Child safety standards that apply in schools must also be enforced in the early education and OSHC sectors.
That was the key message of IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Carol Matthews in an interview broadcast on ABC News on 1 August.
Matthews told reporter Jessica Kidd it was astonishing that all staff in the early childhood education and outside school hours care (OSHC) sectors were not currently required to be trained in child safety and reportable conduct.
“In a school, it is absolutely commonplace that the school, every year, will conduct child safety training, reportable conduct training and record that the staff have completed their training,” she said.
“As I understand it, in the early childhood sector, there is a requirement for one staff member only to be trained in this way.”
Matthews was interviewed as part of a story about former NSW Police probationary constable David James who has been charged with producing child abuse material featuring young children at six childcare centres.
News of the alleged offences prompted calls to upgrade child protection training for all staff working in OSHC and follow shocking reports of abuse and mistreatment of young children in mainly for-profit services.
It also follows new laws passed by federal parliament in July that would cut government funding from providers repeatedly failing safety requirements (see article).
Matthews was also interviewed about safety breaches in the sector on ABC Radio Sydney on 1 August, telling Mornings host Kathryn Robinson the IEU supported refusing funding to substandard services as a first step to improving child safety.
“It provides a stick, you might say, to concentrate the minds of private providers. There’s no doubt about that,” she said.
However, Matthews said the practical problem facing parents if a centre closes due to the removal of public funding “will make the government reluctant to exercise that power”.
Matthews also explained to ABC Radio Sydney listeners what further action is required to embed a child safety culture in the early childhood education and OSHC sectors – including mandatory safety training for all staff and more funding for preschools to address the chronic staffing crisis.