The ACT Regulatory Authority, Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA), administers the National Quality Framework covering approved early childhood education and care services in the ACT.
The framework covers any education and care service providing or intending to provide education and care on a regular basis to children under the age of 13 years. This includes family day care services, long day care services, outside school hours care services and preschools. All service types must meet the requirements set out in the framework.
The NQF includes:
- National Law and National Regulations
- National Quality Standard
- assessment and quality rating process
- National Learning Frameworks
Benefits for children and families
Research shows quality education and care early in life leads to better health, education, and employment outcomes later in life. The early years are critical for establishing self-esteem, resilience, healthy growth, and capacity to learn. Quality education and care shapes every child’s future and lays the foundation for development and learning.
The major benefits for families and children include:
- improved educator to child ratios, ensuring children have greater individual care and attention for children
- educators with increased skills and qualifications
- better support for children’s learning and development through approved learning frameworks
- consistent, transparent information on educators, providers, and services in the national registers
The Education and Care National Law and Regulations works to protect children when they are in the care of people other than their family or guardians. It sets out what the Regulatory Authorities, such as CECA, are supposed to do, what tools are available, and fundamental obligations.
CECA undertakes compliance audits and risk assessment audits of education and care services to ensure that services are meeting their minimum requirements as set under the National Law and Regulations
The National Law provides CECA with a wide range of powers to protect children from harm and hazards or address unlawful conduct. CECA undertakes investigation of information that becomes known to it, of risk or the potential for risk to the safety, health, and well-being of children.
For more information about CECA’s role visit ACT children's education and care services Regulatory Authority
The National Quality Standard is a key aspect of the National Quality Framework and sets a national benchmark for education and care services across Australia.
Every service across Australia is to be assessed and rated to make sure it meets the national benchmark. In the ACT, CECA’s authorised officers conduct quality assessments against the standard.
Further information on assessment and rating is available via the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority .
As part of the NQF there are two nationally approved learning frameworks that outline practices that support and promote children’s learning.
These are Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) for young children from birth to five years of age and My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia for school age children.
The nationally approved learning frameworks were updated and published in early 2023.
The original national learning frameworks will remain in operation alongside the updated frameworks, until early 2024.