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.
. This is being done through the introduction of a National Quality Framework
The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care ensures children receive a high standard of education and care. The Framework is a national approach to the regulation and quality assessment of early childhood services and helps families in choosing the best early childhood education and care service for their child.
The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Careapplies to most long day care, family day care, preschool and kindergarten, and outside schools hours care services. The Framework is a national approach to the regulation and quality assessment of early childhood education and care services.
The Framework includes the following parts: a national legislative framework that creates a uniform national approach to the regulation and quality assessment of education and child care services in Australia a National Quality Standard that sets a national benchmark for the quality of education and care services a national quality rating and assessment process that rates services against the National Quality Standard and the national legislative framework staff qualifications is important as the research shows that staff with higher qualifications are usually better able to get improved outcomes for children. More highly qualified staff means greater understanding of health and safety issues and that staff are more able to lead activities that inspire youngsters and help them learn and develop.
The current high level of awareness and attention being given to ECCE at national policy level is quite recent. Outside the State funded primary school system, investment in pre-school provision was traditionally targeted to