ABC News
22-07-2025
- ABC News
Laws that strip childcare funding from centres breaching standards to be introduced
Childcare centres repeatedly failing to meet safety standards could have their funding withdrawn under new legislation being put forward by the federal government today. But questions remain about what it would take for a centre to lose their funding. Under the government's proposal to be introduced to the House of Representatives, funding delivered via the Childcare Subsidy (CCS) could be cut off if centres repeatedly fall short on safety. In March, the federal government said it would move to stop providers who "persistently fail to meet minimum standards" from getting CCS. Education Minister Jason Clare has said he does not want to see funding removed from centres, and instead the legislation will act as an encouragement for centres to improve standards. Alongside child safety issues, the sector is also facing significant problems when it comes to availability and accessibility according to two recent reviews by the consumer watchdog and productivity commission. Approval for CCS can already be cut off if the secretary of the Department of Education believes there is an imminent risk to child safety and wellbeing, but the ABC understands under the new rules this would need to be a top consideration when deciding whether a provider should get CCS at all. Currently, the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) gives centres quality ratings ranging from "Exceeding National Quality Standards (NQS)" through to "Working Towards NQS" but does not have a "fail" rating. State and territory regulators can also move to shut down centres where child safety is a concern. The government will need the support of either the opposition, the Greens or nine minor party and independent senators to get their legislation through the upper house of parliament. The Coalition has indicated it wants to see the laws passed, but wants to ensure whatever is legislated will actually improve child safety. The Greens say the changes are a good start, but are urging the federal government to go further, with the party's early childhood education and care spokesperson Steph Hodgkins-May calling for a national watchdog. "At the moment we've got this patchwork regulation across states and there's no national body that can actually enforce the national quality standards that have been set," she said. While the Greens will support the government's legislation, Ms Hodgkins-May is frustrated that while the opposition has been given the legislation to look at, the Greens have not. "We are so ready and willing to really look to some of these structural issues that'll not only trigger a response once the poor quality and these hideous cases occur but will pre-emptively work to fix the system that's allowing it to occur in the first place," she said. A spokesperson for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the Coalition was "working constructively with the government on this in the interests of keeping our children safe". State, territory and federal ministers will meet next month to look at expanding CCTV in childcare centres, a national worker registry and mandatory training for staff on how to detect and prevent child abuse. This follows governments agreeing to a new set of National Quality Standards, which from September includes requiring centres to notify authorities of allegations or incidents of sexual abuse within 24 hours rather than the current seven days. In 2024, a voluntary code was introduced to ban phones and other devices, with state governments now looking at how to implement a compulsory ban. Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh said the legislation would cut funding to providers who put profit over safety. "Every child deserves to be safe in early learning, every parent deserves to know their children are safe," she said in a statement. "We'll also hold an urgent education ministers meeting next month to take strong, united action with the states and territories, including on a nationwide educator register."
