Cr�che Guidelines
Are you required to hold a licence?
IF
A CHILD CARE SERVICE IS PROVIDED FOR A FEE, A DONATION WHICH IS ENFORCED OR
INSISTED, OR WHERE AN EXCHANGE OF GOODS IS REQUESTED IN LIEU OF PAY�MENT FOR
CHILD CARE, THEN THE SERVICE MUST COMPLY WITH THE "REGULATIONS UNDER THE
CHILDREN'S SERVICES ACT 1985" AND HOLD A CURRENT CHILD CARE
LICENCE ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT.
The
Children�s Services Act 1985 (as amended) states:
3. � a �child care
centre� means any place or premises in which for thant4 young children
are, for monetary or other
considerations, cared for on a non-residential basis apart from their
guardians.�
� �young child� means a child under the age of 6 years who have not yet
commence attending school.�
48. �No person shall, by
public advertisement, represent that he is prepared, for monetary or other
considerations to mind, look after or care for young children away from their own homes
unless he is the holder of a valid licence under this Act in respect of caring for such children or unless he
is an approved family day care provider.�
A copy of the Child Care Centre Regulations can be obtained from
Department of Education Training and
Employment
2nd
floor, 31 Flinders Street
ADELAIDE
SA 5000
Telephone
8226 0044
The
provision of quality staff is considered to be an essential component of a
quality child care service. The link between staff:child ratios and quality of
interactions between staff and children is supported by research. The provision of higher numbers of staff results in more positive
interactions between adults and children, the practice of more positive
nurturing behaviour by staff, and lower levels of dis�tress in children.
The
following staff child ratios should apply at all times.
� 1: 5 children under 2 years of age
� 1:10 children between 2 years and
5 years
� 1:15 children between 5 years and
12 years
It is also recommended
that a minimum of two staff are present at all times to ensure children's safety
should one adult have to leave the room.
Staff
The
employment of qualified staff is obviously advan�tageous in any child care
situation.
Department
of Education, Training and Employment recommends that at least 1 qualified staff
person be on duty at all times.
The
following qualifications are considered appropriate for the care of children:
� Two year qualification in child
care.
� Teaching Degree in early childhood
A
list of other appropriate qualifications can be obtained from the Licensing and
Standards Unit, Department of Education Training and Employment.
When
recruiting a staff member it is advisable for the organisation to advertise
widely in order to attract a larger pool of individuals from which to select.
It
is recommended that a formal interview take place to ensure that the skills and
suitability of each applicant are thoroughly assessed and the best applicant
selected.
Employees are strongly advised to check
thor�oughly the referees and work history of the successful applicant as well
as seek authorisation from the applicant to carry out a police check.
For cr�ches that operate on a one off
or casual basis, it is suggested organisers approach a local child care service
with a view to determining the availability of persons who hold the recommended
qualifications.
Information relating to Award Rates and
conditions can be obtained from:
Australian Liquor Hospitality and
Miscellaneous Workers Union.
101
Henley Beach Road
MILE
END SA 5031
Telephone
(08) 8352 3511
Department of Industrial Affairs
5th
floor 45 Pine Street
ADELAIDE
SA 5000
Telephone
(08) 8207 1999
Physical
environment
The
building should be in sound condition and have the following:-
Emergency exits that are accessible and enable clear access
Access for children with
disabilities.
Effective ventilation and natural light
Toilet and hand washing facilities within easy access. If an
adult toilet and hand basin is used it is advised that a stable step suitable
for children's use be provided.
Facilities to prepare drinks/bottles/snacks etc. Easy
access to outside play area.
Service areas, rubbish bins, bottles etc inaccessible to
children.
Heating, cooling fans, cords, urns, out of reach of children.
Power outlets out of children's reach or fitted with earth
leakage circuit breaker or child proof safety plugs.
Glass below 1 metre to be standard safety glass or protected.
Doors/gates to swimming pools, spas, gym areas secure from child
access. It is recommended that self closing, self locking doors, or two doors
separated by a holding space be fitted.
Outside play area fenced and fitted with self locking, self
closing gates.
Separate area to park prams and pushers.
The
Physical Environment should have:
Internal
Lockable cupboard for cleaning products and poisons out of
children's reach
Windows secured
Nappy change bench within easy access
Child size tables and chairs
Comfortable rug/mats/cushions for floor sitting
Room dividers if caring for children under 2 or large numbers of
children
Boxes/shelves/storage space for child's personal belongings
First Aid Kit as recommended by St. John Ambulance or Australia
Red Cross
Ensure
cupboards trestles etc that are not fixed to the floor or walls cannot be moved
or pulled over by children.
External
Age appropriate climbing equipment/swings placed over impact
absorbent material
Grass or artificially grassed area A Sandpit with
shade
Access to water play
Toys
Toys are an essential element when
providing a stimulating environment for children in care. In addition to the
range of toys that the service provides, it is recommended that the operator con�siders
having a policy that allows children to bring their own toys. Whilst a personal
toy requires more management to ensure that it is not misplaced or lost, a
child's personal toy can offer a great deal of comfort in an unfamiliar
environment.
