Report into safety in Early Childhood Education and Care settings

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has released the Report of the Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

The Report includes 16 recommendations related to physical and online safety, child supervision and staffing requirements.

The NQF is an internationally recognised framework that provides a robust regulatory scheme for ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of children.

Australia has a very good system of early childhood education and care and more can be done to ensure the NQF remains contemporary and fit-for-purpose in the context of child safety.

Education Ministers were presented with the report last week and have requested Senior Officials commence consultation with the sector on the Report’s recommendations and report to the first Education Ministers Meeting in early 2024 with implementation advice.

The Report into the Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework report can be found at https://www.acecqa.gov.au/child-safety-review.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“The safety and protection of children attending early childhood education continues to be a high priority for national, state and territory governments.

“Australia has a very good system of early childhood education and care, but more can be done to ensure the NQF remains contemporary and fit-for-purpose in the context of child safety.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly:

“All Australian governments are committed to ensuring that providers of early childhood education and care embed a child safe culture. 

“The world-leading NQF sets a high national quality standard for early childhood education and child care providers across the country, based on international research evidence.  

“This report highlights the NQF can be better, and the Australian Government is absolutely committed to making it better so that our children have a positive, rewarding and safe early childhood education.”