Parents and children in NSW child care centres deserve the best and the
State Government can deliver this immediately by improving the ratio of
staff to babies by giving them better quality care, a coalition of
major child care providers and peak child care organisations said today. "The NSW Government commissioned and received a major report on child care ratios last year which showed that babies receive better care when there is one carer to 4 babies, rather than the state government mandated 1:5 ratio” Bernadette Dunn, the Chairperson of the Community Childcare Co-operative NSW said today.
An Alliance of families, centre providers and child care professionals have joined together to call on the Premier to immediately implement a 1:4 ratio for babies.
The majority view of a Ministerial Task Force found that the effect of the change in ratio would improve the quality of child care to babies and toddlers in NSW while causing little or no reduction in accessibility and only a small decrease in affordability of some services.
"50% of child care services already operate with a 1:4 staff-child ratio or better. What do we need to do to make sure all babies in care get the care they deserve? More than 30 years of child development research has shown that a better staff ratio is best practice so the Premier needs to act now”.
Over 20 key children’s services organisations have committed their organisations to help persuade the Premier of the need to act on this issue.
For further comment and information contact: Bernadette Dunn – Chairperson Community Child Care Co-operative NSW 0414 232 374
Prue Warrilow – Deputy Convener National Association of Community Based Children’s Services (NSW Branch) – 0408 020 904
Contact: Julie Griffiths
USU Director, Women, Child Care, Youth and Aged
(02) 9265 8211
