Red Nose welcomes changes to the national regulations governing education and care services that from 1 October 2017 will require them to have policies and procedures about rest and sleep for children including adherence to Red Nose’s safe sleeping guidelines.
The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority is informing child care providers that their new policies and procedures should be based on current research and recommended evidence-based principles and guidelines and recognises Red Nose as the national authority on safe sleeping practices for infants and children.
“As the national authority on infant safe sleeping, Red Nose welcomes changes to the National Law and Regulations that require child care centres to have policies and procedures for sleep and rest of children and infants,” said Yvonne Amos, Red Nose’s General Manager Marketing, Communications and Income Development.
“This change will ensure consistency in child care centres across the country so that every child will be slept according to Red Nose’s safe sleeping guidelines, which have reduced the rate of sudden unexpected death in infancy in Australia by 80 per cent and saved 9,450 lives.”
Child care centres had previously been required to have policies and procedures in relation to ‘health and safety’, but not sleep specifically.
“Red Nose looks forward to working closely with child care centres to ensure their policies are up to date and they are fully informed of our evidence-based guidelines,” Ms Amos said.
The new requirement applies to long day care, family day care, preschool/kindergarten and outside schools hours care services in all states and territories. In Western Australia it comes into effect a year later on 1 October 2018 to allow for the legislation to pass through that parliament.
For more details visit www.acecqa.gov.au/safe-sleep-and-rest-practices.
Education and care services can contact Red Nose by emailing education@rednose.org.au or calling 1300 998 698.