On 11 July 2017, ACECQA sent a survey to all childcare service providers seeking your perceptions about the level of administrative burden imposed by the National Quality Framework. ACECQA’s survey is open until Monday, 7 August 2017.
It is vitally important for all ACA NSW members to complete ACECQA’s survey and provide them with your honest and unfiltered perspective of the Early Childhood Education and Care system, in particular the impact it has whether positive or negative on your ability to provide quality early childhood education and care services to children in your care.
Why is this so important?
Since being elected in late November 2016, to the position of ACA NSW President I, together with your Executive Committee have been advocating to federal and state governments and their departments about ACA NSW members’ concerns, in particular regarding childcare over-regulation, childcare oversupply, and how the current assessment and rating process is implemented in New South Wales, including members expressed concerns that they have been severely prejudiced by what they view as unfair and subjective assessments and ratings.
Consequently, we welcome ACECQA’s interest in what ACA NSW has been saying for over 7 months now – that the early childhood education and care system needs significant review and repair.
Signs that Early Childhood Education and Care in NSW is not working as well as it should
- In New South Wales which tends to have the highest living and operating costs in Australia, there is a growing number of childcare service providers who are closing because of financial unsustainability;
- Since 2016, childcare services are reporting that they spend up to 40% of staff costs on compliance issues;
- 3,211 out of 5,351 NSW-based childcare service providers are still waiting to be re-assessed and re-rated since July 2015, with some still waiting since August 2012;
- With areas particularly in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and Coffs Harbour (to date) showing signs of childcare oversupply and excessive competition, childcare services are reporting declining occupancy levels as well as waiting lists being a thing of the past; and
- Even though childcare supply is increasing, childcare fees are still rising, not falling, to enable centres to cover the ever-increasing cost of service delivery.
ACA NSW Advocacies and Lobbying to date
- NSW Premier, the Hon Gladys Berejiklian MP, has been alerted to the above administrative burden and costly overheads which come at the expense of staff resources directed away from interacting with children. Growing numbers of parents are now aware of how significant amounts of their daily fees are being “wasted” on compliance costs. Though called the “national” law, it is not “national” at all but differs from State to State with the burden imposed on NSW centres – especially in terms of staff and teacher numbers – being heavier than those imposed on providers in other States. That a centre in Coolangatta (Qld) could receive Exceeding but another centre across the border in Tweed Heads (NSW) operating in exactly the same manner must have its quality downgraded to Working Towards because it will fail to meet the correct NSW teacher numbers. Two centres in NSW - owned by the same member and run in exactly the same manner with interchangeable staff – being rated differently, one receiving Exceeding and the other Meeting. The paradox is, that such degree of regulatory burden is not producing more advanced educational outcomes, nor is such degree of regulatory burden evident in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the NSW education system. The question being then “why is this burden placed on the early childhood education sector alone”;
- NSW Early Childhood Education Minister, the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC, has been briefed on childcare over-regulation, childcare oversupply and the problems with the current assessment and rating processes;
- NSW Planning Minister, the Hon Anthony Roberts MP, has been given ACA NSW’s report on childcare oversupply, identifying the dangers of introducing a new state law that would only make childcare oversupply worse;
- Federal Minister for Industry, the Hon Craig Laundy MP, has been asked for his assistance to provide business simplification of the existing childcare framework because of its current over-regulation;
- NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, the Hon Matt Kean MP, has been asked for his support to join ACA NSW’s request for business simplification and the streamlining of regulations in order to achieve service sustainability and childcare affordability; and
- Responded to Federal Labor’s “Early Childhood Education and Care – Future Directions for Australia” Discussion Paper, offering solutions to childcare overregulation, childcare oversupply, the assessment and rating system, funding for families, the need for all children to have access to adequately funded (minimum 30 hours CCB) early childhood education and more.
Future Developments
ACA NSW is also soon to meet with ACECQA CEO Gabrielle Sinclaire and other policymakers to continue representing the concerns of our members and the sector.
We will keep you advised of developments.
And please do not forget the survey.
Take the time to complete it by the closing date of 7 August 2017.