Many centres rely on a trusted group of casual educators to cover leave, absences and busy periods. Managing that pool well means keeping schedules, pay and compliance records in step, which is where a childcare workforce management system can help. This guide covers 9 practical ways to schedule, pay and track your casual educators, plus what to look for in the tools you use.
Why casual pools need careful management
A casual pool gives your centre flexibility and familiar faces for children, but it also adds moving parts. Each educator has their own availability, pay entitlements and documents that need to stay current. Our guide to building and managing a childcare relief pool covers how to set one up, while this article focuses on running it day to day.
9 ways to schedule, pay and track your casual educators
1. Keep availability in one place
Ask casual educators to share their availability regularly, and record it somewhere your leadership team can see. This saves time ringing around when a shift comes up and helps you offer work fairly.
2. Offer shifts to your own pool first
Educators who already know your children, families and routines can usually settle in more quickly. Many centres choose to offer shifts to their own casuals before looking further afield.
3. Match educators to rooms and ratios
When scheduling, consider each educator’s qualifications and room experience, as well as the ratio needs of each room. An educator who knows your babies’ room may be the best fit there, even if someone else is available sooner. Our state-by-state ratio guide is a useful reference when planning cover.
4. Check the right award and pay rates
Casual educators are entitled to a casual loading or a specific casual pay rate under an award, registered agreement or employment contract. Award rates for many educators changed in 2026, and services in the Worker Retention Payment program must pay eligible staff, including casuals, above the award rate. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay Calculator, or check with a workplace relations adviser, to confirm current rates for your service.
5. Give new casuals the right information
Employers must give each new casual employee the Casual Employment Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, they start and again at set points during their employment (for most employers, after 6 months, after 12 months and every 12 months after that; small business employers only need to give it again after 12 months).
6. Make timesheets simple and accurate
Accurate hours are the foundation of accurate pay, so agree on how casual educators record start, finish and break times. Approving timesheets promptly helps educators get paid on time. Tools that track hours and produce reports for your payroll system can also save manual data entry.
7. Track compliance for every casual
Casual educators need the same current documents as permanent staff, such as a valid WWCC and an approved qualification. Keeping these on file and watching expiry dates means each educator is ready when a shift comes up.
8. Keep Worker Register records up to date
Approved providers must record casual and relief educators on the National Early Childhood Worker Register, including agency educators, and update records within 14 days of engaging a worker or becoming aware of a change. ACECQA’s guidance explains what to record. A central record for each casual makes these updates easier to manage, and our guide to childcare compliance software covers features that can help.
9. Review your pool regularly
Check in with casual educators every few months about their availability, goals and experience at your centre. Some may be interested in more regular work, and casual employees have a right to access a pathway to permanent employment in some circumstances. Regular reviews also help you see when it’s time to grow your pool.
How QuickCare can help
QuickCare’s BYO Workforce works as a childcare HR system for your casual pool, helping centres post shifts to their own casual educators first, track hours and generate reports for payroll. Real-Time Compliance checks WWCC status and qualifications (against state screening agencies and ACECQA’s approved list, where available) and sends first aid and CPR expiry alerts 60, 30 and 7 days before they’re due.
