Perth, Feb 11: A Productivity Commission report shows there were 9430 serious incidents at early childhood services in NSW in 2024-25, a rate of 154 incidents reported per 100 centres. A serious incident is one that has a grave impact on the health, safety or wellbeing of a child.
The union representing teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in NSW and the ACT is calling for urgent action to address what it says is a worsening staffing crisis, warning that workforce shortages are putting children at risk.
The report also shows NSW’s use of staffing waivers — temporary exemptions that allow services to operate without meeting certain quality regulations — has more than doubled over five years, rising from 316 in 2019 to 658 in 2024, the highest number in the country.
“This data shows the sector needs urgent changes to rebuild a strong child safety culture,” said Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Carol Matthews. “Well-trained, properly paid staff are key to solving this safety crisis.”
Matthews said children attending centres operating under staffing waivers face greater risk, arguing that the loss of qualified educators directly affects children’s safety.
“When there aren’t enough staff, children aren’t properly supervised, and that’s when safety breaches occur,” she said. “Serious incidents are often the result of inadequate supervision and that is a direct consequence of understaffing.”
The union is pushing for improved wages and conditions across the sector, including pay parity for early childhood teachers with primary school teachers, as a pathway to improving retention and easing shortages.
“Our members are constantly telling us that employers and governments need to take child safety seriously by addressing the staffing crisis in the sector,” Matthews said.
The report also highlights the role of staffing ratios in protecting children, with Matthews urging governments to reassess supervision settings to reduce risk in busy rooms.
“Staff-to-child ratios must be reviewed; for example, to ensure that one adult is never left alone with a group of children,” Matthews said. “If one staff member leaves a group of 20 children to assist one child in the bathroom, that leaves one adult alone with 19 children.”
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