Comments from people who work in education and care services

Recruitment of appropriate and enough staff at any particular childcare place will increase the quality of work, On other hand all crew should be trained properly and well paid . Moreover job security in all workers who involve in child care will enhance their confidence and their delegence towards work.

I have four years experience working with children. I enjoy working with children because I know that early education sets them up for life. Offering quality education and care helps both parents, to return to work, and children, in their development. Quality education is based on the five outcomes outlined in the EYLF, quality education helps educators to focus on the interest of children and considering them as responsible individuals. It also means employing educators who have the required qualifications. This can only happen if educators are given enough money to stay in the job they love.

I work very hard for $19.60 an hour. There are not too many jobs where your role can be one of many things. Not only do we provide your children with the best early education, we also have to have top notch training in first aid, computer skills, food handling and community awareness, to name but a few. We are a very rare breed of people, we don’t do our job for the money, it’s way too mentally draining for that. We do it because we love it. It’s in our hearts. So take heed, you can’t keep treating us like second-class citizens. If you want truly great people looking after your children, then treat us with the respect we deserve.

I get paid far less than what an unqualified apprentice factory worker does. I have a diploma and they have no qualifications. I did two years study! It is disappointing to hear the number of quality educators leaving the industry every week. When the pay rate is so low what do people expect. Why would quality educators stay? The government wants quality education for the early years but can not allow the workers the right to quality pay!

I am very happy what I have been doing for 12 years in the same child care center. At our center we have over staff ratio, good resources, training and good working environment.I have been paying above award. My lunch is an hour plus 20 minutes break. Our work environment is busy but relax. Most of staff in the center has been working together for long time. I am talking about 30 odd years then 20 odd years and 10 years. We grow together not just ourselves but children and their families.The families here feel secure, welcoming, warm, love and care. The children are happy. There are so much joys and laughs at my center. Not just because of what I love doing but my work is valued. My working condition encourage me to grow in this profession. I feel like I am educating the children with my knowledge and experience.

I am co-owner of a centre. We take our role of providing a second home and learning opportunities very seriously. In a low socio-economic area, where hope for the future is limited for parents, the role of the educator at a childcare centre is important in educating the parent on what’s right for the child. I personally consider that this individual interface on a personal level by childcare workers in the early years phase is significantly more powerful in terms of education for family relationship structures than once the children reach the formal education system. It is much easier in the childcare environment to pick up the phone, relate personal details by the observant person, report what has happened and MORE IMPORTANTLY interface with DOCs agents when they come on the scene. We are so often also called to meetings between support agencies and child/parents and DOC's/parent/child. I cannot envisage (although accept it MIGHT happen) a DOCs worker, or community care worker crying over a child previous totally non communicative and withdrawn seeing one on one contact physically with a staff member (me) with bottle feeding a child so abused that previously it would not respond to ANY person physically or visually including parent without screaming. This was the extreme and I am not trying to assume it as the norm. However it does exist and without 100's of hours on our part; that child without a doubt would have been unlikely to live. 4. In terms of staffing I am a personal enthusiast of no longer employing as a majority in the workforce the young adult which the training keeps churning out. This leads mostly to information which with one tip of the head keeps emptied out, no experience in recognising the children as individuals and basically no understanding due to no life experience of the requirements of hygiene and safety for very young children. We NEED DESPERATELY to have people with life experience of people who have lived independently of their parents and recognise the requirements of day to day life to properly deliver to children the interactions, relationship building, and environment that they require to counter or substantiate their current living environments, and people who understand that the physical requirements of a child require EFFORT for their hygienic and safety well being, and to be able to REFLECT, COMMUNICATE and RESPOND to the children, their families and recognise instinctively the children’s changes in responses and behaviour - particularly those from troubled backgrounds. Unfortunately those who are likely to have those LIFE SKILLS are unlikely to stay in the industry because just remuneration, recognition and stability of employment. 5. Administratively the child care benefit system is: A NIGHTMARE. Thank God CCMS helpdesk is an interface - although we waste a lot of time talking to them they are very helpful (although themselves frustrated by process). The Centrelink process is disfunctional from an administrative point of view for SO MANY REASONS. It seems it is constructed to ensure that perceived contribution for childcare costs initially established is jeopardised at every quarter. EXAMPLES Children immunised at private clinics often get cut off for extended periods; JET for long day centres often ignored; and generally so fare delayed under normal circumstances for extended periods and cancelled without warning; very young children are tagged as being school aged; we cannot contact Centrelink to resolve due to breach of privacy; BECAUSE OF THE RESULTANT STUFF UPS ENJOYED WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY LIMITED CONTROL OVER DEBT LEVELS WHICH CAN ALMOST ALWAYS BE TRACED BACK TO CENTRELINK PROBLEMS BEFORE THE PARENT BOLTS LEAVING US WITH THE COST THAT IS 90% EMPLOYMENT OF STAFF BASED, Point blank - over and over again parents are told by Centrelink staff this is what I say and it is NOT YOUR PROBLEM - it is the childcare centres problem; and yet the resolution pathway to us is JUST BLOCKED OFF. What I would give for just one Centrelink contact who was experienced in the field and knew what they were doing? 6. LOGICALLY - Given our exposure to family; our direct contact and knowledge of family structures ... it is VERY clear that half the families exposed to us that are claiming Single parent benefits status are in fact incorrect. This is so rife in our area, and needs an absolute case by case investigation to resolve. From my experience only probably 1 in 5 are genuine single parents. Likewise the number of children in these ‘single families’ where Dad wants another child for the bonus to get a new flatscreen TV....this makes me feel absolutely sick. 7. Likewise - those that are GENUINE single parents who OPT TO WORK to further their families future rather than sit home and take the much easier option. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT NEED MORE HELP. 8. OBJECTION MOST STRONGLY: I am horrified that we fell for the EYQF application for staff support that was advertised; having spent well in excess of 3 weeks during application/information/feedback process. I feel most keenly for the DEEWR staff who assisted us and had any assistance they had provided us summarised so succinctly demoralising as advised by the press regarding the reversal of funding availability. Our staff were sceptical (rightly so as it turned out) and disappointed after being convinced it was a geniune opportunity. 4 staff withdrew from their training (just less than 1/2 our workforce) and 3 have since left our employ. As employers - we ARE NOT A COMPANY and individually we were not set to reward from this for our own income. Both partners agree we would never waste such time again..... and in light of this... this feedback is likely to be our last waste of effort. 9. We have experienced a lot of crime from youth of the Indigenous community close to us. They are also the group to be most unlikely to expose their children to the services we offer; and this is mindful to me in terms of providing an insight to an alternative lifestyle. ANY fee is likely to be a barrier for this group of the community, and forever more I suspect community will need to absorb this shortfall. IN SHORT: Please recognise that we need to attract and retain people with life experience in the industry - which is unlikely without stability and just reward, and the life skills are unlikely in the very young Review Centrelink processes - they are dysfunctional in the extreme Recognise that a small centre such as ours does not resemble multi owned centres in terms of deliverance of childcare or mandatory reporting as we are TIED intrinsically to the day to day interface of family and children Recognise that this is an opportunity to influence problems in children and family prior to formal education Recognise that once the child leave childcare the interface of child to carer's; and carer to family is probably going to be so diluted that it will be unlikely to have positive outcomes and likely to be identified in only the most extreme cases Recognise that DOCs is only called on if considered necessary by our industry and regardless of ‘staffing’ particularly part timers who are rarely able to be contacted; each case if it makes it that far needs to be ACTED ON and RESPONSE of information to the reporter needs to be available; particular if care of the child and interface with the parent is ongoing. We are SO OFTEN abused and threatened by families ... and we ourselves NEED protection SINGLE PARENT CLAIMS: particularly in our local environment - this needs dedicated investigation because the symptoms and information sharing and lack of checking is just plain blatant. It is unrealistic to expect us to apply for funding for required assitance into the future if it requires significant effort and input from us.

The service in which we provide to other working people should be more appreciative. To be on such a small wage doing such an important job is sometimes insulting. Some of the children that come to the centre are there full time from 7am or 8am in the morning until 5pm or 6pm in the afternoon so it is important as an educator to be influencing the child in a positive and educated way.

I'm passionate about my occupation. I strongly believe that all early childhood educators must be paid more.

We need the following in the childcare sector: • Better staff to child ratios • Better wages for those working within the centre • Better funding opportunities for centres • Better opportunities and strategies with dealing with and implementing difficult children and families • Better support by the government to be recognised as a foundation of this country

I think the Childcare sector can be improved by allowing pay rises to all staff members who work hard and start off the education for children to help with their future. The amount of paperwork should be lower due to not being able to spend as much time as we should with the children which is what we are there for. 80% of the families don't take notice of the paper work they are more concerned with how their child's day went and asking what they enjoyed most.

I feel we have to do so much for so little pay we put so much time and effort to teach these young children. I have 3 children of my own by the time I get home its so late to even do anything with my children. We do have to put up with a lot of stuff turn over as their not happy with the pay. I have been in childcare for 11 years and seen so many stuff turnover to look for better pay so that's something everyone needs to think about.

Our centre needs more Qualified/Diploma educators. Over a year ago one Room Leader left the centre and up today we haven't find her replacement. When we need a diploma qualified personnel, we have spent one hour to find a relief staff. Most of the time we'll have to use different relief staff. I think it's unfair for the children as they need consistency and 'familiar faces' in their daily routines care and learning experiences.

I get paid $19.66 an hours and it is not enough to meet my expenses. We need to be recognised more for what we do. Our job is very challenging and demanding. I think we deserve better wages and working conditions for what we do every day.

I've been involved in early childhood my whole life, and I’m now working in the sector as an ECEC educator. I love my work but don't believe I will be able to continue my career in this sector as I can barely manage to survive on the wages we receive. We deserve to be paid as professionals and receive the recognition for the job that we do.

I believe that children learn to become competent members of society by having adults directly interacting with them. For this to occur educators need to be given less paperwork to complete so they can focus all their attention on the children. Most of the day we have at least one educator but often more completing paperwork instead of interacting with the children. This leads to more behaviour management issues and children not developing skills as much as they should be. I have found the NQF is not specific enough and open to lots of different interpretations which cause stress on staff which means they are not providing quality care for children. When assessors come to see centres, their ratings are based a lot on their personal beliefs which make it very hard for educators to know what is expected of them. I have seen many wonderful child care educators leave the sector as they feel they are expected to be more like office works, constantly documenting everything they do rather than actively engaging with and educating children. To keep quality educators in child care centres there needs to be better pay and less expectations on paperwork

At our centre we are lucky enough to have secured an educator who has a degree in early childhood education. Prior to this we have found it extremely difficult to attract degree trained educators to our centre. I don't blame them, why would you want to come and work in a sector that has very low wages, poor allowances for leave and next to no maternity leave, when you could go and work in the Education system at a school and get paid more and have so much more leave? For a profession that is dominated by females, I find it extremely frustrating that apart from the government allowance for maternity leave, I will only receive 2 weeks maternity leave from my employer. I completely understand why this is so, we are a relatively small, not-for-profit centre and it would not be viable for the centre to pay for all of us to have maternity leave, but it's just not good enough.

The submission should include professional wages for the position of staff and the work that they do . Staff in Preschool work very hard for little reward. It is time conditions for staff improved. I personally worked in the sector for thirty six years for little reward. But I enjoyed my work and meeting the children each day with their families. What a rewarding profession it is.

I have been working in the child care sector for over 12 months after returning to work following the graduation of my disabled son from home-schooling. I have worked in the education sector as a teacher's assistant for a number of years as well as volunteering as parent helper for my 2 children as they moved through school. I love my job. I love the women I work with and the children become part of my extended family. My director is fantastic and I work my guts out to make sure I live up to her standards. She is a wonderful boss who looks after her employees very well. However the pay scales are appalling. I was better off financially on carer's pension with one child then I am working a 37.5 hour week. I am currently studying my diploma but am very wary of completing it because the expectations and are higher and I believe impossible to meet. The increase in pay does not compensate for the additional hours that have to be worked to ensure all the paperwork is completed. I am seriously looking at working in a different job where the pay rates are better and the conditions more realistic. The only thing that keeps me here right now is my Director.

