The Responsible Person ensures daily compliance, safety, and leadership in childcare services.

Programming time is a cornerstone of quality practice in early childhood education. The Children’s Services Award guarantees educators and teachers responsible for planning and documenting learning experiences a minimum of two hours of non-contact time each week. This entitlement recognises that programming is not an “extra” task but a professional responsibility essential for compliance, reflection, and supporting children’s development.

Quality Area 5 (Relationships with Children) of the NQS focuses on fostering respectful, responsive, and meaningful interactions that nurture children’s sense of belonging, security, and wellbeing. While assessors often rely on observation and discussion, many services find it helpful to collate supporting documentation in a dedicated evidence folder. This provides clarity, consistency, and confidence when demonstrating compliance, while also celebrating the quality of relationships within the service.