The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW President Lyn Connolly talks about the results of the latest 2017 Annual Survey on Early Learning & Childcare Services.

This builds on the 2016 annual survey where now a record number of (892) approved providers and (1,700) childcare services across NSW have responded on the issues of childcare oversupply, over-regulations, staff:child ratios, time spent on paperwork and compliance costs, the impact of the National Quality Framework, cost of staff time spent on non-educational activities, and ultimately cost to families. This is in contrast to the aspirations of educators, early childhood teachers and parents who simply want the best possible yet affordable early childhood education and care for children.

The NSW Government has so far not been able to provide the reference documents that supported the legislation and regulation changes to the two year old staff:child ratio. Perhaps now more than ever is the time to revisit the legislation and regulations, the cost to families and childcare service providers, deal with childcare oversupply and the need for a better planning system, and how do we sensibly, effectively, and efficiently achieve the aspired outcomes for children.