Childcare worker survey result shows “system is failing staff and in turn the children in their care”

A recent national survey of childcare workers has found educators can’t guarantee the safety of children as the sector battles understaffing. Read what NT workers had to say..

A recent national survey of childcare workers has found educators “can’t guarantee the safety of children” as the sector battles understaffing.

The United Workers Union survey of more than 2100 childcare workers across Australia comes as the most recent May report from national childcare regulator Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has the NT as having the nation’s highest proportion of centres not meeting national standards — 22 per cent.

An NT Department of Education and Training spokesman said the Territory regulator (QECNT) is working to address the Territory childcare centres not meeting standards saying all in-scope early childhood services in the NT have been visited at least once a year since 2024 as part of QECNT’s commitment to the safety, health, and wellbeing of children.

“To support an uplift in NT rating outcomes, QECNT is conducting additional assessment and ratings during the 2025 calendar year to allow approved providers the opportunity to be reassessed in a shorter time frame if the service is working towards in only 1 or 2 quality areas,” the spokesperson said.

Early education director for the United Workers Union Carolyn Smith said the hard truth from the national survey is that more than three quarters of educators say they are regularly staffed below minimum requirements in their rooms.

“We need to support educators to do their best work, and our survey results show that the system is failing them and, in turn, the children in their care.”

Ms Smith said the national survey revealed most educators surveyed believe a common staffing loophole “compromises the safety and wellbeing of children”.

The “under the roof ratio” sees some centres move educators between rooms, and even count educators not on the floor, to meet their minimum staffing level requirements.

One Territory educator said the practice needs to go.

“Under the roof ratio has to be cancelled,” they said.

“It’s wrong and only benefits the companies who want to make more money.”

“We are constantly running on survival mode,” another NT respondent said.

National standards set minimum staffing ratios, which educators claim are regularly bypassed by the “under the roof ratio” loophole. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s disheartening to not be able to meet the needs of the children when you need to because you have multiple things to do at once and are only one person or two in a room.”

“All kinds of unsafe situations can happen when the educator is under the ratio because children are little humans and they are capable of doing anything,” another Territory educator said.

The tragic death of 22-month Ebony Thompson at a Humpty Doo childcare centre in 2023 renewed calls locally for staffing ratios to be addressed.

22-month-old toddler Ebony Thompson passed away on September 2, 2023 following an incident at the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Centre.

The NT Department of Education and Training spokesman challenged describing “under the roof ratio” as a “loophole”.

“There is no ‘loophole’ in the legislation when services and approved providers are meeting their legal requirements,” he said.

“Services often choose to move educators between rooms to support children in a room at a particular given time, however, they must always maintain the minimum requirements of staff actively working with children ratios across the service.”