Search

This occasional paper is the ninth in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). The Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations govern the minimum standards and requirements that all providers of NQF regulated services must meet, including health and safety requirements. Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard (NQS) upholds children's right to be protected and kept safe. The approved provider, nominated supervisors, coordinators and educators have responsibility for supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of all children. In exercising their responsibilities, they must take reasonable care to protect children from foreseeable risk of harm, injury and infection. This paper uses data from the National Quality Agenda Information Technology System (NQA ITS) to provide analysis of trends in serious incidents resulting in injury, trauma or illness in Australian children's education and care services between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2022.

This report presents key findings from the four years of the Quality Support Program (QSP). The QSP is an initiative of, and funded by, the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education Early Childhood Education Quality Assurance and Regulatory Services Directorate (NSW DoE), involving the delivery by Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) of free tailored professional development and support to approved providers and service leaders of eligible services across NSW. The QSP has been implemented in four stages, with each stage comprising separate groups of services in 'rounds' of up to 18 weeks of tailored support. These rounds have overlapped with each other. This report covers Stages One to Four. The objectives of the QSP are to improve the quality of participating services so they receive a rating of Meeting NQS or higher, and to improve participants' knowledge of and confidence in the NQS and assessment and rating. Participants were provided with bespoke resources, a QSP facilitator to answer questions, discuss improvement priorities and through a coaching approach prompt critical reflection, and provide one-on-one targeted tailored support with continuous quality improvement. The structure of each QSP round consisted of introductory workshops, provision of eLearning modules and other resources, service visits, support phone calls, video coaching calls, and emails. Workshops and service visits were conducted in-person in Stages One and Two and mostly online in Stage Three and Four due to COVID-19 restrictions. Different service types presented with different contexts and support needs. The QSP drew on the insights of participants to produce service-type specific resources. [For the report from Stage Three, see "Supporting Quality Improvement in Education and Care: Quality Support Program Stage Three -- Key Findings" (ED622370).]

The National Quality Framework (NQF) was established in 2012 to create a more efficient and cohesive approach to regulating early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care in Australia. The NQF provides a shared vision for governments and the children's education and care sector, and an agreed tool for measuring and monitoring service quality. It sets standards for safety and quality so that all children who attend services regulated under the NQF are supported to have the best start in life. This occasional paper discusses how and why the NQF came about, what has changed in the last 10 years, and future directions.

This discussion paper has been produced by Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), on behalf of all state and territory governments and the Australian Government, to inform the "2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005." This paper asks providers of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and school age education and care services across Australia about their awareness and understanding of their obligation sunder the "Disability Discrimination Act 1992" (DDA). This includes questions of access and participation by children with disability to education and care. ACECQA's paper complements the broader discussion paper by the Australian Government about ECEC and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, and is provided in two parts: (1) part 1 is for all ECEC and school age education and care providers; and (2) part 2 asks questions that specifically target National Quality Framework (NQF) approved ECEC and school age education and care providers. [For the broader paper, "Final Report of the 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005," see ED617747.]

This report presents key findings from the first three years of the Quality Support Program (QSP). The QSP is an initiative involving the delivery by Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) of free tailored professional development and support to approved providers and service leaders of eligible services across New South Wales (NSW), implemented in four stages. The objectives of the QSP are to improve the quality of participating services so they receive a rating of Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS) or higher, and to improve participants' knowledge of and confidence in the NQS. Participants were provided with bespoke resources; a QSP facilitator to answer questions, discuss improvement priorities and prompt critical reflection; and one-on-one targeted tailored support with continuous quality improvement. The structure of each QSP round consisted of an introductory workshop, provision of eLearning modules and other resources, service visits, support phone calls, video calls, and emails. Workshops and service visits were conducted in-person in Stages One and Two and mostly online in Stage Three due to COVID-19 restrictions. Different service types presented with different contexts and support needs. The QSP drew on the insights of participants to produce service-type specific resources.

This report presents key findings from the first two years of the Quality Support Program (QSP). The QSP is an initiative of and funded by the NSW Department of Education Early Childhood Education Quality Assurance and Regulatory Services Directorate (NSW DoE), involving the delivery by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) of free tailored professional development and support to approved providers and service leaders of eligible services across NSW. The QSP has been implemented in two stages, with each stage comprising separate groups of services in three 'rounds' of up to 18 weeks of tailored support. This report presents participating services, findings to date, and additional learnings. [This report was produced with NSW Government.]

This occasional paper is the seventh in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). It explores the quality of children's education and care services based on the socio-economic status of the area in which they are situated. The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to classify services by the level of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage of their local area. This paper uses SEIFA as a proxy measure to identify services that are more or less likely to educate and care for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper begins by highlighting contemporary research about the association between socio-economic status and developmental outcomes, and the impact of high quality education and care on children from more disadvantaged backgrounds. It then outlines the quality and availability of education and care in low socio-economic status areas, analysing service quality ratings and reassessment results. The paper also examines differences across service and provider management types, and remoteness classifications. The detailed analysis suggests that there are differences in the overall quality ratings of education and care services located in high and low socio-economic status areas. Services in relatively disadvantaged areas are slightly more likely to be rated Working Towards NQS and notably less likely to be rated Exceeding NQS than those in relatively advantaged areas.

Australia's National Quality Framework (NQF) guides State/Territory government regulatory authorities to meet national goals for continuous quality improvement. Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) commissioned Macquarie University to lead a national study of long day care (LDC) services that had improved their National Quality Standard (NQS) rating over two sequential NQS assessments. This report presents findings from the three phase, mixed-methods Quality Improvement Research Project, which investigated the characteristics and internal processes of quality improvement in LDC services. While recognising the integrated nature of the NQS, and interrelationship between the seven quality areas, the study concentrated on Quality Area 1 (Educational Program and Practice) and Quality Area 7 (Governance and Leadership). Genuine and sustained quality improvement is the result of collaborative effort, and therefore needs to be seen as a shared responsibility. The findings place emphasis on the need for leadership at all levels of service delivery and early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy. In particular, the important role of the Educational Leader is highlighted. The study also identifies priority areas to support and sustain quality improvement evidenced by improved Assessment and Rating (A&R) outcomes.

This document offers a summary of key findings and learnings from a preliminary evaluation of the Quality Support Program (QSP) by Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). The QSP is an initiative of the NSW Department of Education Early Childhood Education Directorate (NSW DoE) involving the delivery by ACECQA of free tailored professional development and support to approved providers and service leaders of eligible long day care and family day care services across NSW. From the commencement of the QSP in March 2018 until May 2019 (the period covered by the preliminary evaluation), three 16-week rounds of support were provided to 142 eligible services. The main objective of the QSP is to improve the quality of participating services to the level of 'Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS)' or higher, and to improve participants' knowledge of and confidence in the 2018 NQS. Participants benefitted from resources, advice and one-on-one support to help improve on practice and prepare for their next quality assessment and rating (A&R). The structure of each round of the QSP consisted of an introductory workshop, face-to-face service visits, support phone calls and emails, eLearning training, and bespoke resources.

This occasional paper is the sixth in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). It examines trends in quality improvement from the perspective of services rated Working Towards National Quality Standard (NQS) under the 2012 NQS. In this paper, a service is considered to have improved its quality at reassessment where it: (1) receives a higher overall quality rating; (2) receives a higher rating in a quality area; and (3) meets a higher number of elements of quality. Qualitative analysis suggests primary drivers of quality improvement include the recruitment and retention of highly trained educators that have a good understanding of the NQF, delivering education and care under the direction of high quality service leadership. Case studies describing quality improvement practices that were evident during reassessment have been included in this paper. These case studies are intended to aid and support the process of continuous quality improvement and the ongoing development of quality improvement plans (QIPs).

ACECQA [Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority] has published its fifth occasional paper analysing Quality Area 7 -- Leadership and service management. This completes the suite of occasional papers that cover the four quality areas of the National Quality Standard that are comparatively challenging. Quality Area 7 recognises the importance of effective leadership and internal administrative systems in guiding and supporting educators, coordinators and staff members to deliver quality education and care programs. The paper highlights contemporary research and theory related to leadership and service management, describes the operational requirements of the National Law and National Regulations, and examines the distribution of quality ratings for Quality Area 7. It provides case studies of the Quality Area 7 elements, along with examples of evidence collected by authorised officers when assessing the elements. Future directions and the implications of the data and literature for service leadership and management are also examined. The paper will be of interest to people who deliver education and care services, people who provide training and professional development services to the sector, peak organisations, and officers in the state and territory regulatory authorities that regulate education and care services.

This occasional paper is the fourth in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). This paper offers detailed insights into education and care service quality ratings for Quality Area 3 (physical environment) of the National Quality Standard (NQS). The focus is on ensuring the physical environment of a service is safe, suitable and provides a rich and diverse range of experiences that promote children's learning and development. This paper begins with an overview of the physical environment standards and what these aim to achieve, highlighting contemporary research and theory behind sustainable environments promoting children's learning. It then outlines the operational requirements of the National Law and National Regulations for the physical environment, with a particular focus on the requirements specific to different service types. The paper also describes how service approval requirements in the National Law apply to the physical environment, and how providers may seek waivers for certain legislated requirements. The paper is intended to be of interest to people who deliver education and care services, families, people who provide training and professional development services to the sector, and to officers in the state and territory regulatory authorities that regulate education and care services.

The third ACECQA Occasional Paper examines activities to promote consistency and efficiency in the implementation and administration of the National Quality Framework (NQF). Striving for consistency and efficiency is a collaborative effort between the eight state and territory regulatory authorities, the Australian Government and ACECQA. This paper highlights the breadth and depth of collaboration to identify, implement and review approaches to promote consistency and efficiency under the NQF. It also includes case studies to illustrate in more detail how certain activities contribute to consistency and efficiency.

ACECQA has published the second in its series of occasional papers, analysing one of the most challenging quality areas -- Children's Health and Safety. Quality Area 2 addresses one of the primary objectives of the National Quality Framework -- to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children attending education and care services. The paper examines performance across service types, socio economic and remoteness classifications, jurisdictions and management types. It also breaks down Quality Area 2 and highlights that standard 2.3 (each child is protected) and element 2.3.3 (incident and emergency planning) are the most challenging aspects of the Quality Area. One of the findings from the analysis is that services in remote and very remote areas may benefit from more support to understand and comply with the requirements of Quality Area 2. The paper also summarises recent state, territory and Commonwealth initiatives around child safe organisations, as well as some examples of the types of compliance and enforcement action that state and territory regulatory authorities have taken relating to children's health and safety.

This report presents the findings from the third wave of a longitudinal study to investigate perceptions of administrative burden among providers of children's education and care services. The study reveals a number of positive findings including consistently high levels of support for the National Quality Framework (NQF) and a significant decline in perceptions of overall burden associated with the administrative requirements of the National Law and Regulations -- down from 15 per cent who reported very high levels of burden in Wave I to nine per cent in Wave III. This decrease is associated with three specific administrative requirements -- supervisor certificates, provider and service approvals, and ensuring staff know about the National Law and Regulations. It is notable that each of these requirements has been the focus of targeted efforts by governments and the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) to support services and minimise administrative burden. There have also been significant improvements between Waves I and III and between Waves II and III in responses to the following statements: (1) that administrative burden has reduced since the introduction of the National Law and Regulations; and (2) that the administrative requirements of the National Law and Regulations are simpler than the previous. licensing and accreditation systems. [For "Report on the National Quality Framework & Regulatory Burden - [Wave I]," see ED626140. For "Report on National Quality Framework and Regulatory Burden - Wave II," see ED626141.]

This report is the second installment (Wave II) of the longitudinal study examining the perceptions and experiences of services under the National Quality Framework (NQF) with respect to their level of regulatory burden. The Wave II perception survey was conducted in February and March 2014. The findings in this report are divided into two themes: (1) perception of overall burden; and (2) ongoing administrative requirements. Findings reveal that: (1) Respondents from centre-based services reported lower overall burden in Wave II (2014) than in Wave I (2013); (2) Respondents perceived lower burden with supervisor certificates and displaying information in Wave II. This effect was particularly influenced by respondents from preschools and kindergartens; and (3) A greater proportion of approved providers of not-for-profit services agreed that 'administrative requirements of the National Law and Regulations are simpler than the previous licensing and accreditation systems' in Wave II. [For "Report on the National Quality Framework & Regulatory Burden - [Wave I]," see ED626140.]

The National Quality Framework (NQF) was introduced to improve the quality of Australia's early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services. One goal of the NQF was to reduce unnecessary compliance burden on children's education and care services through a jointly-governed system of regulation, replacing overlapping regulatory activities by Australian, state and territory governments. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) leads and monitors the nationally consistent application of the Education and Care Services National Law, including the NQF, and promotes quality and continuous improvement. ACECQA is required to report regularly on the progress of the implementation of the NQF to the Australian Government and state and territory governments through the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC). This includes reporting on 'the experience of services under the NQF, with respect to the level of regulatory burden.' This is ACECQA's first report on longitudinal research on children's education and care services' perceptions and experiences of administrative burden under the NQF. The report is presented in two parts. Part I contains findings from ACECQA's research on the administrative burden perceived and experienced by education and care services. It was finalised in July 2013. Part II reviews these findings and details actions already in progress and recommendations on what further steps might be taken, without compromising the quality objective, to reduce or eliminate burden associated with those administrative activities identified in the Part I report. The Part II report also identifies where additional support can be provided to the sector for activities that are fundamental to the focus on quality under the NQF, such as quality improvement plans and educational programing.