Ratio Question

[RNS]

If a member of staff has their own child attending nursery, can this member of staff still look after their full ratio of children?

e.g A member of staff looking after 2 year olds must be in ratio 1:4 (can it still be 1:4 if one of the children is theirs?)

Someone told me that if their own child is at the nursery they only count as half a member of staff but I can’t find any evidence to back this up.

Any ideas?

[Stargrower]

I would say that all children count the same.  So that member of staff can have four children no matter whose they are!

 

[AliceinWonderland]

I've never heard of this and it certainly isn't mentioned in the EYFS so I'd count them as normal.

[Jules]

Hi RNS,

I looked into this for you and contacted a setting to ask what they knew. Ratios don't change if a staff member has their own child at the setting. 

If you haven't got one already, it might be worth thinking about adding a short policy for staff who have children at the setting so that they, and you, are clear about how that will work - covering things like when it is appropriate to speak to their child's key worker about their child, or about how you will organise key children groups for them and their child,  or around what the arrangements will be for care of their own child in different sets of circumstances. 

I hope this helps. 

[finleysmaid]

I would agree with Jules the number of children in the setting (if the children are in the EYFS stage) are all included in the ratio. Having your own child in the setting doesn't mean you are only able to take half