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Long day care

Key changes for long day care services

As 1 January 2012, long day care (LDC) services become part of the new National Quality Framework (NQF). LDC services licensed under the Act as at 31 December 2011 will have transitioned into the new regulatory framework. Key transitional arrangements include that:

the licensee will be taken to be an Approved Provider
the service will be taken to be an Approved Service
conditions on existing licences, where they are consistent with the Education and Care Services National Law may continue in force on service approvals
specified employees will be declared to be a Certified Supervisor (see the Supervisor Certificates and Nominated Supervisor page for further information)
the Approved Provider will be required to nominate a Certified Supervisor to be the Nominated Supervisor of the service.

It is important to note that various service types located on the same site may be transitioned as one service approval. For example, a long day care service that also offers OSHC would not need a separate service approval.

The Department of Education and Training (the Department) will issue provider approvals, service approvals and supervisor certificates to declared services and individuals by 30 June 2012.

Key staffing requirements

What are the qualification requirements?

As of 1 January 2012, LDC services are required to designate:

a suitably qualified and experienced educator as the educational leader to lead the development and implementation of educational programs in the service, and
a Nominated Supervisor to be in day to day charge of the service (see the Supervisor Certificates and Nominated Supervisor page for further information)

Level of qualification and requirement from 2012 for long day care.
Qualifications	Requirements from 2012
Diploma qualification	First of every two educators required to meet the educator to child ratio must hold an approved diploma level education and care qualification (or be studying towards and hold at least a Certificate III or equivalent)
Minimum qualification	All other educators required to meet the educator to child ratio is required to hold a Certificate III level education and care qualification(or be studying towards)

Additional requirement from 1 January 2014

Services that provide education and care to 25 or more children on any given day will be required for the first time to employ an early childhood teacher to be either:

in attendance for six hours on that day (if the service operates for 50 or more hours a week), or
60% of the operating hours of the service on that day (if the service operates for less than 50 hours a week), or
alternatively, the service may engage a full time equivalent teacher.

Services with fewer than 25 approved places will be required to have access to a teacher for at least 20 per cent of the time (section 130 of the National Regulations ). Any other service must also have access to a teacher for at least 20 per cent of the time when fewer than 25 children are present.

There are transitional arrangements for early childhood teachers that enable a person who is actively working towards an early childhood qualification and provides evidence of 50 per cent course completion or holds an approved diploma level education and care qualification to be taken to be an early childhood teacher from 1 January 2014 until 1 January 2016.

Additional requirements from 1 January 2020

A further requirement for a second early childhood teacher or another suitably qualified person in services with more than 60 children is planned for introduction in 2020.

Queensland Government's ECEC Workforce Action Plan 2011-2014 outlines the range of assistance available to educators to upskill to meet the NQF qualification requirements.

How will qualifications be determined?

Currently, the Department publishes approved qualification lists and determines equivalency of qualifications that are not on the approved list.

As of 1 January 2012, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) will determine the qualifications to be held by educators, including the assessment of equivalent qualifications. ACECQA will also publish a list of qualifications that have been approved for transitioning into the NQF. A person may also apply to ACECQA to have their qualification recognised as equivalent to an approved qualification. There is a $100 fee for this application.

Previously, the Department published approved qualification lists and determined equivalency of qualifications that were not on the approved list.

Educator to child ratios

See the Educator to child ratios - Implications for Queensland Services section for information regarding ratios, excursions, rest period, rest pauses and short absences.

Assessment and rating

A key aspect of the NQF is a focus on continuous quality improvement. As of 1 January 2012, LDC services will be assessed against the National Quality Standards (NQS) and the National Regulations. Where various types of services are offered in the same site and are provided under one service approval - for example, a LDC also offering OSHC - the service may be assessed and rated as one service.

The Department's authorised officers will be responsible for assessing and rating LDC services. LDC services will be assessed in the same way as all other services. The duration of assessments will be determined based on consideration of service provision (i.e. if a service provides before and after school care, the visit may be spread part-time over a number of days).

Each service will need to develop and annually update a Quality Improvement Plan. By incorporating the NQS into existing quality assessment processes, services will be able to identify areas that the service is doing well and areas where there is room for improvement to be included in the Quality Improvement Plan. See the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority's Guide to developing a quality improvement plan for more information.

What learning framework is to be delivered?

Under the National Regulations, all services are required to use an approved learning framework.

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) has been developed for services catering for children aged birth to five years and the My Time, Our Place - Framework for School Age Care in Australia is for school aged children.

Educators are required to keep documentation of children's assessments or evaluations as part of an educational program based on an approved learning framework (section 74 of the National Regulations).

What policies and procedures is a LDC service required to keep?

Currently services are required to maintain a wide range of policies. Similarly, the National Regulations require a range of policies and/or procedures. The table below outlines the content required, the corresponding section of the National Regulations and NQS and whether these policies are new or align with existing requirements.

Required policies and procedures all service types (Regulation 168)
Content of policy and/or procedure	Reference	Existing Qld Child Care legislation	National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC)
Health and safety
Delivery and collection of children	Regulation 99; 168(2)(f)	Linkages to record keeping requirements.
Excursions	Regulations 100 to 102; 168 (2)(g)	Linkages to information to parents, record keeping.
Refusal of authorisations for a child to leave the service	Regulation 168(2)(m)	Linkages to record keeping about collection of children and parent access requirements.
Dealing with infectious disease	Regulation 88; 168 (2)(c) NQS 2.1	Aligns	Policy on child and staff immunisation and infectious diseases.
Dealing with medical conditions	Regulation 90; 168(2)(d) NQS 2.1	Linkages to record keeping requirements.	Process for developing and implementing health management plans for children with specific medical needs.
Emergency and evacuation	Regulation 97; 168(2)(e) NQS 2.3	Aligns	Emergency procedures to be displayed.
Health and safety, including matters relating to: Nutrition, food and beverages, dietary requirements Sun protection Water safety Administration of first aid	Regulation 168(2)(a) NQS 2.2 NQS 2.3 NQS 2.3 NQS 2.1	Some linkages to information for parents and record keeping requirements.	Policies on food and nutrition, food safety and hygiene and sun protection.
Incident, injury, trauma and illness	Regulation 85; 168(2)(b) NQS 2.1	Aligns with current except for trauma and incident.
Child safe environment	Regulation 168(2)(h) NQS 2.3, 7.1	Linkages to health and safety matters provisions.	Policies on child protection, use and storage of dangerous products, safety checks and maintenance of buildings and equipment, occupational health and safety.
Staffing arrangements
Staffing, including: Code of conduct Determining the responsible person present Participation of volunteers and students	Regulation 168(2)(i) NQS 4.2	Aligns with current except for determining responsible person and code of conduct.
Relationships with children
Interactions with children	Regulations 155 to 156; 168(2)(l) NQS 5.1, 5.2	Linkages to guiding principles	Policy on positive behaviour guidance
Service management
Governance and management of the service, including confidentiality of records	Regulation 168(2)(a) NQS 7.3	Linkages to confidentiality of records.
Enrolment and orientation	Regulation 168(2)(k) NQS 6.1	Linkages to record keeping requirements.
Payment of Fees	Regulation 168(2)(n) NQS 7.3
Dealing with Complaints	Regulation 168(2)(o) NQS 7.3	Aligns	Documented procedures for grievance and complaints handling.

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This page was last reviewed on 03 Jan 2012 at 05:58PM