Australian Government - MyChild.gov.auIn this section
How is the quality of child care monitored?
All families want children in care to have stimulating, positive experiences and interactions. It is important that your child has a safe environment in which to develop.
The Australian Government has a child care quality assurance and accreditation process to ensure your child care service delivers quality care. All approved long day care, family day care and outside school hours care services must take part in this process to be eligible for approval for Child Care Benefit purposes.
Child Care Quality Assurance
There are currently separate Child Care Quality Assurance systems for long day care, family day care and outside school hours care. The National Childcare Accreditation Council administers the Child Care Quality Assurance systems on behalf of the Government.
The quality assurance system operates on a five step process which measures quality of care provided by the service and identifies areas for ongoing quality improvement. Services must register and participate in the relevant quality system in order for families using the service to be able to claim Child Care Benefit.
The quality systems are designed to build on state and territory government licensing regulations, which generally provide a minimum standard of operation for services. Regulations cover a range of factors including space, equipment, number and ages of children.
The quality assurance system assesses services against a variety of areas such as:
- staff relationships with children
- partnerships with families
- children’s learning and development
- health, hygiene, nutrition, safety and wellbeing
- management and administration.
The National Childcare Accreditation Council is responsible for administering the Child Care Quality Assurance system for relevant child care services throughout Australia.
The National Childcare Accreditation Council:
- supports continuous improvement of the quality of child care provided
- supports child care services and families and advises them on the quality of child care
- advocates for children and for the provision of high quality care.
The National Childcare Accreditation Council can give families helpful information about quality child care and can provide the names, contact details and accreditation status of child care services throughout Australia.
The National Childcare Accreditation Council is also funded to handle complaints about quality issues. If you are concerned about the quality of care provided at a child care service and the matter has not been satisfactorily addressed by the service, you can lodge a complaint with the National Childcare Accreditation Council. Details about how to lodge a complaint are available on the National Childcare Accreditation Council website or by calling 1300 136 554.
Where a child care service does not comply with the Child Care Quality Assurance system, the service may be sanctioned. Sanctions may include the suspension or cancellation of a service’s approval for Child Care Benefit purposes.
How can I get more information?
For more information on Child Care Quality Assurance and the National Childcare Accreditation Council, please visit the National Childcare Accreditation Council website or call 1300 136 554.