Family Day Care educators open their homes to children, balancing care, learning, and hygiene in a smaller, more personal environment than centres. With the release of the Biological Hazards Code of Practice in March 2026, childcare is formally recognised as a biohazard‑exposed w...
On 3 March 2026, Safe Work Australia released the Biological Hazards Code of Practice. For the first time, early childhood settings, is explicitly recognised as a workplace exposed to predictable biological hazards, things like bo...
Quality Area 1 is the heart of the National Quality Standard. It reminds us that compliance is not about ticking boxes, but about showing how children’s voices, interests, and learning journeys are valued every day.
A childcare centre was fined after a one‑year‑old went missing during a bush excursion, exposing serious supervision failures. The child was found unharmed, but the centre faced regulatory penalties and reputational damage, unders...
Here’s a concise compliance cheat sheet for Quality Area 1 (Educational Program and Practice) under the National Quality NQS. It highlights the essential elements, documentation requirements, and reflective practices you need to d...
Join Dr. Mary Anne Hall, from EPEC Education, for a FREE webinar as she breaks down the new inappropriate conduct offense. Exploring how this requirement can be embedded in your workplace and be used as a tool to protect children...
Duty of care is more than a legal obligation—it is the foundation of safe, ethical, and professional practice. In education, healthcare, and community services, it means ensuring that every decision, action, and environment priori...
Educators in Australia must conduct at least one emergency evacuation drill per year under AS 3745-2010, with best practice being every six months. Fire drills are directly linked to the Education and Care Services National Regula...
Spot checks are unannounced, in-person visits conducted by authorised officers and will continue in 2026. Their purpose is to ensure services are meeting their legal obligations and correctly managing the CCS. These checks are par...
The government has made National Child Safety Training mandatory for everyone working in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This training is free to complete, but it takes time—and that’s where the subsidy comes in.
National child safety training is now mandatory for everybody working or volunteering in an ECEC service regulated under the NQF. Foundation training is the first stage of national child safety training and is available now. Found...
As of today, February 27th, 2026, all ECE services are required to provide workforce information to the Register. Approved providers must now enter who is working in their services and keep it up to date.
From today, February 27, 2026, significant amendments to the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations are now being enforced, introducing new digital device safety standards across early childhood educatio...
ECEC services and policies around technology use are designed to protect children’s safety, privacy, and well-being. One common question is whether educators are permitted to wear smart watches in the workplace. The answer depends...
Children need safe and positive environments to learn and grow. To ensure this, services and educators need to ensure effective supervision at all times. The following article provides information on the different aspects of super...
In a bold move to restore trust and transparency in early childhood education, the New South Wales Government has mandated that all ECEC services must publicly display their compliance and quality history within two weeks. This ur...
As of 2024–2025, new national regulations across Australia have significantly tightened restrictions on smoking and vaping in and around early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. These changes reflect a growing commitmen...
In early childhood education and care, child safety is not just a number—it’s a practice. While educator-to-child ratios are essential, they are only one part of a broader obligation: ensuring adequate supervision at all times. To...
A: In early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings across Australia, mobile phone use by educators is now subject to strict national reforms aimed at safeguarding children’s well-being and ensuring professional presence.
In a landmark move to strengthen child safety and regulatory oversight, the Australian government is preparing to roll out five major reforms across early childhood education centres. These changes, expected to take effect within...
Australia’s Department of Education has issued compliance notices to 30 early childhood education centres, exercising new regulatory powers granted by the federal government. This marks a significant escalation in national oversig...
