Minimum Age Requirement To Collect A Child From ChildCare

[Lorina]

Hi Everyone,

A number of parents have approached me wanting to find out the minimum age requirement of an authorized person to pick up their child from the childcare centre.

So therefore, I'm posting the information here for those of you who are wondering the same. If you have any further questions, just ask in this topic

Q: What is the minimum age requirement for someone to pick up my child from a childcare centre?

A: According to the childcare legislation it states that "a child in care does not leave the child care centre other than with, or with the permission of, a parent or
guardian of the child; and (d) a child in care who is not a school child does not leave
the child care centre other than with an adult";

This means that the minimum age requirement for an authorized person to pick up your child from a childcare centre is at least 18 years of age.

In the childcare legislation an adult is referred to as "adult, in relation to a person accompanying a child arriving at or leaving a child care centre, includes the child’s parent who is not yet an adult (if you’re the child's parent and you're under the age of 18 you are still considered as an adult).

Click here to view the Childcare Legislation. Refer to page 26 of this document.

Hope this answers your question,

,
L.A

[Kaz]

wow I never saw this before, Does it still stand now in 2013?

[SW62]

Hi I made an enquiry on the minimum age you can collect a child from day-care the forum was dated 2011 is the Minimum age still 18 in 2020 please

[Lorina]

Hi I made an enquiry on the minimum age you can collect a child from day-care the forum was dated 2011 is the Minimum age still 18 in 2020, please

I can't find the updated information in the current National Regulations. I have contacted ACECQA to confirm this information. I will let you know once I receive information.

Hope this is OK?

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

This is the information I received from ACECQA (01 October 2020):

Regulation 99 states that the Approved Provider and Nominated Supervisor must make sure that a child being educated and cared for by the service may only leave the education and care service premises under the following circumstances:

A parent or authorised nominee collects the child, or

A parent or authorised nominee provides written authorisation for the child to leave the premises, or

A parent or authorised nominee provides written authorisation for the child to attend an excursion, or

The child requires medical, hospital or ambulance treatment, or there is another emergency

The term ‘parent’ does not include a parent who is prohibited by a court order from having contact with the child.

Regulation 168 states that a service must have a policy and procedure relating to delivery of children to, and collection of children from, education and care service premises, including procedures complying with National Regulation 99.

These policies and procedures need to be prepared by the Approved Provider.

This Regulation does not preclude an approved provider from restricting the persons that may be nominated to collect a child. For example, an approved service may take a policy position to not allow children to be collected by a person under the age of 16 years. This should be documented in the service’s policy about collection of children.

,
Lorina