On Wednesday 19th July, a preschooler from regional New South Wales was supposed to be dropped off at their childcare centre in the morning, but she was instead left alone on the bus for four hours before someone noticed her.

The NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning has released a Minister’s Statement of Expectations. This formal public statement covers how the education and care sector’s regulator will operate and what the public can expect of the government in ensuring that education and care services in NSW are appropriately regulated.

NSW Health is seeing several indicators that a new COVID-19 wave has begun. Cases are expected to increase over the coming weeks. 

The Start Strong 2023 program for long day care provides funding to deliver affordable quality preschool education to children aged 4 and above who are enrolled in eligible long day care services in NSW.

As part of Brighter Beginnings, the Health and Development Checks for children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) program is a partnership between the Department of Education and NSW Health to provide free development checks to children in the preschool environment.

NSW Health is currently seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases in ECEC services and is predicting cases to grow over the coming months.

With the impact of COVID -19 and well as shortages of ECT and qualified Educators, what do services do when an Educator is absent or when a temporary replacement of ECTs is required due to staff shortages or illness.  The following explains how to ensure staff ratios are compliant when an ECT is absent, no ECT is present at the service, an ECT has not completed their qualification and more. 

The Quality Support Program, Dual Program Pathways is a professional learning partnership between ACECQA and the NSW Department of Education as the NSW Regulatory Authority (RA) for children’s education and care services and providers. 

The Australian Government Department of Education has declared a period of emergency for families and early childhood services in 23 Local Government Areas in NSW plus Jervis Bay, which have been affected by severe weather, including flooding.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes respiratory infections. NSW Health is currently seeing high numbers of cases in young children, especially in childcare centres.