OSHC ratios for school and preschool age children
Who can use Outside School Hours Care?
OSHC services provide child care mostly for children attending school, but can care for children who have
not started school. However, as a general rule, when an OSHC service fills vacant places, it must give school
children priority over children who have not yet started school (exceptions arise in the case of employer –
sponsored child care places.)
Source: Child Care Services Handbook 2012-2013 http://education.gov.au/child-care-service-handbook
Under the family assistance law, an approved OSHC service must undertake that:
• the service provides child care mostly for children attending school, but can care for children who
have not started school
• the service provides care for mainly school age children (at least 51% of enrolments)
• if the service provides before or after school care, the service will operate on each school day and
• if the service provides Vacation Care, the service will be available to provide care for any particular
child at least 8 continuous hours per day for 7 weeks per year.
Educator to child ratios for school age children attending OSHC
The Education and Care Services National Regulations and National Law require that services maintain the
required educator to child ratios at all times based on the ages and number of children being educated and
cared for at the service.
The National Regulations allow a child to be considered over preschool age from the beginning of the
calendar year in which they will attend school as long as they are enrolled/registered. This is to assist
services that structure enrolments from the beginning of the school year, such as vacation care for school
age children.
The educator to child ratio for children over preschool age is 1 educator to 15 children. Regulation 320
Minimum OSHC staffing requirements
School Age Children
Qualified staff required
Unqualified staff required
1-15
1
0
16-30
1
1
31-45
2
1
46-60
2
2
Document last updated: 24 March 2015
Educator to child ratios for preschool children attending OSHC
The educator to child ratio for preschool aged children is 1 educator to 10 children. Regulation 323
When preschool age children attend OSHC, the ratio is 1 educator to the first 10 children. The calculation for
preschool ratios can be calculated in accordance with the mixed age requirement – hence 1 to the first 10
then 1 to 15. Regulation 123
For example:
School age children
Preschool age children
Qualified staff required
Unqualified staff required
25
0
1
1
25
1
1
1
In this example the 1 pre-schooler requires the service to employ an additional qualified educator.
School age children
Preschool age children
Qualified staff required
Unqualified staff required
26
0
1
1
26
1
2
1
Qualification requirements for educators for children over preschool age
The first of every 2 educators required to meet the educator to child ratio for children over preschool age
must hold an approved qualification. Regulation 321
Link to SA approved qualifications: http://www.acecqa.gov.au/Working-with-children-over-preschool-age
Note: Pre -school age children attending OSHC may have a financial impact on the service and must be
factored into the budget process.
Document last updated: 24 March 2015