Qld: Qld govt crackdown on backyard childcare operators

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2000
Qld: Qld govt crackdown on backyard childcare operators

BRISBANE, April 10 AAP - Backyard child care providers could be fined up to $7,500
for regulation breaches under a Queensland government crackdown announced today.

Families Minister Anna Bligh said until now, Queensland had been the only state in
Australia without provisions regulating backyard child care.

"In my view, we have lagged behind for too long," she told a news conference in Brisbane today.

"We had a terrible tragedy with a drowning in one of these situations in about 1995."

The new laws, to be introduced in state parliament this week, set basic minimum standards
on child care operators.

Ms Bligh said the new laws would limit the number of children to be cared for in backyard
situations to no more than six under the age of 12 and four children under six.

Carers would have to have public liability insurance. People with serious criminal
records would be disqualified from providing independent home based care.

New laws would ensure all carers were 18 or older.

Ms Bligh said parents relying on the help of relatives and friends for babysitting
would not be affected by the laws.

"This is not about grandma babysitting on Saturday night. The new laws target people
who offer child care services from their homes and charge a fee," Ms Bligh said.

The minister said the Families Department was empowered to investigate any complaints
from parents or from other child care facilities.

AAP dn/sc/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: CHILDCARE

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