The National Quality Standard includes seven quality areas, in each quality area includes standards. These standards are high-level outcome statements. Under each standard are elements that describe the outcomes that contribute to the standard being achieved within the service. The following lists the documentation services that are required to have in order to support the achievement of each quality area from 1 to 7. 

Providers of childcare care or early childhood educational services are required to get their service rated for quality by regulatory authorities. Quality ratings are provided after assessments against the seven quality areas outlined in the National Quality Standard or NQS. If your service has been rated ‘Working Towards’, here it what means and what you can do to improve your rating.

Critical reflection has been explained in the EYLF as reflective practices that focus on implications for equity and social justice. In the context of childcare, it involves examining and analysing events, experiences and practices from a range of perspectives to inform future planning and decision-making. The following article provides information on Engaging In Critical Reflections, Questions For Critical Reflections, Practicing Critical Reflections 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 National Quality Area Reflection Questions Posters area is to be used as a guide for reflecting on each of the standards within each area. Use the information from these questions to recognize good practise or to change and improve what is not working well. It can also be used as part of a Self-Assessment or Quality Improvement Plan. These can be used as a display within the staff room or put into a folder to assist Educators in reflecting.

The Telethon Kids Institute has created the Play Active Program which contains a physical activity policy to assist services in putting their policy into practice.

National Quality Framework (NQF) presented the Annual Performance Report, 2021 on behalf of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). This report shows the impact of covid-19, on children’s health and safety, educational programs and practice, the effect on children from disadvantageous and vulnerable backgrounds, and how the workforce is working with intention of the well-being of children and with the public awareness of service quality.

According to the Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework, documentation is the practice of recording and creating evidence of learning and the learning progress, helping make it visible. Though documentation is mandated to meet regulatory and pedagogical purposes, there are no prescriptive rules about how it may be done. The following article provides strategies for documenting in an early childhood setting.

Celebrations are among the most important binding factors in any community or society. In childhood services too, celebrations can be a great way to nurture a sense of being and belonging in children, when planned and implemented with sensitivity and reflection. Here are a few things to keep in mind when incorporating celebrations in early childhood services.

A key objective of the National Quality Framework is to promote continuous improvement in the provision of quality education and care services. Every service is required to be assessed and rated for quality by regulatory bodies and self-assessment is one of the most important steps in this entire process. Here is a bit more about the importance of self-assessment in the early care and education context.