Ratios in Childcare

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Laiorwyn
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Ratios in Childcare

Post by Laiorwyn » Sat Aug 16, 2014 4:07 pm

I'm a Room assistant in a preschool room. I've been rostered three separate times over ratio. (Eg. 25 3-5's to 2 adults) and been repeatedly told that we aren't getting any more staff rostered on that day. What do I do? We need support, it's not an educational environment, it's a zoo. We do our best to provide activities and some kind of order to the room but if a child pees themselves we've got 24 kids in a very large room being supervised by one adult while the others changing the wet child. I want to do my best at work, but feel that the children are being cheated by this arrangement.


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Lorina
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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lorina » Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:26 am

I was going through the Education and Care Service Regulations and in regards to educator:child ratio it states:
Subdivision 1 Centre-based services - 263 Educator to child ratios

(1) This regulation applies in place of regulation 123(1)(c) until 31 December 2015.
(2) The educator to child ratio at a centre-based service for children preschool age and under who are aged 36 months or over is—
(a) in the case of a centre-based service other than a government or non-government preschool, 1 educator to 11 children;
(b) in the case of a government or non-government preschool, 2 educators to 25 children.

ref: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maint ... 011+cd+0+N


I also found information within the Regulations on the educator:child ration when an educator is absent for 5 minutes or less:

Subdivision 3 Rest pauses and short absences - 316 Educator to child ratios when educator or early childhood teacher absent for 5 minutes or less

(1) This regulation applies until 31 December 2019.
(2) A centre-based service is taken to meet the relevant educator to child ratio during the absence of an educator or early childhood teacher if—
(a) the educator or early childhood teacher is absent for not more than 5 minutes; and
(b) the educator or early childhood teacher is not absent on a rest pause or during a rest period; and
(c) no other educator or early childhood teacher counted in the relevant required educator to child ratio is absent during that absence.
(3) During the absence of an educator or early childhood teacher in accordance with subregulation (2), the centre-based service is taken to meet the relevant qualification requirements for educators.
(4) In this regulation, a reference to an early childhood teacher is a reference to an early childhood teacher who is counted as an educator in calculating the educator to child ratio of the service.

ref: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maint ... 011+cd+0+N


So basically it's' my understanding that if an educator leaves the room for 5 minutes or less than it's fine proved the points above are adhered too. The only option I can suggest that if one of you have to step out of the room bring the children together for a quick group time...read a story or sing some songs or just talk about what they are currently doing. It may disturb their play but it's easier to handle all the children sitting on the mat by yourself than them running around screaming...

Hope this helps,

:geek:,
L.A

Laiorwyn
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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Laiorwyn » Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:05 am

Wow... So they are actually meeting regulations? I was under the impression the ratios for 3-5's was 1-10. Thanks for your help.

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by wimble » Wed Aug 20, 2014 6:09 pm

well most good centres are using a one to ten ratio for over threes, i wouldn't be staying there if i were you as it seems high quality care is not their priority. Short absence clause or not the situation you describe above is clearly unsafe as even if you read a book to the group you are going to have children that refuse to sit and listen, are you going to chase them around and drag them to the floor?

Regarding the regulation, the 2 educators to 25 children ratio ONLY applies to a government or non government self contained preschool (ie a preschool that has only children 3-5 yrs, not a preschool room in a long day care.) If your preschool room is part of a childcare centre then the ratio is 1 to 11 and they are in breach of the regulation. Hope that helps.

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by pennyo » Fri Oct 24, 2014 9:13 am

Can anyone help? I had 18 children in my care 3 children under 2 got told I only needed 2staff. I thought the ratio dropped 1:5 when I had 3 children under 2. Therefore needing 3 staff not two. I am certain that I am right. Keep getting told under the roof policy don't understand this under the roof rubbish at all. Have my advanced diploma in childcare and get told I don't know anything. Well I certainly did not get my qualification from a weetbix packet. Help!

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lorina » Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:51 am

pennyo wrote:Can anyone help? I had 18 children in my care 3 children under 2 got told I only needed 2staff. I thought the ratio dropped 1:5 when I had 3 children under 2. Therefore needing 3 staff not two. I am certain that I am right. Keep getting told under the roof policy don't understand this under the roof rubbish at all. Have my advanced diploma in childcare and get told I don't know anything. Well I certainly did not get my qualification from a weetbix packet. Help!

