Shocking shortage: One-in-four QLD daycare centres need staff waivers

Almost one-in-four long daycare centres in Queensland have been forced to put in exceptional measures because they do not have enough staff to meet strict requirements, shocking new data has revealed.

Almost one-in-four long daycare centres in Queensland have a special waiver in place because they do not have enough staff to meet strict requirements, shocking new data has revealed.

It is the second worst in the country for the staffing shortage, next to WA, while the percentage of waivers in has increased five-fold in just six years.

Early education advocates warn Queensland children are missing out on quality learning at a vital time in their development, and in rare cases there could even be a safety risk.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority data shows that 23.3 per cent of long daycare centres have some type of staffing waiver in place.

Thrive by Five director Jay Weatherill. Picture: supplied

The waivers are predominantly for qualified educators and only in rare cases for educator-to-child ratios, with the ACECQA stipulating it must be a last resort and cannot compromise safety.

Thrive By Five director Jay Weatherill said analysis of job vacancy data showed there was a shortfall of more than 1500 early childhood workers in Queensland.

“If you don’t have qualified teachers providing early learning opportunities for children then children are missing out. The quality of learning is impacted,” he said.

(Safety) is the other issue. The more pressure you put on the existing staff, the more likely it is that risks increase for the staff that are there.”

He said there were several contributing factors, including the general labour shortage, lower wages in the sector and, ironically, the Queensland Government’s recent 11 per cent pay rise over three years for school teachers.

“The unintended consequence of that is it made it harder to recruit in early education,” Mr Weatherill said.

He said the Commonwealth should work with the unions and employers to consider a wage subsidy to increase workers’ pay without increasing fees to parents.

Australian Childcare Alliance vice-president Nesha Hutchinson said there was an extremely high-bar for waivers, and even higher if it involved educator-to-child ratios, with the regulator more likely to cap child numbers instead.

“It’s not like getting a note from your mum for not doing your homework. The regulator has to make sure children are being care for appropriately,” she said.

“You have to prove that the person has the capability to do the job, and is not just a warm body with a pulse.”

Early Childhood Education Minister Dr Anne Aly. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly said the Albanese Government was working with the sector to retain staff while development recruitment and training.

“This includes free TAFE places for early childhood education qualification, almost 1,500 additional early childhood teacher university places, 5,000 bursaries to support talented students to enter teaching while also looking to the migration program to help ease immediate pressures,” she said.

She said the government was also implementing the National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy.