The new National Quality Standard will help services to provide the best possible level of early childhood education and care by being clear about the factors that best support a child’s development.
It will also give services and families confidence in understanding what distinguishes high quality or excellent services.
The new National Quality Standard is divided into seven areas that contribute to the quality of early childhood education and care. These areas have been identified by research and are:
- Educational program and practice
- Children’s health and safety
- Physical environment
- Staffing arrangements (including the number of staff looking after children)
- Relationships with children
- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
- Leadership and service management
Under each of these areas more detail is provided about what a service can do to provide the highest quality early childhood education and care for a child.
The full Standard is detailed in the National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care.
Further information on the National Quality Standard, including fact sheets, is available from the National Quality Framework main page.