Submission to the Productivity
Commission Inquiry into
CHILDARE AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING (2)
September, 2014
“The early years have profound consequences for the rest of our children’s lives. Laying a solid foundation is vital – like building a house if the foundations are solid what follows after that tends to be solid as well. Getting it right is time critical”, Professor Frank Oberklaid
Submission from / National In-Home Childcare Association (NICA)Contact / David Wilson
Position / President
NICA postal address / PO Box 307, Jindera NSW 2642
Office / (02) 9683 3400
Fax / (02) 9683 3200
Website /
Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into
CHILDHOOD AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING (2)
5 September 2014
Ms Wendy Craik AM
Commissioner
Productivity Commission Childcare and Early Childhood Learning
Locked Bag 2, Collins St East
Melbourne VIC 8003
Dear Ms Craik
The National In-Home Childcare Association (NICA) has great pleasure in submitting the NICA response to the Productivity Commission Draft Report into Childcare and Early Childhood
Learning that was released by the Productivity Commission (PC) on the 22 July 2014.
NICA congratulates the PC on a consummate piece of work that we believe can provide a new framework for a once-in-a-generation opportunity for reform for the Childcare and Early Childhood Learning for our children in the years ahead.
NICA believes there is much within this report that will enhance and grow the Government funded In-Home Childcare (IHC) programme, while protecting the vulnerable and ‘at risk’ children through the repackaging of the Special Childcare Benefit (SCCB) into the Special Early Care and Learning subsidy (SELCS)
While currently not required to meet the NQF, IHC providers currently operate under National Standards put in place in 2008 that focus on quality of care and the safety of the educators, families and children. In addition, IHC Providers also have a number of obligations under family assistance law that they are required to meet in the provision of In-Home Care.
This year NICA is celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary of caring for more than 50,000 children and their families since our inception in 2000. Importantly, NICA is an established peak body who has a proven record and is well placed to play a leadership role in a new Australian Home Childcare sector.
We thank the Productivity Commission for the opportunity to comment on their draft report and would be happy to have further discussions relating to any of the issues outlined in our response below.
Yours sincerely,
David Wilson
David Wilson/ Private & Confidential
2014 National In-home Childcare Association (NICA) / Page 1
August, 2014
Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into
CHILDHOOD AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING (2)
Table of Contents
1.0INTRODUCTION
2.0OVERVIEW
2.1In-Home Childcare (IHC) Programme
2.2National In-Home Childcare Association (NICA)
2.3Australian Home Childcare
3.0NICA SUBMISSION FOR HOME CHILDCARE
3.1 Three Streams for Home Based Childcare
3.1.1Stream 1 Supporting Vulnerable ‘at Risk’ Children
3.1.2Stream 2 Emergency Service Shift Workers, Rural & Remote Areas
3.1.3Stream 3 Registered/Vetted IHC and NQF Educators
4.0PC DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOME CHILDCARE AND THE SCCB
4.1Draft Recommendation 12.2
4.2Draft Recommendation 12.4
4.3Draft Recommendation 8.6
4.4Draft Finding 12.1
4.5Draft Recommendation 8.5
4.6Draft Recommendation 12.6
4.7Draft Recommendation 12.7
4.8Draft Recommendation 12.8
4.9Draft Recommendation 13.1
4.10Draft Recommendation 5.2
4.11Draft Recommendation 12.5
4.12Draft Recommendation 6.1
4.13Draft Recommendation 7.8
4.14Draft Recommendation 7.1
4.15Draft Recommendation 7.10
4.16Draft Recommendation 5.4
4.17Draft Recommendation 13.3
4.18Draft Recommendation 11.1
4.19Information Request 13.1
4.20Information Request 12.6
4.21Information Request 13.2
4.22Draft Information Request 12.7
5.0CONCLUSION
Appendix 1 Abbreviations
- ANA Australian Nanny Association
- ADHC Aging, Disability and Home Care Department
- CCB Childcare Benefit
- CCR Childcare Rebate
- COAG Council of Australian Governments
- CCMS Child Care Management System
- CPR Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation
- DEEWR Department of Education and Workplace Relations
- DHS Department of Human Resources
- ECEC Early Childhood Education and Care
- ECLS Early Care and Learning Subsidy
- FDC Family Day Care
- FBT Fringe Benefit Tax
- HELO New Zealand Home Education Learning Organisation
- IHC In-Home Childcare
- LDC Long Day Care
- NCPA National Child Protection
- NGO Non-Government Organisation
- NICA National In-Home Childcare Association
- NQF National Quality Framework
- NQS National Quality Standard
- OOHC Out of Home Care
- PORSE Play, Observe, Relate, Support, Extend
- SCCB Special Childcare Benefit
- SELCS Special Early Care and Learning Subsidy
Appendix 2 - In-Home Care Operating Standards 2008
Appendix 3 - Home Childcare Educator Share Pilot Plan
1.0INTRODUCTION
The Draft Productivity Commission (PC) Report into Child Care and Early Childhood Learning outlines a framework and opportunity for a once-in-a-generation reform and is advocating a new home childcare sector that will include approved IHC, FDC and approved nannies as outlined in draft recommendation 8.5, 8.6 and 12.4 of the draft report.
