14 January 2026

Key Regulatory Updates for Family Day Care

Since the start of 2026, several significant changes have come into effect under the National Quality Framework (NQF) and Family Assistance Law. Below is a snapshot of the key reforms and what they mean for family day care services and educators.

1 January 2026 – NQF & Family Assistance Law Changes

Revised National Quality Standard (NQS)

Updates have been made to:

• Quality Area 2 – Children’s Health and Safety.
• Quality Area 7 – Governance and Leadership.

The Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF) has also been updated to reflect these changes and support consistent interpretation and implementation.

Direct Gap Fee Collection (DGFC) begins
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From 1 January 2026, approved providers are required to collect CCS gap fees directly from families under Family Assistance Law.

FDCA has developed a suite of practical resources to support services with governance, communication and implementation under DGFC.
See FDCA’s DGFC resource page for guidance and tools.

2 January 2026 – Penalties Increase

From this date:

• Maximum penalties under the National Law and Regulations have tripled.
• There will be expanded use of infringement notices.

5 January 2026 – “3 Day Guarantee” (CCS Activity Test Change)

From this date:

• All CCS-eligible families can access a minimum of 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight, even if they do not meet higher activity test requirements.
• Families may be eligible for up to 100 hours per fortnight if they:
  
  • care for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child
  • have more than 48 hours of recognised activity per fortnight
  • have an exemption or exceptional circumstances
  • receive ACCS (child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship or grandparent)

More information about the 3 Day Guarantee is available on the Department of Education website.

Fundamental Movement Skills Yearly Planner

Fundamental movement skills are the basic movements that form the foundation for more complex physical activities. They include simple skills that use different parts of the body. Developing these skills is an important step in encouraging lifelong involvement in physical activity.

Munch & Move, an initiative of the NSW Government, offers a range of ideas, videos and resources to help you embed fundamental movement skills into your ECEC program. This includes a new 2026 fundamental movement skills planner.

The planner focuses on one skill each month and includes videos demonstrating correct technique of each skill and ideas for incorporating the skill into everyday activities and routines.

For more information on Munch & Move and fundamental movement skills, visit the website.

Have you Registered with Geccko?

‘Get Early Childhood Compliance Knowledge Online', or Geccko, is the online learning platform for the early childhood education and care sector, created by the Australian Government Department of Education.

Geccko is designed to help you comply with your obligations under Family Assistance Law (FAL), which sets the rules for administering Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

In Geccko, you can:

• complete self-paced e-learning courses
• download course certificates upon completion
• access other resources such as videos and tip sheets.

Geccko courses are suitable for all staff across all approved service types, including family day care.

To access the free courses, you must first register for Geccko. You can register for Geccko here.

Courses average 20 minutes in length, making them easy to fit into your busy day. There are relatable scenarios and case studies to help you understand the rules.

Current courses available are:

• Accurate Fee Reporting
• Additional Child Care Subsidy
• Compliance and Enforcement
• Disasters and Emergencies
• Electronic Payment of Gap Fees
• Family Assistance Law Notification Requirements (revised)
• First Nations Cultural Awareness
• Fit and Proper Person Requirements
• Fraud Awareness
• Managing Absences
• Overview of Family Assistance Law and the National Law
• Persons with Management or Control
• Record Keeping under Family Assistance Law
• Session Reports
• Understanding Enrolments
• Working With Children Checks
• Mini learning course: Advertising and Inducements Rules
• Mini learning course: Public Holidays and CCS.

FREE FDCA 2026 Wall Planner Available to Download

FDCA’s 2026 Wall Planner is now available for download for all members! 

The planner captures important dates including school and public holidays, key events and celebrations for 2026.

Two sizes of the Wall Planner are available to download:

• A large A1 landscape sized version which displays all 12 months of the year (this version is best printed using a professional printer or through a retailer such as Officeworks); and
• A smaller A4 portrait version which displays one month per page (this can be printed at home or at the office).

Download your FREE Wall Planner via the links above or log in to your FDCA Member Zone and click on the Resources and Factsheets subheading.