Incidences In Early Childhood Services On The Rise

Data released by the Productivity Commission on Tuesday shows 16,185 serious incidents at childcare facilities across Australia from 2018 to 2019.

Serious incidents include when a child suffers an injury, trauma or illness, when emergency services attend the centre, and when a child is locked in or out, taken away or missing.

In NSW, emergency services attended centres 616 times in 2018 to 2019.

At Victorian childcare centres, children were locked in or out, taken away or were unaccounted for nearly 400 times for the period of 2018 to 2019.

The report also says two children died while in care in NSW, with no deaths in other states. That figure is half that of the year before, when there were two deaths in Queensland and one each in Victoria and SA.

The report warns the rate of serious incidents reflects the reporting practices of approved childcare providers, "which can vary".

Reference:
Incidents At Childcare Centres On The Rise, The Standard, 4 Feb 2020