Central Queensland University Facilities on Campus
The concept of adjunct care was established in answer to parents’ demands for a short-term, on-premises child-minding facility at places such as shopping centres, sports clubs, and conference venues. It aims to provide informal care for limited time periods, and as such is not governed by the Childcare Act, except in instances when negligence is alleged and some form of investigation or disciplinary action is required. There are no regulations pertaining to staffing levels, maximum capacity (number of children) toys and playground equipment or segregation of age levels. As such, this type of care has many disadvantages, the main two being a two-hour maximum time limit per child, and the requirement for parents to remain on the premises (usually in the same building).
Most providers of adjunct care employ a person to staff the facility for the sole purpose of protecting the property of the business (provider). This person requires no formal training in the care of children, and is not expected to engage in such activities as changing nappies or feeding children. Unless the workplace already expects employees to hold a current First Aid and/or Resuscitation certificate, a person staffing an adjunct care facility needn’t have any experience to enable them to deal with problems that may arise. Some providers don’t employ anyone at all. Rockhampton Shopping Fair’s facility is checked on by the cleaners for hygiene and cleaning requirements only.
As a service-based organisation, the CQU Student Association is equipped with a staffing structure capable of handling such a venture. As outlined above, it may not be necessary to employ a person specifically to supervise the day-to-day operation of the facility, rather the duties could be added to the workload of an existing staff member. The organisation has an established accounts/administration department, as well as a management team, both of whom would posses the necessary skills to ensure efficient operation of the facility. The Student Association also supports a strong marketing department and several other ‘help’ services, which would aid in the promotion of the venture.
The requirement for parents to remain on the premises was discussed with representatives from the Department of Families, Youth, and Community Care with regard to CQU’s Smart City (referred to as the Southern Precinct of the Rockhampton campus). Their response was that each ‘precinct’ would be treated as individual premises, and therefore a separate facility would need to be established for both precincts. This has implications regarding the staffing suggestion made above, but more importantly raises location issues.
With several vacant offices currently available on the Rockhampton Campus Northern Precinct, there may be avenues for the Student Association to bargain with CQU and secure a space suitable for a childcare facility. However, with the Southern Precinct concept still relatively new, locating suitable space in Smart City may not be as simple. It would be anticipated that various other departments within the university would be vying for some of the ‘new’ space. Space at the developing regional campuses may also be difficult to secure, however some areas have establishing community projects, the organizers of which could be approached for assistance.
The main costs associated with establishing and operating an adjunct care facility, whether on one or both precincts of the Rockhampton campus, and possibly on several other CQU campuses, would be standard overheads: rent and electricity. Staff wages in this instance are extremely variable (even optional), however, cleaning expenses would need to be taken into account. Set up costs would consist largely of toys, playground and educational equipment, although this too could be minimized due to lack of regulations.
This type of childcare is generally offered by organisations as a courtesy service to their clients. This and the loose nature of the service make it difficult for providers to charge fees for the service. The providing organisation must therefore subsidize the facility from other areas in the budget.
Many people have suggested that it would be simple for the Student Association to provide an adjunct care facility. This is understandable, as there are minimal establishment and operating costs and no real standards, as no license is required. There is a trap however, as has been outlined. Although all of the above are true, there is a huge issue should negligence be alleged. Also, the cost of insurance needs to be considered. A high-risk venture would likely attract higher premiums than normal, and in the event that a claim is submitted, normal premiums will skyrocket.
