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Overview
Research shows that a child’s experience in their first five years sets the course for the rest of their life.
In recognition of this, the Australian Government, in partnership with all state and territory governments, is making important changes to early childhood education and care in Australia. This will ensure that Australian children get the best possible start.
This is being done through the introduction of a National Quality Framework which has been agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). The framework will be implemented progressively from 1 July 2010.
The National Quality Framework will put in place a new National Quality Standard to ensure high quality and consistent early childhood education and care across Australia.
These changes will help providers to improve their services in the areas that impact on a child’s development and empower families to make informed choices about which service is best for their child.
Why do we need a National Quality Framework?
The National Quality Framework is an important reform which will deliver a higher standard of care for children in the critical areas of education, health and safety and will provide clearer and comprehensive information for families so they can choose the best services for their child.
We know that the first five years of a child’s life shapes their future – their health, learning and social development – and we want to make sure that their future is bright.
Early childhood experts and professionals maintain that quality is critical when it comes to early childhood education and care.
At the moment quality standards across early childhood education and care services vary across Australia and there is often limited information available to help families choose the best service for their children.
The National Quality Framework will require all providers to improve services in the areas that impact on a child’s development and safety and to provide families with quality information to help them make informed choices about services.
Changes will be made in key areas
The National Quality Framework will set a new National Quality Standard for early childhood education and care providers in Australia.
The National Quality Standard will improve quality through:
- improved staff to child ratios to ensure each child gets more individual care and attention
- new staff qualification requirements to ensure staff have the skills to help children learn and develop
- a new quality rating system to ensure Australian families have access to transparent information relating to the quality of early childhood education and care services
- the establishment of a new National Body to ensure early childhood education and care is of a high quality.
The new National Quality Framework will cover long day care, family day care, outside school hours care and preschools.
The framework incorporates feedback received on the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement from child care service providers, parents and the early childhood sector.
Resources
This series of printable fact sheets provides useful information on the National Quality Framework. The full National Quality Standard is also available.
Further information
Further information on the National Quality Framework is available at: