{"id":70346,"date":"2025-10-06T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T19:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/?p=70346"},"modified":"2025-10-03T15:21:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T05:21:24","slug":"close-staffing-loophole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/media-release\/close-staffing-loophole\/","title":{"rendered":"Close staffing loophole putting children at risk: Early educators"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Parents would be horrified if they knew their children were being left with below stated legal staffing requirements in ECEC centres, early educators have warned the sector\u2019s standard-setting authority today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A little-understood staffing loophole is currently the subject of a rapid review by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) of supervision practices in early education.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Today (Monday, October 6) United Workers Union educators meet with Early Education Minister Jess Walsh and ACECQA to warn about the risks posed by the loophole, known as the \u201cunder-the-roof” ratio.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the meeting, educators will present 1260 messages from concerned educators and\u00a0 parents lobbying ACECQA to end the practice because it leaves vulnerable children in rooms below legally-required staff-to-child ratios.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Under-the-roof ratios allow educator-to-child ratios to be counted across a whole centre (\u201cunder the roof\u201d), even if ratios are not being met in individual rooms because educators are moved to other rooms or other duties.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cEducators have told us time after time that understaffing is a huge issue in the sector, and the misuse of under-the-roof ratios is leaving children and families in an impossible position,\u201d United Workers Union Early Education Director Carolyn Smith said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf parents fully understood that a centre that meets all legal staffing requirements can actually staff well below those stated legal requirements by shifting educators out of rooms into other rooms \u2013 or shifting someone on to an admin task \u2013 I think they would be horrified.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cFor too long the sector has been turning a blind eye to a loophole that was supposed to be used sparingly, but is now a standard practice that is putting children at risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In a little-publicised move, in September the Federal Government tasked ACECQA to review supervision practices in early education, following reports of tragic safety issues in the sector.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A union survey of more than 3000 educators released in July found 77 per cent of educators said they were operating below minimum staffing levels in their rooms at least weekly, and 42 per cent said it was occurring daily.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the same survey, 83% of educators strongly agreed the loophole compromises the safety and wellbeing of children.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Submissions from early childhood educators to ACECQA:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI have seen the impact this loophole has on children, families and educators. Leaving children unsupported and unsupervised for extended periods. Families twisting in the wind with injured children unable to ascertain how this was allowed to happen, contributing heavily to educator burnout resulting in lost talent, and expertise. It’s putting the workforce and children in extreme danger, all for the sake of a corporation being able to squeeze money from families and communities. This is not right, it is not in the interest of our young people and must end now!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

  • Victorian educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

    \u201cChildren are being placed in risky situations while their parents believe they are receiving quality education and care. If it wasn’t the wrong thing to do then parents would be fully made aware of the misuse of the under the roof ratios. It’s clearly wrong, unsafe and downright dodgy.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    • New South Wales educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

      \u201cAs an early childhood leader, I see every day how under-the-roof ratios fail children and educators. On paper, they meet regulations, but in reality, they leave rooms under-staffed, disrupt relationships, and increase stress. Children miss out on consistent care, and educators burn out trying to cover gaps. Ending under-the-roof ratios would ensure fairness, stability, and quality education for every child.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

      • New South Wales educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

        \u201cWe\u2019re in survival mode, not providing quality care. We juggle too much with too few hands. Blanket rules like phone bans make things worse. We love our jobs, but without change\u2014like ending under-the-roof ratios and respecting educators\u2014we won\u2019t last. The system is failing children, and it\u2019s breaking us. We need support, not blame.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

        • Victorian educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

          \u201cI have personally experienced situations where one educator is expected to manage eleven or twelve children alone. The constant pressure of managing so many children without support results in high levels of anxiety, physical exhaustion, and mental stress. Each day is filled with anxiety.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          • Western Australia educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

            \u201cMy centre is multilevel. This means one educator can be left upstairs with 14 children, while another is counted downstairs to \u2018make up the numbers\u2019. On paper it looks compliant. In reality, it\u2019s unsafe, isolating, and unfair. Children deserve genuine supervision and connection, not a numbers game. Educators deserve support, not impossible expectations.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

            • South Australian centre director<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

              \u201cThe current under roof ratio system is not fair, not fair to children and not fair to staff who are walking on eggshells every day they go into work, not knowing what the day will bring!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

              • Queensland educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

                \u201cEducators are drowning\u2026 staff turn over is insane and I absolutely can’t see myself staying in this industry. I adore children but the paper work and work load is too insane.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

                • Tasmanian educator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Parents would be horrified if they knew their children were being left with below stated legal staffing requirements in ECEC centres, early educators have warned the sector\u2019s standard-setting authority today.\u00a0 A little-understood staffing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":70350,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[108],"class_list":["post-70346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-release","tag-early-childhood-education"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70346"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70373,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70346\/revisions\/70373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}