These are recommendations that have been represented by NICA in numerous submissions to both Labor and Coalition Government’s and the PC recommending that the Government IHC funded programme be uncapped and extended.
NICA also notes the PC has recognised the value of the Government funded In-Home Childcare (IHC) programme and recommended it should be opened up to Australian families who will be eligible to receive ECEC assistance especially for shift workers as suggested by the NICA submission to the PC.
NICA believes these are recommendations that will provide families with real flexibility and this is a sentiment reflected in the many submissions to the PC and strongly lobbied for within the Government and the media. Over the last three years NICA has also highlighted these issues widely within the sector and have provided submissions to Government in response to calls by families, the business community and the unions for increased flexibility to uncap and extend the government funded IHC programme.
Central to the NICA plan is the need for IHC educators and approved Nannies to meet the current quality standards that are in line with the National Quality Framework (NQF) as specified in the draft PC report recommendations.
NICA are also pleased to note the PC draft recommendations 12.6 and 12.7 for the establishment of a three capped programme for children with additional needs such Indigenous, vulnerable and ‘at risk’ children currently cared for under the SCCB through a new programme they have called SECLS. These recommendations closely reflect the recommendations in the NICA submission for separate stream to care for these most needy of children.
The Australian Senate has also been conducting an Inquiry into the Delivery of Quality and Affordable Early Education and Care earlier this year. When delivering his additional comments to the Senate Inquiry Report in July 2014, well-respected SA Senator Nick Xenophon endorsed many of the NICA recommendations submitted to the Senate Inquiry.
In his report, Senator Xenophon noted that families wishing to use more flexible childcare options such as IHC may bestopped from doing so for a number of reasons. “Firstly the cap on places limits supply, but where IHC educators are available families may be concerned about the lack offormal mechanisms in place to regulate the industry”.
The Senator said “NICA had proposed working with the Australian Nanny Association, Family Day Care and governments to “set-upa system of vetting and registration of educators to ensure all child care educators deliver high standards of care, required educators to be act
The Senator concluded by saying ”I support such a proposal as a sensible move towards providing more flexible care options for modern, working families while ensuring these educators are fit and proper people with appropriate qualifications”. He also said that the Government should consider and provide a prompt response to NICA’s proposal for greater IHC in Australia.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Deidre Willmott said that she would support changes that would “improve access, and affordability and choice”[1]
The care of our children is an issue that reaches out and touches so many of us, and in turn affects our productivity as it places limitations on families, usually mothers to fully commit to full time employment opportunities. We believe that such a Home Childcare system is the answer to the question being asked by so many families especially those who are doing shift work and those families who are providing our essential services.
Present child care policies do not go far enough to fully support the aspirations of modern working women, and what could be more important than giving mothers the flexibility to return to work in the confidence of knowing young children are being well cared for whether it be in the family home under Home Childcare, or in an Early Child Learning Centre.
Like the New Zealand Home Early Learning Organisation (HELO), NICA believes that Home based childcare produces a quality learning experiences and education from 0 to 5 years in family-focused home environments for parents who choose this form of care for their children.