In QLD the ratios are as follows:
- for 0-24 months old is 1:4
- for 2 years to 3 years old is 1:6
- for 3 years to 6 years is 1:12

Ref: Staffing Requirements In QLD

In regards to Under the Roof guidelines, under the National Regulations, the minimum educator to child ratios are calculated across the service - that is, the number of educators required is calculated based on all children under a single roof regardless of the room configuration.

Minimum Ratios For Under The Roof Guidelines

- for 0-24 months old is 1:4
- for 2 years to 3 years old is 1:6
- for 21/3 to 3 years old is 1:8
- for 3 years to 6 years is 1:12

Ref: Staffing

In accordance with regulation 121, the minimum number of educators and their qualification requirements are calculated across the service, regardless of the individual room configuration. This means that ratios are not calculated on the number of children and educators present in a ‘room’ or ‘group’. This flexibility in calculating ratios allows services the ability to tailor the operation of their service to meet the needs of families and children enrolled.

The ratio required is always calculated according to the youngest age of the child allocated to an educator for the purposes of calculating ratios. Under regulation 122 the educator must be ‘working directly with children’ at the service. Regulation 13 of the National Regulations defines ‘working directly with children’ as being both physically present with the children and being directly engaged in providing education and care to the children. Please note that an educator is still considered to be working directly with children for the purposes of the educator to child ratio requirements if they are taking a rest pause or are briefly absent in accordance with Regulations 313-317.

Ref: New Under the Roof Guidelines?

I hope this information help you out and you can finally get your ratios at your centre sorted out,

:geek:,
L.A

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by pennyo » Sat Oct 25, 2014 2:38 pm

I fully understand what you are saying I know the ratios. But we are talking about grouping. Turns out anyway that I was 100% correct and yes I did need 3 staff. Because there were 3 under 2"s and 18children so the ratio is 1:5 then 2: 13 for the older age groups

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Caitlin2 » Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:41 pm

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could provide me with a document that states the risk and penalties related to breaching child to educator ratio?

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Lorina
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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lorina » Mon Jul 27, 2020 10:13 pm

Caitlin2 wrote:
Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:41 pm
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could provide me with a document that states the risk and penalties related to breaching child to educator ratio?


Hi!

I would assume this would be in the national Regulations but I haven't been able to find any information on the breach...

Did you come up with anything?

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Lorina


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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lalalooking » Fri Aug 07, 2020 3:16 pm

Hi

Apologies for jumping onto the thread but I also had a question regarding ratios in childcare.

In family day care is the educator only allowed 4 children under the age of six? What i have read is 1:7 ratio is that for school aged children during holiday care?

Sorry if that is stupid questions. Just trying to do some research as thinking about changing career.

Thank you in advance.

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by MPlace » Mon Aug 10, 2020 4:29 pm

hi there i dont know how to post my own. I have a question do any other centres have low casual staff which means that when someone calls in sick you have to just make do. This puts a lot of pressure on other staff as you never know what room you will be in each day? I was promised to be in a room permently but a staff member always seems to be sick and so numbers get shuffled around and I get moved accordingly. Is this normal? Thanks for your help

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Lorina
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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lorina » Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:33 pm

Lalalooking wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 3:16 pm
Hi

Apologies for jumping onto the thread but I also had a question regarding ratios in childcare.

In family day care is the educator only allowed 4 children under the age of six? What i have read is 1:7 ratio is that for school aged children during holiday care?

Sorry if that is stupid questions. Just trying to do some research as thinking about changing career.

Thank you in advance.
As per ACECQA the FDC ratio is as follows:

Family day care ratio requirements

1:7 educator to child ratio
Maximum of four children preschool age or under.
Ratio includes the educator’s own children younger than 13 years of age if there is no other adult to care for them.

:geek:,
Lorina

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Re: Ratios in Childcare

Post by Lorina » Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:37 pm

MPlace wrote:
Mon Aug 10, 2020 4:29 pm
hi there i dont know how to post my own. I have a question do any other centres have low casual staff which means that when someone calls in sick you have to just make do. This puts a lot of pressure on other staff as you never know what room you will be in each day? I was promised to be in a room permently but a staff member always seems to be sick and so numbers get shuffled around and I get moved accordingly. Is this normal? Thanks for your help
If there are already enough staff in place to cover the children even when an educator does call in sick then yes it's common for educators to be shifted from room to room to cover ratios.

Only when a centre is out of ratio then a casual eductor will be called for that room... however this depends on the service as well.

Due to the current virus, a lot of services are probably shuffling and making do with the educators that are available. So, for the time being be flexible and see what happens...

:geek:,
Lorina

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