I am doing the job of an early childhood teacher as we have not been able to employ an appropriately skilled staff member to do that role on a full time basis, as many prefer to stay casual, as they do not need to do any paper work. I have been in the child care sector for over 17 years and have held in the past the position of a working director for three years of a 29 place centre while having 2 young children. I believe someone like me should be eligible to complete my ECT degree while on the job, same as Certificate III, TAFE acknowledged prior learning. As a working mum of two and financially, doing 4 years of assignments or 8 years part time by correspondence does not appeal to me. You want more qualified staff this could be your answer.

An early childhood educators, especially early childhood teacher and group leader has a lot of responsibilities for the quality service and quality education for our young generation. every day not only completed loads of work an non-stop working, even must control unrine because ratio demand but also take lots of work home to be completed. we are teaching a human being at beginning age and an intelligent human being. everyone knows how important stage at first five years of human being. sincerely hope government to see the importance of this job. we want to have a peaceful society and nice human being to contribute our country. First five years education is a foundation of human being development. reasonable payrise for this industry is necessary! thank you for consideration.

I have been in the child care sector for 37 years and I have seen a massive change over the years. While still at school I worked during school holidays at a privately run centre and a children’s home. Both places were definitely ‘child minding’. We took care of the children insofar as as we changed thir nappies and fed them, but we left them in their cots. There was no stimulation as we were told not to ‘over stimulate’ children. Children over three years of age were only allowed outside for short periods of time, there were no dummies, rockers, swings. Staff were not qualified so anyone could work in child care and we had many who should not have been in the sector at all. Over the years, thankfully, this all changed and children are encouraged to do what children do but the staff still didn’t have to be qualified and we were still looked at being carers not educators. Dedicated staff who were here for the joy of teaching children life skills, cognitive skills and gross and fine motor skills and we knew already about these skills through experience and researching. These staff members were in a league of their own but role modelling to the new ones coming in was valuable to them as new comers. In 1991 I decided to do home base caring so that I could be home with my children as they were little and I continued to this with a total of 16chn in my care over the week. In 1999 I gained my Certificate III in children’s services as at this stage I was back in a child care setting and then I was endorsed as a Group Leader by 2003 I had my Diploma and then in 2004 was made a Director of a company then promoted to an Area Manager position for 4 years and since 2010 I am back as a Director. I have a wealth of information of the child care sector and I could imagine that I am one of very few that have been working in this sector for as long as I have. I put this down to the pay that we receive-I have never been able to afford to buy a house as our pay is based on week to week living and the possibility of retirement is so far out of reach it will never happen-I am also a single person so again I don’t have the second income to get to owning a home or early retirement. Now that I am 52 I will never be able to have my own home. I have over the years wanted to change my career to gain more income but the love I have for my job is too high. I have heard that trolley boys earn more than my qualified Certificate III Educators. These days we are all meant to have qualifications, blue cards, first aid etc, all at the expense of the educator in most centres and these things are a necessity to our jobs. We have regulations, Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards to adhere to due to the Government Bodies who design them for the education of the children which I totally approve off. I need to understand why these governing bodies have the right to expect us to have all the knowledge to do what we do but don’t want to pay us for the work we do. Yes, we love our jobs and for us to do what we do for the money we get we have to love the job we do. We have all recognised that the children of today are the future of tomorrow but the reason of that being is us as educators. We have children here that would not achieve what they have learnt from home and we are the foundations of making the school transition smoothly. We are now encouraged to have early learning teachers in our centres to start the learning in other ways to assist with the transitions and they get paid accordingly-are we of little value to the government-are we not deserving of a pay increase-if so please tell us why.