This submission is in response to the PC Draft Report and aims to contribute to the development of a new framework that will be required for the Government to put in place a co-ordinated plan for new home based sector that will include the Government funded IHC programme, Family Day Care and approved nannies which could be called Australian Home Childcare.
2.0OVERVIEW
2.1In-Home Childcare (IHC) Programme
In-Home Care (IHC) was established in 2000 and is a capped, small, vital and integral part of child care services for families and a highly successful part of the early childhood mix. Presently, there are around 5011 places and the programme represents just half of one per cent of the Early Childhood budget of more than $31 billion over the next four years. There has been no new allocation of IHC places in recent years apart from a reallocation of 790 unused places in 2012 by the Gillard Government.
IHC is currently classified as an ‘out of scope’ service and was expected to remain so until the review of the National Quality Framework (NQF) in 2016. However, NICA has been actively lobbying government for the early inclusion of IHC in the NQF, and acknowledges the support from the PC for this in their draft recommendations.
IHC is recognition that some families do not have access to other child care options for a range of reasons, including non-standard working hours, which affects workers in a range of industries like emergency services, health, tourism, performing arts, retail and manufacturing. Many families also live in remote locations with dispersed populations where there are no other forms of child care.
IHC was and remains the only truly flexible form of Childcare and Early Childhood Learning and in the words of the Productivity Commission Draft Report, “also in July 2000, new childcare initiatives were introduced with an emphasis on flexibility including the IHC initiative (for families unable to access mainstream services) and the provision of FDC and OSCH in areas of need[2].
2.2National In-Home Childcare Association (NICA)
The National In-Home Care Association (NICA) was established in 2004 and is the national peak body for the Commonwealth funded In-Home Care program and represents the in-home childcare community, carers, approved agencies, their staff and families ensuring the success and continual growth of in-home childcare.
NICA sets the industry benchmarks and maintains a voluntary code of ethics designed for the In-Home Care (IHC) sector that ensures the safety and welfare of the families and children we care for.
IHC was the first Child Care Service type to have a uniform nationally recognised set of Standards operated by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Funding Agreements in 2008.
These IHC Standards have proven themselves to be an effective starting point in ensuring the provision of child care that is safe, nurturing and educational for a child using IHC.
This year NICA is celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary of caring for more than 50,000 children and their families since their inception in 2000. NICA is an established peak body who has a proven record and is well placed to play a leadership role in a new Australian Home Childcare sector.
2.3Australian Home Childcare
Presently, families who are using a nanny service are not entitled to receive any assistance from the government such as the child care rebate (CCR). Places in the government funded IHC Programme are strictly capped.As In-Home Care is the only form of “fully flexible” childcare where families are entitled to receive a Government rebate, we have found that there has been a larger than normal uptake of children who are eligible for childcare under the SCCB, especially for ‘children at risk’, who under the priorities of access guidelines are referred to IHC providers from Centrelink, Departments of Community Services and contracted NGO’s.
NICA strongly believes the time has come to address the inequity to these children and their families who opt to use a Nanny Service for a number of reasons like shift work, extended hours and work on weekends, and, especially those families who provide our essential services.
Extending the existing IHC program can be both cost effective and achievable and NICA believes there is enough current capacity within the system to provide up to 30,000 approved places. This capacity is made up of the already tried and tested network of established IHC providers, the support of FDC schemes and rolling into the system educators working as nannies but who are currently unregistered into a newly established programme for Home Childcare.
NICA is suggesting the Government should establish a Steering Committee made up of ACECQA, Department of Education, NICA, FDCA and ANA that will work together to put in place the regulations and requirements that will fast track the registration of qualified nannies under the government’s new official Home Childcare programme for registered Educators.
Under the NICA plan to extend Home Childcare, the educators will be qualified and registered, giving parents peace of mind and a sense of security that the people looking after their children have satisfied all these requirements and have the appropriate first aid and police checks, as well as being monitored on an ongoing basis by a professional support agency.
NICA and FDC as peak bodies for the existing Home Childcare programme have the expert knowledge the skills and experience to lead the way in both extending the IHC programme and regulating the nanny industry and at the same time will work with the ANA to put in place special Home Childcare training programmes for those nannies currently working in the system, but who have neither a Certificate III or Diploma qualification through Registered Training Organisations (RTO).
