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| Are you ready for the new ratios?
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As most of you will be well aware, new educator to child ratios are creeping ever closer and are due to take effect on 1 January 2016 for services in the ACT, NSW, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. There are no changes in Tasmania and Western Australia where the ratios are already in place.
Phased introduction of the new ratios was agreed in 2009 to give services plenty of time to prepare for the changes and ACECQA says they are an essential part of the National Quality Framework (NQF).
As well as bringing national consistency to this area of the NQF, ACECQA says improved educator to child ratios support quality education and care by allowing staff to give more attention to each child.
New ratios apply for:
- children older than 24 months and younger than 36 months at centre-based services in NSW, Queensland and South Australia.
- children older than 36 months up to and including preschool age for all centre-based services in Queensland and Victoria.
- preschools in ACT, Northern Territory and South Australia.
- family day care services in Queensland.
For more information and a summary of the NQF educator to child ratio requirements in each state/territory visit ACECQA's website. You can also contact your local regulatory authority for more information about changes in your jurisdiction.
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