The Educator to Child ratio of 1:15 for OSHC services will now apply in NSW from today (1 October 2018).

Carla, a 2-year-old toddler picked up a glass stone from an activity set up in her childcare room and put it in the mouth. The Educator, asked Carla to put it down but didn't remove the toddler from the activity or to check if she had swallowed it. Carla's mum received a phone call the next day giving her a heads up not to be surprised if she finds a "stone" in Carla's nappy.

As part of its Modern Award Review, the Fair Work Commission has made changes for Casual Employees under the Children's Services Award 2010. The changes affect rules about casual conversion, minimum engagement periods and rostering arrangements.

On 28 August, we provided information in the article "New Childcare Traineeship Requirements For Services In NSW" regarding new requirements to Children's Services Traineeships for services employing Cert 3 or Diploma Trainees. We have received clarification from the NSW Department of Industry, Apprenticeships and Traineeships Unit that these changes only apply to School-Based Traineeships only.

$6 Million "Start Strong Capital Work Grants" program is available for NSW community preschools to improve infrastructure. Eligible services will be able to build, extend or renovate their facilities to increase community preschool places.

Parents and Educators alike love to share photos on social media of what the children have been up to. Parents often share photos of their children on recent holidays, family events, important milestones while Educators share activities the children have engaged in, excursions the children had been on etc. Even though sharing these with others will enable them to see how well each child is doing, you could be putting your child at risk to predators.

In some areas across Australia, Services have been offering gifts to parents to lure them into their childcare setting. Gifts include free Ipads, Holiday Packages, payment of families bills, $1000 cash and more. Under the Labour Government, these rewards will be banned when parents enrol their child.

Whether early childhood educators are working in a school or not, a report has called for universal registration for all educators in Australia to recognise them as part of the teaching profession and to receive the same standards used for primary and high school teachers.

When Parents send their child to school or to childcare, one of their responsibilities is packing a healthy lunch. Teachers and Educators take the responsibility of making sure that all children are eating healthy.

A child from St Pauls Gateshead Primary School, Newcastle, discovered a needle inside a banana which was packed for their lunch. the contaminated banana was discovered before the child bit into it.