Quality Area 4 - Staffing Arrangements

Question 1

118 : Educational Leader

Answer 1

The approved provider must designate in writing a qualified, experienced educator, co-ordinator or other individual as educational leader, to develop and implement educational programs

Question 2

119 : Family Day Care Educator

Answer 2

The AP must ensure that the FDC educator is 18 or over

Question 3

120 : Educators who are under 18 to be supervised - Centre based

Answer 3

The AP must ensure that any educator who is under 18 does not work alone and is adequately supervised at all times.

Question 4

Minimum Number of Educators

122 : Educators must be working directly with children to be included in ratios

Answer 4

Educators must be working directly with children to be included in ratios

Question 5

123 : Educator to child ratios - Centre Based services

Answer 5

a) From birth to 24 months = 1 educator to 4 children
b) Over 24 months and less than 36 months = 1 educator to 5 children
c) 36 months and over = 1 educator to 11 children

Question 6

123 : Educator to child ratios - Centre Based services

Answer 6

1) for mixed ages its the minimum, number of the youngest
2) Early childhood teachers are included in the ratio’s
3) if a child requires protection or the parent has health reasons to not be able to care for the child, 2 or more children can be added to a child from the same family for an additional 2 days.
4) The AP must not permit additional children in an emergency if this will effect the health, safety and wellbeing of all the children attending the service.

Question 7

123A : Family day care co-ordinator to educator ratios - Family Day Care service

Answer 7

For the 1st 12 months - 1 full time co-ordinator to every 15 FDC educators
After 12 months - 1 full time coordinator to every 25 educators.

Question 8

124 : Number of children who can be cared for - Family Day care educator

Answer 8

1) No more that 7 children for the educator and no more than 7 at each service unless there are exceptional circumstances.
2) no more than 4 preschool or under
3) The educators own children are included if they are under 13 and no one else is supervising them
4) No more than 7 at each service unless there are exceptional circumstances such as:
a) All the children are siblings
b) There is a child in need of protection under the law and the educator is the best perrson.
c) The residence is rural and there are no alternatives.

Question 9

Education Qualifications for educators

126 : Centre-based services - general educator qualifications

Answer 9

1) 50% of the educators must have or working towards at least an approved diploma level education and care qualification.
2) All others must have or working towards Cert 3
3) if an early childhood teacher is required, they are counted as 50% of diploma level.

Question 10

127 and 126 : Family Day Care educator and co-ordinator qualification requirements

Answer 10

Family day care educator must have cert 3 and co-ordinator must have diploma.

Question 11

Requirements for educators who are early childhood teachers.

130 : Requirements for early childhood teachers - Centre based - Fewer than 25 approved places.

Answer 11

If the approved places for preschool age and under is fewer than 25, an early childhood teacher must be working for at least 20% of the time.
This may be done with information communication technology.
This can be calculated at a quarterly basis.

Question 12

131 : Requirements for early childhood teacher - Centre Based - 25 or more approved places but fewer than 25 children

Answer 12

Must comply with the the fewer than 25 places regulation

Question 13

132 : Requirement for early childhood teacher - Centre Based - 25 to 59 children.

Answer 13

1) An early childhood teacher must be in attendance for at least 6 hours of the day if the service operates for 50 or more hours a week
2) For 60% if the service operates less than 50 hours per week.
3) Not required if the service has employed a full time early childhood teacher.

Question 14

133 : Requirement for early childhood teacher - Centre Based - 60 to 80 children

Answer 14

1) An early childhood teacher must be in attendance for at least 6 hrs if the service operates for 50 hours or more per week
2) 60% of the day if it operates for less than 50hrs P/W
3) a second teacher must be present for at least 3 hours per day for 50 or more hrs p/w or 30% of the day for less thank 50hrs p/w.
4) Does not need to comply with the above if they employ a full time teacher and a second teacher half time.

Question 15

134 : Requirement for early childhood teacher - Centre Based more than 80 children

Answer 15

Must have 2 teachers 6 hours of the day if the service operated 50 or more hrs p/w or 60% of the day for under 50 hrs p/w

Does not apply if they employ 2 full time teachers

Question 16

135 : Illness or absence of early childhood teacher.

Answer 16

If the teacher is absent due to illness, a diploma approved person may be counted or a person who holds primary teaching qualification.
This can not occur for more that 60 days per year.

Question 17

136 : First aid qualifications

Answer 17

1) At least 1 staff or NS must be present who holds a current approved first aid qualification
2) At least 1 staff or NS must be present who holds a current approved anaphylaxis management training
3) At least 1 staff or NS must be present who holds a current approved asthma management training

Question 18

137 : Approval of Qualifications

Answer 18

The National Authority must publish on its website a list of qualification it has approved for the purposes of the law including

a) list of approved early childhood teaching qualifications
b) diploma qualifications
c) Cert 3 qualifications and units of working towards
d) List of qualification for suitably qualified person
e) a list of first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma management qualifications.

Question 19

138 to 143 : Application to be assessed to be included in the list of qualifications

Answer 19

A person may apply to assess a qualification to determine whether the qualification is equivalent to the listed qualifications

Question 20

143 to 144 Minimum requirements for Family Day Care Educators

Answer 20

143 to 144 Minimum requirements for Family Day Care Educators

Question 21

145 to 151 : Staff Record

Answer 21

The approved provider must ensure that a staff record is kept which includes:

a) Information about the NS - Details and qualifications including first aid
b) Information about staff members - Details and qualifications including first aid
c) Information about the educational leader
d) Information about the volunteers and Students - Details and when they were present
e) Responsible person
f) Educators - Details and hours works

Question 22

Record of access to early childhood teachers

Answer 22

The approved provider for 25 places or less must record the period that a teacher is working

Question 23

153 to 154 : A register of family day care educators, co-ordinators and educator assistants.

Answer 23

The register must include:

1) Details and contact details
2) address where the educator works
3) the date of engagement
4) Evidence of their qualifications and first aid etc.

Question 24

117A : Placing a person in day - to - day charge

117B : Minimum requirements for a person in day-to-day charge and nominated supervisors

Answer 24

A person is in day-to-day charge if the approved provider or the nominated supervisor places them in charge.