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— > > > > > (a) the full name of the early childhood teacher; > > > > > (b) the qualification of the person who replaced the early childhood teacher; > > > > > (c) the dates on which the early childhood teacher was replaced; > > > > > (d) the reason for the early childhood teacher’s absence. > > **Reg 272:** Am 2014 (260), reg 38; 2019 (631), reg 22; 2023 (165), reg 18.