Audit reveals childcare hygiene, safety flaws in centres

ALMOST one-third of the 1102 childcare centres audited last year failed to implement proper food, safety and hygiene practices.

ALMOST one-third of the 1102 childcare centres audited last year failed to implement proper food, safety and hygiene practices.

The National Childcare Accreditation Council report for July to December last year found 29 per cent of childcare centres did not have effective food, safety and hygiene practices.

Procedures to make nappy changing and going to the toilet positive experiences were at fault in 28 per cent of centres.

One in four centres assessed did not properly support a child's need for rest, sleep and comfort.

Learning was not documented in 22 per cent of centres and

20 per cent failed to control the spread of infectious diseases and maintain immunisation records.

Fifteen per cent of centres did not treat all children equitably.

Childcare Minister Kate Ellis used the report to back her push to improve quality by requiring more staff to be hired from next year. She said that from 2012, the MyChild website would name and shame centres that failed to make the grade.

"Many parents would be horrified by these statistics," she said. "The more than 800,000 Australian parents who place their children in care each week deserve to know that they are safe and well looked after."

The Australian Childcare Alliance said yesterday it did not condone breaches of any kind, but said the sector was already struggling to find suitably qualified staff.

Manuka Childcare Centre director Robby McGarvey said: "If centres are struggling to meet the requirements now, what's going to happen when quality changes come in next year?"

Operators say the government will be unable to deliver on a promise to get a university trained teacher into every centre from January 2014.