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Following changes to the South Australian Public Health Act 2011, since 7 August 2020, children are not able to enrol in or attend early childhood services unless all immunisation requirements are met (No Jab, No Play).
This legislation includes family day care (FDC).
The Act states:
an early childhood service must not enrol a child if all immunisation requirements are not met
a child cannot attend an early childhood service if all immunisation requirements are not met
early childhood services must keep a current copy of an approved immunisation record for each child enrolled in, or attending that service, and
approved immunisation records must be supplied by parents or carers to the early childhood service at specified times.
Since 7 August 2020, FDC services are not able to enrol new children into their service without current immunisation records.
Children who are already enrolled will no longer be able to attend unless their parent or carer can provide:
a copy of their child’s current immunisation record that shows that the child’s immunisation is up to date or on catch up schedule with a future end date
evidence that their child has an approved exemption from the Chief Public Health Officer.
Parents and carers can access an immunisation history statement by visiting:
Australian Immunisation Register general enquiries line on 1800 653 809 and requesting that a statement be posted to them.
For most children an approved immunisation record will be an extract from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), called an immunisation history statement. FDC educators will not be required to interpret the statement. Parents should be directed to their immunisation provider if they need help.
FDC educators must sight the record and check if the immunisation status is up to date.
The immunisation history statement will show:
the child’s name
date of birth
the date the statement was downloaded
immunisation status.
The immunisation status will read one of 3 things:
up to date
up to date – catch-up schedule effective until (a future end date will be supplied)
not up to date.
A letter from a general practitioner, the South Australian Child Health and Development Record (the 'Blue Book') or an overseas immunisation record are not approved immunisation records.
FDC educators will need to:
collect any outstanding or updated child’s immunisation record from parents
email these records to the BCSC and ensure the educators’ name and scheme name is included in the email.
A current approved immunisation record needs to be supplied:
at the time of the child's enrolment
after the child turns 7 months of age but before the child turns 9 months of age
after the child turns 13 months of age but before the child turns 15 months of age
after the child turns 19 months of age but before the child turns 21 months of age
after the child turns 4 years and 2 months of age but before the child turns 4 years and 8 months of age.
All new enrolments must meet current immunisation requirements.
The BCSC will:
explain the current immunisation requirements
enter minimal registration information in Harmony
provide contact details of educators and explain that the BCSC are unable to complete an enrolment or enter a booking until an immunisation history statement (IHS) is received
email immunisation and enrolment information to parents
guide parents to contact the BCSC to complete an enrolment when they have found a suitable educator
Educators will need to:
inform the parent that an up to date immunisation history statement (IHS) is required to finalise an enrolment or enter a booking.
guide the parent to contact the BCSC to complete an enrolment but the enrolment will not be activated until the parent has provided the IHS.
complete a new booking, scan and email to the BCSC - please ensure you include your name, scheme name and child’s name in the email. The booking will not be entered until the BCSC have received the IHS.
communicate to the parent accessing care with more than one educator, they only need to provide this information to one educator and inform the other educator that they have provided the information.
The Business and Customer Support Centre will send immunisation reminder emails to both parents and educators:
a reminder email will be sent to the parent and copied to the educator a minimum of a month before they are due
the child’s booking will be end dated relative to the date of the immunisation due date
once the updated Immunisation History Statement has been received the information will be updated in Harmony and the end date removed from the booking
Educators will not be able to see immunisation status for new children until the BCSC enters the new booking.
Educators can view a child’s immunisation record status by:
Logging into Harmony Web
Clicking on the ‘Child Care’ drop down menu> click on children> click view for each child> click on the immunisation tab under each child.
An immunised child will show yes against each age bracket.
Please note BCSC staff must enter the immunisation status before it is visible in Harmony Web.
Educators need to check bookings regularly to maintain compliance.
Educators can view a child’s booking (once entered by BCSC staff) by:
Logging into Harmony Web
Clicking on the ‘Child Care’ drop down menu> click on children> click view for each child and then bookings.
A booking that is green will be ‘active’ with an end date on the most current booking (if the booking has been end-dated)
The colour will turn to red ‘inactive’ after the end-date has been reached.
Educators will be unable to provide care for children after the date of the end-dated booking.
Parents may still be able to PIN the child ‘in’ and ‘out’ on a casual basis. Educators will be unable to complete a timesheet with this method of booking.
There are a number of approved exemptions such as the:
child is less than 7 months of age
child has a medical contraindication to a vaccine, such as anaphylaxis
child has natural immunity to a particular disease
child is a part of an approved vaccine study
vaccine is temporarily unavailable
Secretary (has determined that the child meets the immunisation requirements), or
Chief Public Health Officer grants an exemption
child is vaccinated overseas – see below.
A child vaccinated overseas will not automatically be granted an exemption; the overseas schedule for which that child was vaccinated will need to meet Australian immunisation schedule requirements. An immunisation provider will need to assess if this meets the Australian requirements and enter all doses administered overseas into the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
Please visit immunisation – SA Health for more information.
Children who meet any of the below exemptions can continue to attend an education and care service during the temporary exemption period.
Children under the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive
Children under the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection as per the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 are exempt from meeting the immunisation requirements for a 6 week period starting on the day a:
child in care is taken into the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection under the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017
child is transferred out of care from the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection under the Children and Young People Safety Act 2017 to another guardian or to their parent.
Children who live or reside in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands are exempt from the legislation
For more information see SA Health Early childhood services and immunisation requirements under the question What are the South Australian Chief Public Health Officer exemptions for No Jab No Play?
If a child’s immunisation history statement indicates the child is on a catch-up schedule then the child meets the immunisation requirements and is eligible to attend early childhood services.
This means that all children on a catch up schedule, regardless of the up to date or not up to date status can attend an early childhood service.
For more information:
Australian Immunisation Register general enquiries line, 1800 653 809
immunisation requirements for early childhood services (our public website).
If a child is on a recognised catch-up schedule and has not passed the date indicated, the immunisation history statement will read: Up to date – catch-up effective to (an end date in the future will be supplied), than the child will be able to enrol and attend.
If the immunisation history statement reads: Not up to date – catch-up effective to (an end date will be supplied), the child will not be able to enrol and attend.
The following are examples of services that are not captured by the immunisation requirements under the SA Public Health Act 2011.
In family day care, the educator’s own children are not considered as enrolled or attending an early childhood service therefore the legislation does not apply to them.
Children enrolled and attending the family day care service must meet the immunisation requirements.
Children under 6 years in the respite care program
Children under 6 years of age who are enrolled in the respite care program and attend a family day care service must meet the immunisation requirements.
The Family Day Care for Children under Guardianship of the Chief Executive DCP program (Guardianship Family Day Care) is care provided to a child under the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 and is therefore excluded from the definition of an early childhood service. Consequently Guardianship Family Day Care service providers are not required to ensure that the children receiving the service meet immunisation requirements.
Staff resources to help meet legislative obligations:
Business centre staff will send these letters to parents and carers on behalf of family day care services:
Updated resources including a new flow chart and template letters are in development.
You can send these SA Health’s resources to parents:
Contact the immunisation section, Communicable Disease Control Branch, phone 1300 232 272 or see:
If you have any questions contact your scheme office staff or the regulation and compliance team on 8226 1646 or Education.NQFEnquiries@sa.gov.au.
Phone (metro): 8372 7523
Phone (country): 1300 551 890
Email: educationfdcbusiness@sa.gov.au