Report: A Quarter of Queensland Childcare Centres Did Not Meet National Standards

A new report has found that a quarter of childcare centres in Queensland failed to meet national standards.

The Courier Mail reported that in a data released by an independent authority, more than 600 childcare centres failed to pass the national quality framework introduced in 2012.

Queensland childcare centres performed slightly worse than Victoria’s, where almost 20 percent of childcare centres were given a failed rating. However, it still performed better than New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, yet, only 15 childcare providers in Queensland have reportedly got an “excellent” rating. A full list of Queensland child care centre ratings are here.

The federal government has encouraged all states to improve their performance to the national standards, and that providers should meet strict guidelines when it comes to education, health, safety and leadership.

Last month, the Labor Party said they were looking at how Australia’s childcare system, that they described as “broken beyond immediate repair”, can be radically reformed.

“Parents are frustrated by political debates which don’t seem to acknowledge their central and their absolutely heartfelt view about the system that it is broken.

Just imagine how much easier it would be for parents to get back into the workforce to plan their own lives, to increase their hours, if they knew that they could get a local place and that the price was capped and affordable,” opposition spokeswoman for early childhood education Kate Ellis said.

Source: 9news.com.au