Early childhood education and care services must ensure staffing and governance and leadership requirements are met as part of their responsibility to provide quality and safe care to children.
Required roles
Approved providers of all services
must have:
Approved providers of
family day care services External link must also have sufficient family day care coordinators available at any time the service is being offered.
Ratios and qualifications
Ratios
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)'s website outlines the minimum
educator-to-child ratio requirements External link for early childhood education and care services and outside school hours care as set out under the National Quality Framework (NQF).
Qualifications
Approved providers of all services
must ensure their service meets:
Centre-based service or family day care with children preschool age and under
View the
NQF approved qualification list External link to check if your or your staff member’s qualification is sufficient to work at an early childhood education and care service. This includes
international qualifications, however international job-seekers should
contact ACECQA External link for more information.
If your early childhood qualification does not appear on the NQF approved list you may
apply to ACECQA External link to have your early childhood qualification assessed for equivalence.
Early childhood teacher
In Queensland you need to complete your early childhood teacher (ECT) qualification to work as a qualified ECT. However, educators who are
actively working towards External link an approved ECT level qualification may be counted as a certificate III level educator, diploma level educator or
suitably qualified person External link whilst studying, depending on how much of the qualification they have completed.
ACECQA has approved a transitional measure which allows a person to be recognised as an
equivalent early childhood teacher External link if they hold a primary teaching degree, teacher registration and an approved certificate III or higher early childhood qualification.
Teacher registration is not currently a requirement to work as an ECT in Queensland, however, some employers may require registration as part of employment. Queensland teacher registration is the responsibility of the
Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) External link.
Outside school hours care
Approved providers of out of school hours care services (OSHC) must ensure these services have:
- a minimum educator-to-child ratio of 1:15
- at least 1 educator who holds (or is working towards) an approved
2 year diploma level qualification or higher in a relevant area of study External link and is at the service either
- (if the service provides education and care for children over preschool age for more at least 7 hours and 15 minutes a day) at least 7 hours and 15 minutes of that time or
- (otherwise) the entire time the service provides education and care for children over preschool age
- if the service has 30 or more children
OSHC grace period
There is a grace period for educators who are 18 years of age or older to start their qualification after they commence work in OSHC:
- Where an educator's position requires them to hold or be actively working towards a minimum 2-year relevant qualification, the educator has 6 months grace period.
- Where an educator's position requires them to hold or be actively working towards a minimum 1-year relevant qualification, the educator has 3 months grace period.
If your qualification does not appear on the approved OSHC qualification list, you may
apply to ACECQA External link to have your qualification assessed.
Waivers
After all efforts have been made to meet the requirements of the National Law and National Regulations, approved providers who are having difficulty meeting operational requirements may apply for a waiver. Read more about
temporary and service waivers.
Staff suitability requirements
All staff must hold a positive notice blue card or exemption card.
Approved providers should:
- have initial recruitment and ongoing employment processes to ensure all staff continue to hold a blue or exemption card
- use the
Blue Card services organisation portal External link to help manage their blue card obligations and records
- ensure that staff are not prohibited persons, as these processes are separate assessments by different regulatory authorities.
Read more about
checking a person's prohibition status.
Resources
Careers
Read the department's
careers page for more information about a career in early childhood, including more information on staff roles and qualifications. You can also learn more about
becoming an early childhood teacher External link.
Policies and procedures
Ensure your staffing policies and procedures are adequate by reviewing ACECQA's
staffing policy guidelines (PDF, 304KB) External link.
Other home-based care
Family day care educators who operate out of their own home may also engage in other home-based activities.
Help and support
ACECQA is your essential resource for staffing and qualifications. Check out their website for more information on:
Ensure you understand the requirements of the National Law and National Regulations, in particular: