New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

CHILDREN'S SERVICES REGULATION 2004 - REG 36

36 Sleeping facilities

(1) The premises of a children’s service must have an adequate number of cots, beds, stretchers or sleeping mats (together with waterproof covers) or other culturally appropriate forms of bedding for all children who sleep while at the premises.

(2) For the purposes of subclause (1), the ages of children at the service, the program of activities of the service and hours of operation of the service are to be taken into account when determining adequate sleeping facilities.

(3) Provision must be made at the premises of a children’s service to ensure that:

(a) mattresses and other bedding are clean and comfortable, and

(b) bed clothing is appropriate to the climate, and

(c) all bed clothing is kept clean and in good repair, and

(d) there is individual bed linen and blankets for each child, and

(e) children do not share the same bed at the same time, and

(f) bed linen used by one child is washed before it is used by another child, and

(g) no child who is of or above 7 years of age sleeps in the same room as another child of the opposite sex who is not a relative, and

(h) no child who is of or above the age of 2 years, and (except with the written consent of a parent of the child) no child who is under the age of 2 years, sleeps in a room in which an adult is sleeping.

(4) Cots, beds, stretchers, mattresses and other bedding at the premises of a children’s service must be arranged so as:

(a) to be in an area that has natural light, and

(b) to allow easy exit of any child, and

(c) to allow easy access to any child, and

(d) to reduce the risk of cross infection between children.

(5) A sleeping area for children must be designed to ensure that all children in the area are readily accessible to staff of the service, or the family day care carer or home based licensee.

(6) Cots must comply with the requirements of Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2172:2003: Cots for household use-Safety requirements .