Preschool age children at outside school hours care
Children preschool age or under can be educated and cared for in Out of School Hours Care which covers before and after school care and vacation care.
Determining the age of children at OSHC
The Education and Care Services National Regulations define a 'child preschool age or under' as a child who is under the age of 7 years and is not enrolled or registered at school, nor attending or due to attend school in the current calendar year (Regulation 4).
If a child attends vacation care in December and is enrolled to attend school in the following year, they are considered to be of 'preschool age or under'.
If a child attends vacation care in January of the same calendar year they will attend school, they meet the definition of 'over preschool age'.
Regulatory requirements
An OSHC service falls within the definition of centre-based care under the Education and Care Services National Regulations (Regulation 4). Centre-based services are approved to care for children of preschool age and under, as well as school-age children, subject to compliance with regulatory requirements including Regulation 126 Centre-based services - general educator qualifications.
All the regulatory requirements that relate to the education and care of preschool age children apply to an OSHC service for children preschool age or under – except where there is a regulatory exemption.
Preschool age children under the National Quality Framework
Key Sections/Regulations |
Description |
What an Authorised Officer may look for and ask about |
|---|---|---|
Regulation 271 Regulation 123(2) |
Educator to child ratio of 1:10 for children aged 36 months of age but less than 6 years of age (If children being educated and cared for at a centre-based service are of mixed ages, the required ratio is 1:10 (for children aged 36 months of age or over) Note: From 1 October 2018 the Educator to child ratio for school age children is 1:15 - see Regulation 123(1)(d) |
Attendance records for educators and children The ages of children Staff roster and timesheets Plans and staffing arrangements for excursions The number of educators to children Immunisation and health plans Plans for children with additional needs |
Quality Area 1 National Quality Standard |
Use of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) |
Programs for the preschool age children using the EYLF Educators able to discuss how they use EYLF to support their programming decisions Developmentally and age appropriate resources and activities Assessment of learning and development Access to an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) |
Regulation 74 |
For a child preschool age or under, the approved provider must ensure that there is documentation of assessments of the child’s developmental needs, interests, experiences and participation in the educational program; and assessments of the child’s progress against the outcomes of the educational program. |
Assessments of children’s learning and development with reference to the EYLF proportionate to the period of time that the child is attending the service. The cycle of planning Evidence that children’s interests are included in the program |
Regulation 81 |
Sleep and rest facilities appropriate for age and developmental stages and individual needs |
Sleep and rest policy and procedures Sleep mats/soft furnishings and quiet spaces for rest Programmed quiet activities/opportunities for rest Supervision of sleeping children Educators being responsive to tired children outside of routine rest times Documentation from families regarding sleep and rest needs of individual children |
Regulation 105 |
Furniture, materials and equipment |
Materials, furniture and equipment suitable for children preschool age and under Age appropriate car restraints for transporting children on excursions. |
Regulation 106 |
Laundry and hygiene facilities and arrangements for dealing with soiled clothing and nappies |
Laundry and hygiene policies, procedures and practises Spare nappies, wipes and clothes for preschool aged children Lidded bins |
Regulation 115 |
Premises designed to facilitate supervision |
Supervision policies and plans Layout of equipment and furniture that enables supervision Appropriate-sized furniture and age-appropriate activities Risk assessments for areas of high risk, for example: bathrooms Ratio and grouping considerations |
Regulatory exemptions
There are exemptions to some regulatory requirements under the Education and Care Services National Regulations for services that primarily provide education and care to children over preschool age.
Section/Regulation |
Description |
|---|---|
Regulation 104 Fencing |
A centre-based service that primarily provides education and care to children over preschool age is exempt from the requirement to ensure that any outdoor space used by children at the service premises is enclosed by a fence or barrier that is of a height and design that children preschool age or under cannot go through, over or under it. |
Section 112 Nappy change facilities |
Nappy changing facilities are not required by services that do not educate or care for children who wear nappies. |
Regulation 129(2) Access to or attendance of educators who are early childhood teachers at a centre-based service for the purposes of section 169 of the Law |
The requirements for ECTs in Division 5 of the Regulations do not apply to a centre-based service if the main purpose of that service is to provide education and care to children over preschool age. |
Safety, health and wellbeing of preschool age children
Services have responsibility to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of each child attending the service.
Risk assessments may be particularly important for OSHC services that operate on primary school sites where the facilities are designed for primary school age children. The risk assessment should also consider any specific risks from preschool age children interacting with older school aged children.
Risk assessments are important tools for services in preventing potential harm to children and responding to incidents. Plans for managing identified risks are also important for services, to demonstrate to the Regulatory Authority how they ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of preschool age children.
OSHC services providing education and care to preschool age children should consider:
- The suitability of programs, activities, spaces, excursion venues and transport for children’s varied ages, developmental stages, health conditions and abilities.
- The availability and accessibility of age-appropriate furniture, resources and equipment.
- The needs of younger children during transitions where they arrive, leave or move from one place to another place.
Adequate supervision of preschool aged children
Meeting minimum educator to child ratios alone may not always be sufficient to provide adequate supervision in an OSHC service. Services should have policies and procedures to ensure adequate supervision.
Adequate supervision means that educators know the whereabouts of each child and can easily respond, particularly when a child is distressed or where children could be potentially harmed. Approved providers should ensure the number and skill level of educators can meet the individual supervision needs of preschool age children. Additional guidelines about staff ratios and adequate supervision are also available.
Additional guidelines about staff ratios and adequate supervision are also available.
More information
If you require more information or have specific questions, please contact the department’s Information and Enquiries team on 1800 169 113.