NICA also agrees with PC draft recommendation 7.10 that recommends that State and Territory governments should harmonise background checks for all ECEC staff and volunteers, and in the NICA submission to the PC recommended “The Commonwealth will need to enlist the support of State Government’s/Territories through the COAG process to set-up a system of vetting and registration of educators” in association with established IHC providers and Family Day Care (FDC) providers.[3]
The Australian Nanny Association (ANA) is saying they need and want to be regulated and NICA agrees they should be brought under the umbrella of Australian Home Childcare under some broad ranging and uniform regulations that are compliant within the NQF as recommended in the PC draft report.
In the words of the Hon Sussan Ley MP, Assistant Minister for Education, “We can't stick with the model that principally supports a 9.00am to 5.00pm workforce. We've got to find ways of providing care and early learning outside those hours. The shift workers or people who work weekends, the people where there's only - where there's no extended family support”[4].
This is a plan that will provide the care families need in a 21st Century working environment.
Clearly there is no one solution, but rather we need a need for a suite of complimentary measures that will accommodate different working conditions for families such as parents who do shift work, especially emergency service workers and those who are required to do extended working hours and Home Childcare is part of that solution, working alongside and our colleagues in the Long Day Sector (LDS) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC).
Key points for the regulation of Australian Home Childcare
- Put in place a steering committee made up of ACECQA, Department of Education, NICA, FDCA and the ANA to oversee the formation of the new Home Childcare sector
- Government to allow approved nannies to be eligible for families who can then receive ECLS and will include places for parents who are shift workers specifically emergency workers such as nurses, doctors, police, ambulance, paramedics and fire officers etc.
- Government may need to pass legislation that will allow approved families who use registered approved educators the ability to claim ECLS
- Government may need to engage the support of State Government’s and Territories through the COAG process to set-up a national system of vetting and registration of nannies currently working in the system but who are presently unregistered in association with established Australian Childcare providers IHC providers and Family Day Care (FDC) providers
- Ensure all IHC educators and Nannies meet the NQF i.e. half will need to have or to be actively be working towards a diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification or above; and or be actively working towards a Certificate III level early childhood education and care qualification or an equivalent
- Discussions should ensue with State Governments regarding the provision of funded training places for Home Childcare educator and nannies. Currently the training of IHC educators is restricted due to the supervisory requirements of State Training organisations that have a prerequisitefor one-on-one supervision not possible under a home-based programme. The training of IHC workers in the Aged Care Sector could be a guide for such training proposal
- To ensure quality of service delivery and high standards of care by enabling existing IHC, FDC and ANA agencies to vet educators to the National Standard for In-Home Care levels (e.g. first aid qualifications, experience etc.) through the Department of Human Services using a Child Care provider application form
- Following the vetting of the educator, the successful applicant would submit the vetting form to the State Regulator and receive a provider number that would result in payment to either the provider or the family;
- Extend the range of organisations that can vet educators to include existing IHC providers, FDC & ANA providers’ services. IHC and FDC both have an existing network that is geographically spread to cover all areas across the country and presently process CCR attendance and possess systems and processes for vetting educators and ensuring quality services are delivered.
- IHC, FDC & ANA service providers could be responsible for processing vetting, attendance data, family details and educator provider number to the National Online Child Care Management System (CCMS);
- Consideration should also be given to the provision of a service fee to the provider for the vetting of educators and the processing of the family for ECLS to support new applicants;
- Such approval for all organisations to be provided by (a) a variation to existing funding agreement, and (b) for organisations who do not have funding agreement in place then a new application and signed agreement with Department of Education to deliver the programme of vetting in the approved manner;
- Where required providers to supply families with copies of all the relevant legislation to assist them in the fair and equitable practices of employing an IHC Educator in the home. This would include copies of the Modern Child Care Award 2010, ATO details, Superannuation etc. This would ensure the protection of the rights of the educator and promote compliance with the responsibilities of the family as the employer.
3.0NICA SUBMISSION FOR HOME CHILDCARE