Upcoming Key Changes To The NQF For Early Childhood and OSHC Settings

The educational Ministers throughout Australian states and territories have agreed to changes to the National Quality Framework. 

From October 2017, there will be key changes to the National Law and Regulations in all states and territories except in WA (changes will come into effect 01 Oct 2018). 

On 01 February 2018, revised National Quality Standards commences in all states and territories throughout Australia. 

Some of the key changes include the following: 

• Revised NQS to strengthen quality through greater clarity, reduces the number of standards from 18 to 15 and reduces the number of elements from 58 to 40. 
• Revised templates and guidance to align resources with the revised NQS and other rating changes.
• Minor changes to Significant Improvement Required. 
• Improved oversight and support within FDC to achieve better compliance and quality across the whole sector. 
• All standards will need to be rated Exceeding NQS for that QA to be rated exceeding.
• Removal of supervisor certificates from the National Law and National Regulations, decision can be made by approved provider about a responsible person. 
• Approved providers are responsible for appointing nominated supervisors and/or persons in day-to-day charge that are aged 18 years or older, fit and proper, and have suitable skills.

For OOSH Services key changes will include: 

• Introduction of a national educator to child ratio of 1:15 for services providing education and care to school age children. Transitional arrangement and saving provisions apply in some states and territories. 
• Services that educate and care for children over preschool age in the Northern Territory, Queensland and NSW will no longer be required to keep documentation about individual children’s development. Instead, these services must keep documentation about the development of the educational program. There is no change to existing requirements for services that educate and care for children over preschool age in the ACT, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia

The changes follow a review of the National Partnership Agreement on the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care to ensure the NQF is improving the quality of education and care in Australia in the most efficient and effective way.

Please note that this is not a full list of changes to the NQF. Also, once we have received further information on the updated version of the NQS, we will update you and provide details on this. 

For more detailed information on changes that will be introduced, please refer to the following references:

Decision Regulation Impact Statement For Changes To The NQF
Changes To National Quality Framework From October 2017