General Educator Ratios and Qualifications

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1 General educator to child ratios and qualifications for long day care centre-based education and care services. From January 204, new general educator qualifications in centre-based education and care services will come into effect. This fact sheet provides you with an outline of the educator to child ratios and general educator qualification requirements. Educator to child ratios In South Australia, the educator to child ratios for centre-based services are as follows: Regulation Age of Educator to Child ratio 23 () (a) For from birth 24 months educator to For over 24 months and less than 36 months 323 For aged 36 months of age or over (not including over school age) educator to 8 for the first 8 and educator to 0 thereafter educator to For over school age educator to 5 In accordance with Regulation 22 to be included in the educator to child ratio you must be working directly with. If your service is required to have access to an early childhood teacher or have an early childhood teacher in attendance, they can be counted in the educator to child ratio provided they are working directly with. Meaning of working directly with Regulation 3 outlines the meaning of working directly with as a person who: - is physically present with the ; and - is directly engaged in providing education and care to the. General Educator Qualification Requirements (Regulation 26 () (a)) From January 204 at least 50 per cent of the educators who are required to meet the educator to child ratios for the service must have or be actively working towards at least an approved diploma level education and care qualification. All other educators required to meet the educator to child ratios must have or be actively working towards at least an approved certificate III level education and care qualification.

2 What does actively working towards mean? (Regulation 0) To be actively working towards a qualification you need to: - be enrolled in the course for the qualification; and - provide the approved provider with documentary evidence from the provider of the course that - you have commenced the course; and - are making satisfactory progress towards completion of the course; and - are meeting the requirements for maintaining the enrolment; and - in the case of an approved diploma level education and care qualification; ~ hold an approved certificate III level education and care qualification; or ~ have completed the units of study in an approved certificate III level education and care qualification determined by ACECQA. ACECQA has released some new information to help with the definition of actively working towards an approved qualification. For Certificate III If you are actively working towards an approved certificate III level education and care qualification you can be included in the educator to child ratios as a certificate III level educator if you:. are enrolled in a course for the qualification 2. have commenced the course 3. are making satisfactory progress towards completion 4. meet the requirements to maintain enrolment. Diploma If you are actively working towards an approved diploma level education and care qualification you can be included in the educator to child ratios as a diploma level educator if you:. are enrolled in a course for the qualification 2. have commenced the course 3. are making satisfactory progress towards completion 4. meet the requirements to maintain enrolment 5. hold an approved certificate III level education and care qualification; or i) have completed approved certificate III level core units; or ii) have completed at least 30 per cent of the units on an approved early childhood teaching qualification. 2

3 How do I calculate my staffing ratios and qualifications? To calculate the educator to child staffing ratios and qualifications at your service you need to follow these steps:. determine the educator to child ratio for each age group 2. add up the total number of educators required to meet the educator to child ratio 3. determine 50 per cent of the total number of educators in step 2. This is how many educators you need that must have or be actively working towards a diploma level education and care qualification 4. the remaining number of educators must have or be actively working towards a certificate III level education and care qualification. Age range of Ratio Number of Children Number of Educators for ratios Qualification requirements Birth to 24 months : A minumum of 7 educators are required in total 25 to 35 months : 8 then 20 2 :0 36 months to preschool age : educators must have or be actively working towards a diploma level or above education and care qualification Totals Total number of 58 A minumum of 7 educators are required to meet the educator to child ratios 3 educators must have or be actively working towards a certificate III level education and care qualification 3

4 Children of mixed ages If your service educates and cares for of mixed ages you must ensure you meet the minimum requirements for the educator to child ratios for each age range of at all times. It is important to be aware, however when determining your educator to child ratios that adequate supervision must be maintained at all times and that the needs of each individual child must be taken into consideration. You must also consider each child s involvement in the program and engagement in meaningful relationships with each other and educators. The following table describes how mixed age group ratios can be determined. Age Range of Birth to 24 months 25 to 35 months 36 months to preschool age Over preschool age Ratio Number of Mixed group rationale Number of educators :4 3 one child from the 25 month- preschool age group can be included with this ration to maintain a :4 ratio :8 then :0 9 one child has been included in the ratio above therefore the service can provide educator as a minimum for months :0 9 one child can be included in the ratio from the over preschool age group therefore the service can provide a minimum of 2 educators to maintain the :0 ratio :5 6 one child has been included in the 36 month to preschool age group ratio therefore the service can provide educator as a minimum for 5 over preschool age Totals Total number of 47 Qualification requirements A minimum of 5 educators are required in total 2 A minimum of 5 educators are required to meet the educator to child ratios 3 educators must hold or be actively working towards an approved diploma level education and care qualification and 2 educators must hold or be actively working towards an approved certificate III level education and care qualification 4

5 Savings provision for certain educators to meet the certificate III level qualification. (Regulation 240) Until 3 December 205 an educator can be included to meet the educator to child qualification requirement for a certificate III level qualification if they: - have been continuously employed as an educator in an education and care service or s service for a period of at least 5 years up to immediately before scheme commencement day; and - are employed by the same approved provider as they were employed by immediately before January 202. New education and care qualifications On July 203, the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council released a revised training package including six new education and care qualifications at the certificate III, certificate IV and diploma level. ACECQA has updated the lists of approved certificate III and diploma-level education and care qualifications. The former Certificate III and Diploma in Children s Services will remain on ACECQA s approved lists. Contact details Early Childhood Services Phone: or Website: [email protected] 5