Use of 'under the roof' ratio loophole in childcare centres called out by industry insiders, minister labels practice 'a concern'

Use of 'under the roof' ratio loophole in childcare centres called out by industry insiders, minister labels practice 'a concern'Educator-to-child ratios are calculated across a whole childcare service, not by individual rooms, and educators must be working directly with children in order to be counted.

"There might be enough educators within that service at that point in time, but they're not working directly with children, and that's where that rule and that regulation is being misused." When I have raised concerns about staff working outside of child-to-staff ratios, it's common to hear phrases like "we are only one child over ratio", or "it's only for a short time". The one that concerns me is that many private centres work on "under roof ratio" meaning if one room has more staff members than needed then another room can operate with fewer staff.

Its rules state that educators must be working directly with children to be counted in the educator-to-child ratios."Working directly with children means being physically present with the children and directly involved in providing education and care to those children," ACECQA's rules state. Early childhood educator Reanna Kiernan from the Gold Coast recently left the industry for good over staff shortages, and said misuse of "under the roof" was rife."If parents knew what was happening, most of the time, in regards to things like ratios, or under the roof, or staffing and things like that, I don't think they would feel comfortable enough to leave their children," she said.

The ACECQA report made 16 recommendations and also noted a persistent and acute staff shortage in the childcare sector.State and federal education ministers have since accepted in-principle key recommendations from that review, and the federal government has said it is now busy working on a long-term reform plan.

Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)

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