Education and Care Services National Regulations

The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that a sleep and rest risk assessment is conducted in accordance with this regulation—

at least once every 12 months; and

as soon as practicable after becoming aware of any circumstance that may affect the safety, health or wellbeing of children during sleep and rest.

A risk assessment must consider the following—

the number, ages and developmental stages of children being educated and cared for—

by the education and care service; or

in the case of a family day care service, at each family day care residence or approved family day care venue of the service;

the sleep and rest needs of children being educated and cared for (including health care needs, cultural preferences, sleep and rest needs of individual children and requests from families about a child’s sleep and rest)—

by the education and care service; or

in the case of a family day care service, at each family day care residence or approved family day care venue of the service;

the suitability of staffing arrangements to adequately supervise and monitor children during sleep and rest periods;

the level of knowledge and training of staff supervising children during sleep and rest periods;

the location of sleep and rest areas, including the arrangement of cots and beds within the sleep and rest areas—

at the education and care service; or

in the case of a family day care service, at each family day care residence or approved family day care venue of the service;

the safety and suitability of any cots, beds and bedding equipment, having regard to the ages and developmentalstages of the children who will use the cots, bed and bedding equipment;

any potential hazards—

in sleep and rest areas; or

on a child during sleep and rest periods;

the physical safety and suitability of sleep and rest environments (including temperature, lighting and ventilation)—

at the education and care service; or

in the case of a family day care service, at each family day care residence or approved family day care venue of the service;

in the case of a family day care service that provides overnight care to a child, any risks that the overnight care provided at the family day care residence or approved family day care venue of the service may pose to the safety, health or wellbeing of the child.

As soon as practicable after conducting a risk assessment under this regulation, the approved provider of an education and care service must make any necessary updates to the sleep and rest policies and procedures.

The approved provider must keep a record of each risk assessment conducted under this regulation.