Qualifications and Educator to Child Ratios

Qualifications

Improving educator qualifications is important with substantial research confirming that higher qualified educators improve outcomes for children. More highly qualified educators have a greater understanding of child development, health and safety issues and lead activities that inspire children and help them learn and develop.

The following qualification requirements for educators who are educating and caring for children will apply.

By 1 January 2014:

• Long day care and preschool services providing care to less than 25 children (based on approved places) must have access to an early childhood teacher for at least 20 per cent of the time that the service provides education and care.
• When long day care and preschool services are provided to 25 or more children on any given day, the service must ensure that an early childhood teacher is in attendance for: 

                   -- six hours on that day (for a service that operates for more than 50 hours per week); or

                   -- 60 percent of the operating hours (for a service that operates for 50 hours or more per week).

A service may choose to comply with these requirements by engaging a full-time equivalent early childhood teacher.

• Within each long day care centre or preschool, half of all educators who are required to meet the relevant educator-to-child ratios will need to have (or to be actively working towards) an approved diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification or above, and the remaining educators will all be required to have (or be actively working towards) an approved Certificate III level early childhood education and care qualification, or equivalent.
• All family day care coordinators will need to have an approved diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification or above.
• All family day educators will be required to have (or be actively working towards) an approved Certificate III level early childhood education and care qualification, or equivalent.

By 1 January 2020:

• When long day care and preschool services are provided to 60 or more children on any given day, the service must ensure that a second early childhood teacher is in attendance for:

                  -- three hours on that day (for a service that operates for more than 50 hours per week); or

                  -- 30 percent of the operating hours (for a service that operates for 50 hours or more per week).

A service may choose to comply with these requirements by engaging a second early childhood teacher for half of the full-time equivalent hours at the service.

• When long day care and preschool services are provided to 80 or more children on any given day, the service must ensure that a second early childhood teacher is in attendance for:

                  -- six hours on that day (for a service that operates for more than 50 hours per week); or

                  -- 60 percent of the operating hours (for a service that operates for 50 hours or more per week).

A service may choose to comply with these requirements by engaging a second full-time equivalent early childhood teacher.

Educator to Child Ratios

Some states and territories have made provisions which affect requirements in your area. These provisions are set out in chapter 7 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. For questions regarding these requirements, please contact your state or territory regulatory authority.

Centre-based services

Family day care services