Latest news with #NationalQualityStandards
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Abuse and neglect of children in daycare centres shames us all
Many parents harbour deep-seated and unspoken fears about leaving children in care, and the continuing allegations of neglect and abuse at childcare centres must rekindle their worst nightmares. In a heartbreaking article, the Herald 's Amber Schultz reports that a three-year-old girl in daycare allegedly left in soiled clothing all day will probably need a kidney transplant after medical notes showed that, along with her medication and congenital factors, recurrent urinary tract infections contributed to the disease. She attended Spring Farm daycare centre in south-west Sydney between 2020 and 2023. In 2022, Affinity Education Group took over the business. Since then, the centre has been issued several serious non-compliance orders, released as part of a cache of internal regulatory documents following a parliamentary order obtained by NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd. On May 5, the NSW Department of Education's Early Childhood and Care Regulatory Authority suspended Spring Farm's licence for three months. The latest revelations came after an investigation by ABC's 7.30, which included footage of a worker at another Sydney Affinity Education centre repeatedly slapping a baby. A spokesman for the Affinity Education Group said the suspension was 'disappointing', given the centre's work with the regulator to improve compliance, which included improving its National Quality Standards rating and reducing staff turnover. Loading However, such allegations undermine faith in the sector and follow a spate of men being prosecuted for abusing children in childcare. Last year, three childcare workers were arrested in three days for child abuse in NSW, involving at least 10 victims, a former childcare worker pleaded guilty to 307 offences in Brisbane and Italy and in Canberra, another childcare worker was convicted of an act of indecency on a four-year-old boy. The federal government recognised changes to the Australian workforce and introduced the Child Care Act in 1972, providing capital and recurrent funding for not-for-profit long day care services. But the Howard government stopped operational subsidies for community-based centres, and with profit the driving force, privateers such as Eddy Groves' ABC Learning rushed into the new market: staff professionalism took second place to cheaper wages, planning controls were scrapped and standards tumbled across the sector. The government also introduced needs-based funding to ensure resources were allocated where they were most needed. Since then, the industry has grown exponentially with 9200 childcare centres across the country and some 400 opening annually. As of early 2024, 1,498,220 children from 1,069,650 families attended a Child Care Subsidy-approved child care service in Australia.
The Age
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Frankie thought her daughter was safe at daycare. Her child's life changed forever
'Stevie will frequently be picked up with soiled underwear (and it will be evident she had been in them for quite a while), which then causes rashes and UTIs with her … This has been an ongoing issue [I have] raised to staff,' she wrote. 'This is pure neglect of Stevie's basic needs and something that shouldn't happen to any child.' An Affinity spokesperson said the educator responded to her email but had no record of Scott's response. In late 2023, Stevie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Ultrasounds showed issues in Stevie's kidney and urinary tract, including scarring and signs of blockages, which a radiology report sighted by this masthead said were most likely due to UTIs. Scott said Stevie has undergone several surgeries and would need an ostomy and stoma bag as well as a kidney transplant. Stevie was unenrolled from the centre in August 2023. Scott, who was undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the time, wishes she had pulled Stevie out sooner and has lost all faith in the sector, saying: 'Stevie still tells me how much she hated it there.' An Affinity spokesperson said the allegations were 'very serious' and would need to be substantiated by medical evidence. They also suggested heat may have caused the disease, pointing to previous media interviews during which Scott discussed how heat exacerbated Stevie's existing kidney condition. 'We take all medical conditions seriously and ensure they are managed appropriately in line with our regulatory obligations … Our concern is always for the wellbeing of children, and we genuinely feel for any child in circumstances like these,' the spokesperson said. The scores of compliance notices issued to Affinity highlighted a litany of serious failures at the Spring Farm centre. They found that a child was made to drink their liquid medication from a paint cup; that during one site visit there were 92 children in attendance and 'nearly no childhood teachers'; that an educator dragged a child by both arms to a bed, leaving fingernail scratches in the child's arm; one mopped around a child, bumping the dirty mop against a child's legs and head; a child walked out of the centre towards the gate; and an educator failed to intervene when children were being kicked and punched by other children. Loading Issues were also raised around the 'dangerous facilities', including exposed nails, blocked emergency exits, and a build-up of litter and rubbish. An Affinity spokesperson said the regulator's decision to suspend Spring Farm's licence was 'disappointing', given the centre's work with the regulator to improve compliance, including improving its National Quality Standards rating and reducing staff turnover. 'We have seen significant improvement in that time, which we are proud of,' the spokesperson said. 'We recognise the distress and disruption this suspension will have on the families and team members at Spring Farm, and we are committed to doing all we can to support them at this time.' Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said the government would improve the 'quantity and the quality of services' in childcare. An independent review into the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority was launched in February, and an interim report is due later this month. 'We will not hesitate in acting on recommendations that ensure childcare in this state is safe and of a high quality,' Car said.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Frankie thought her daughter was safe at daycare. Her child's life changed forever
'Stevie will frequently be picked up with soiled underwear (and it will be evident she had been in them for quite a while), which then causes rashes and UTIs with her … This has been an ongoing issue [I have] raised to staff,' she wrote. 'This is pure neglect of Stevie's basic needs and something that shouldn't happen to any child.' An Affinity spokesperson said the educator responded to her email but had no record of Scott's response. In late 2023, Stevie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Ultrasounds showed issues in Stevie's kidney and urinary tract, including scarring and signs of blockages, which a radiology report sighted by this masthead said were most likely due to UTIs. Scott said Stevie has undergone several surgeries and would need an ostomy and stoma bag as well as a kidney transplant. Stevie was unenrolled from the centre in August 2023. Scott, who was undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the time, wishes she had pulled Stevie out sooner and has lost all faith in the sector, saying: 'Stevie still tells me how much she hated it there.' An Affinity spokesperson said the allegations were 'very serious' and would need to be substantiated by medical evidence. They also suggested heat may have caused the disease, pointing to previous media interviews during which Scott discussed how heat exacerbated Stevie's existing kidney condition. 'We take all medical conditions seriously and ensure they are managed appropriately in line with our regulatory obligations … Our concern is always for the wellbeing of children, and we genuinely feel for any child in circumstances like these,' the spokesperson said. The scores of compliance notices issued to Affinity highlighted a litany of serious failures at the Spring Farm centre. They found that a child was made to drink their liquid medication from a paint cup; that during one site visit there were 92 children in attendance and 'nearly no childhood teachers'; that an educator dragged a child by both arms to a bed, leaving fingernail scratches in the child's arm; one mopped around a child, bumping the dirty mop against a child's legs and head; a child walked out of the centre towards the gate; and an educator failed to intervene when children were being kicked and punched by other children. Loading Issues were also raised around the 'dangerous facilities', including exposed nails, blocked emergency exits, and a build-up of litter and rubbish. An Affinity spokesperson said the regulator's decision to suspend Spring Farm's licence was 'disappointing', given the centre's work with the regulator to improve compliance, including improving its National Quality Standards rating and reducing staff turnover. 'We have seen significant improvement in that time, which we are proud of,' the spokesperson said. 'We recognise the distress and disruption this suspension will have on the families and team members at Spring Farm, and we are committed to doing all we can to support them at this time.' Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said the government would improve the 'quantity and the quality of services' in childcare. An independent review into the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority was launched in February, and an interim report is due later this month. 'We will not hesitate in acting on recommendations that ensure childcare in this state is safe and of a high quality,' Car said.
