272Early childhood teachers—children preschool age or under

272 Early childhood teachers—children preschool age or under

272 Early childhood teachers—children preschool age or under

(1) This regulation applies in place of regulations 132 to 135 in relation to a centre-based service that educates and cares for 25 or more children preschool age or under.

(1A) If a centre-based service is educating and caring for 25 to 29 children preschool age or under on a given day, one early childhood teacher must be in attendance—

(a) for at least 6 hours on that day, if the service operates for 50 or more hours a week; or

(b) for 60 per cent of the operating hours of the service on that day, if the service operates for less than 50 hours a week.

(2) One early childhood teacher must be in attendance at all times that a centre-based service is educating and caring for 30 to 39 children preschool age or under.

(3) Two early childhood teachers must be in attendance at all times that a centre-based service is educating and caring for 40 to 59 children preschool age or under.

(4) Three early childhood teachers must be in attendance at all times that a centre-based service is educating and caring for 60 to 79 children preschool age or under.

(5) Four early childhood teachers must be in attendance at all times that a centre-based service is educating and caring for 80 or more children preschool age or under.

(6) If an early childhood teacher is absent from a centre-based service because of short-term illness, leave or the early childhood teacher’s resignation, the following persons may be taken for the purposes of this regulation to be an early childhood teacher during that absence—

(a) a person who holds an approved diploma level education and care qualification;

(b) a person who holds a qualification in primary teaching.

(7) An early childhood teacher required to be in attendance under this regulation may be replaced in accordance with subregulation (6) for a maximum of 60 days in any 12 month period.

(8) For the purposes of subregulation (7), in relation to a part-time early childhood teacher, 60 days is to be calculated on a pro rata basis.

(9) The approved provider of a centre-based service must keep a record of an early childhood teacher who is replaced in accordance with subregulation (6) that includes the following information—