Ensure toys are:
age appropriate
free from sharp edges and points
free from splinters rust and flaking paint
stable eg. Ride on toys, rockers etc
free from toxic glues and paints
regularly disinfected
It
is essential that where infants are cared for there is a play area which is free
from small toys and objects that can be swallowed, inhaled or inserted.
t
is recommended that only toys that comply with the Australian Standards be
provided.
Information
sheets listing suitable toys for specific age groups are available from the
Department of EducationTraining and Employment.
Duty
of Care
Legislation does not cover aspects of
Duty of Care however Common Law places the onus of "care" on
individuals to take all necessary precautions to pro�tect the interests of the
child, including the child's health, safety and well being.
The following are some areas that
creche operators should take into account in order to fulfil their obligations
in respect to
Duty of Care.
Accepting
Children
Precautions should be such that no
child is handed over to anyone other than the person who deliv�ered the child
to the creche facility. Written author�ity of the parent/guardian should be
sighted before another person, with identification, can take the child from the
creche.
It is recommended that operators adopt
a system that ensures parents sign children in and out of the creche. The system
should record the child's name, parent's name, "time in" signature and
"time out" signature.
An information
sheet should be compiled for each child and include such details as;
name, age, address of each child
contact address and phone number of parent/guardian
emergency contact person
permission to allow medical treatment to be obtained for the
child in an emergency
Details of any specific medical treatment a child may need (eg to
counteract allergies, asthma, bee stings) should be recorded and located in an
easily accessible place.
Accident
Illness and Medication
A record should be kept of accidents,
injuries and illnesses to assist in any insurance claims or the out�break of
contagious diseases.
Medication should be stored in a safe
place, inac�cessible to children. A record of medication admin�istered to the
child while in care should be kept. This record should include the amount/dose
the child was given, the time the medication was administered and by whom.
Samples of enrolment and other record
keeping forms are available from the Department of Education Tr~ining and
Employment.
Children with infectious/contagious conditions should not be accepted
into care. Such conditions include:
measles, mumps, chicken pox etc
conjunctivitis
Gastroenteritis
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
ringworm
For
more detailed information on infectious dis�eases refer to "Staying
Healthy in Child Care; Preventing Infectious Diseases in Child Care", avail�able
from the Australian Government Bookshop.
It
is recommended that organisations operating creche services develop policies
that deal with the admission of children with minor ailments such as colds.
Programs
and activities
In
a creche, the length of time that children are in care while their
parents are participating in activi�ties, meetings etc is relatively short. It
is therefore difficult to implement a formal program of activities for children.
However, there are some basic princi�ples that should be considered when
planning pro�grams suitable for the creche situation.
Time table and activities should be flexible and suited to the
ages of children participating.
Opportunities should be provided at all times for children to
develop oral communication.
There should be a balance between vigorous activity, quiet
activity, inside and outside play, and meal or snack times.
There should be opportunity for children to move freely from one
activity to another.
Children should be gainfully occupied if they are required to sit
and wait.
There should be opportunities for creative activities,
imaginative play, musical activities and stories.
Insurance
Public Liability Insurance supports the
interests of persons using the creche service as well as persons operating the
creche service.
Premiums are based on the activities of
the organi�sation, whether they are basketball, tennis etc., the number of
members and the number of children involved in child care.
Issues relating to Insurance can be
complex when they relate to care of children by persons other than the child's
parent or guardian.
It is therefore
important that the operator seeks advice from a reputable Insurance Broker and
that adequate cover for Professional Liability as well as Public Liability is
considered.
Many Insurers are reluctant to provide
Public Liability Insurance if they are aware that child care activities are an
integral part of
the organisation they are insuring. If the Insurers have not been advised of the
child care activities and a claim occurs they would have strong grounds to
reject the claim on the basis of "Non-Disclosure of Material
Facts".
Additional
areas of insurance which need to be considered are:
Personal Accident Insurance for volunteer workers
Compulsory Workcover for paid
employees.
Department
of Education Training and Employment, Children's Services
31
Flinders Street, Adelaide
Tel: (08)
8226 0044
Early
childhood Resources Lady Gowrie Child Centre Inc
39a
Dew Street, Thebarton
Tel: (08)
8352 5144
Department
of Recreation and Sport
27
Valletta Road, Kidman Park
Tel: (08)
8416 6677
Womensport
and Recreation SA
1
Sturt street, Adelaide
Tel: (08)
8410 1404
South
Australian Community Recreation AssociationInc. (SACRA)
109
Woodville Road, Woodville
Tel: (08)
8268 7000
YWCA
Elizabeth Community House
7
Judd Road, Elizabeth
Te: (08)8255
1353
Fitness
South Australia Inc.
372
Unley Road, Unley Park
Tel.
(08) 8272 839
Women and Children's
Hospital T
el (08) 8204 7000
Poisons Information Centre
Tel.
13 1126
Australian
Red Cross
Tel.
(08) 8267 7666
St. John Ambulance
Australia (SA Inc)
Tel. (08) 8274 0331
Parenting
Strategies The Office for Families and
Children
Tel. (08) 8226 6721
Mandatory
Reporting Family and Community
Services Child Abuse Report Line
Tel.
131478
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