LHMU News
WA childcare worse off under COAG childcare plan says union
The childcare union in Western Australia has called on the state government to assure families and childcare professionals that our children will not be worse off after the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) unveiled plans that will standardise staff-child ratios and worker qualifications in childcare centres across Australia.
Currently in Western Australia, staff to child ratios in the 3 to 5-year-old age group is 1 member of staff for every 10 children. But COAG is recommending the ratio should be 1 worker for every 11 children.
In other states where the ratios are lower than that recommended by COAG, the state governments have agreed to ring fence the existing ratios. But the Liberal government in Western Australia have given no such assurances.
Kelly Shay, assistant secretary of the LHMU, said: “Childcare workers have asked to meet with the minister Robyn McSweeney but the minister refuses to meet with the very people she should be representing at COAG.
'No support'
“Maintaining the current ratios is important in terms of developing literacy, numeracy and social and emotional skills in the under fives.
“Childcare professionals work hard to deliver quality childcare under increasing pressure and no support from the state government. Minister McSweeney fails to recognize the vital role childcare workers play in our community and refuses to meet with childcare workers who know better than anyone else what reforms are needed.
“This isn’t good news for the quality of our childrens’ care.”
Ms Shay also said the COAG announcement does nothing to address the poor wages or provide a meaningful career structure for childcare workers.
She added that while she welcomed the consistencies that the introduction of a National Quality Framework would bring, it did not go far enough in ensuring best practice in childcare centres.
'Better care'
“The WA regulations, which were agreed upon by the Childcare Regulations Review Committee and supported by both Labor and Liberal state governments at the beginning of 2008, have since been sitting on the minister’s desk waiting to be actioned.
“These regulations, if implemented would have ensured better care for children because it requires a minimum standard of qualification for entry level workers and better conditions for those working in the industry.
“It would have introduced minimum qualifications, tea breaks, inductions and given staff time to write education and development plans for children.
“A more pleasant working environment for our members where they feel more valued and are paid as professionals would result in a happier workforce, with less staff turnover and therefore improved levels of care.”
