Welcome to the NQF e-bulletin, the department’s e-newsletter to support early childhood education and care services to implement the National Quality Framework. The NQF e-bulletin is being distributed to providers and services which have their details listed on the National Quality Agenda IT system (NQA ITS).
To receive regular email updates, please ensure your details are correct on the NQA ITS.
Transition and supervision
Delivering and collecting children
Recently there have been a number of incidents in which services have allowed children to leave their premises with an unauthorised person or failed to collect children from schools for after school care.
Section 99 of the National Regulations lists the circumstances in which a child may leave the service’s premises.
Children must only leave the service premises in the care of a parent or authorised person or on an excursion.
Services should ensure policies and procedures for delivering and collecting children, as required under section 168(f) of the National Regulations, provide clear guidance to educators and staff (bus drivers, etc.) to ensure all legislative requirements are met.
Policies and procedures for delivering and collecting children from outside school hours care services should clearly instruct educators and staff to ensure booking records are current and correct and consulted before collecting children.
This ensures no child is left behind or collected on the wrong day.
The department will take compliance action against non-compliant services.
Need more information?
· Contact your local regional office for more information on the above requirements.
Review supervision processes
Approved providers are encouraged to reassess their procedures for ensuring adequate supervision of children following a number of incidents in which children left premises unobserved and were exposed to an unacceptable risk of harm.
These incidents typically occurred at high-risk times: during the transportation of children or when children were leaving with their parents and other children followed them into the car park.
Failing to adequately supervise children is an offence under section 165 of the National Law.
Approved providers and nominated supervisors must ensure children are adequately supervised at all times and the service has processes to ensure children do not leave the premises unaccompanied.
A review of supervision processes is advised because meeting the minimum prescribed ratio requirements will not necessarily ensure there is adequate supervision in all circumstances.
Need more information?
· Contact your local regional office for more information on the above requirements.
Visit our website | Contact us | Subscribe to A to Z of Early Childhood monthly e-newsletter for more information about early childhood education and care initiatives in Queensland.
If you no longer wish to receive this email newsletter email us, with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line.