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An AusAlert national test will be sent to all compatible mobile devices in Australia on Monday 27 July 2026, between 12 - 2pm. At this time devices will sound an alert for about 10 seconds.
AusAlerts use sound, vibration and on-screen messages to get your attention. Alerts look and sound different from a standard text message. They can alert you even if your device is on ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’.
Children need clear, calm and accessible information during emergencies. They may need help from parents, educators or carers to understand what is happening and what to do.
AusAlert messages may appear on children's phones, tablets and smartwatches. Parents, carers and guardians should help children understand:
AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices during local and national disasters. AusAlert messages keep communities informed so they can take action, saving lives and property.
For more information about AusAlert, as well as helpful resources to prepare children for the testing, please click here.
This is a reminder for all FDCA members that have been nominated in the 2026 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards that the deadline for supporting submissions is this Sunday 19 July 2026.
All nominated members have been sent emails with instructions on how to proceed with a supporting submission. If you have been nominated and have not received an email, please contact marketing@fdca.com.au.
Thank you to everyone that has taken part in this year’s Awards and congratulations to all those who have been nominated.
The next big Awards announcement will be made on 29 September 2026 when we reveal our 2026 Regional Educator Award Winners!
To find out more about the Awards, click here.
The Child Care Quarterly Report for the March 2026 quarter was recently released by the Australian Government Department of Education. The report shows that:
15,393 approved childcare services operated during that quarter, comprising:
998,500 families nationally used approved care. Of these:
1,413,870 children attended approved childcare. Of these:
The average hourly fee charged across all approved care services (excluding in-home care) was $13.75, with the average hourly fee for family day care sitting at $13.90. This compares to an average hourly fee of $14.50 for CBDC services and $9.70 for OSHC services.
In the March 2025 quarter, a total of 174 (or 52.9%) family day care services charged above the hourly fee cap of $13.56. This compared to 40.9% of CBDC services charging above the cap of $14.63, and 15.4% of OSHC services charging above the hourly fee cap of $12.81.
To view the full report, visit the Australian Government Department of Education website.
Please note: As families and children may use more than one service or services in more than one state or territory, and due to rounding, the sum of the component parts may not equal the total.
Changes from the December quarter
The key changes from the previous quarter include:
Whether you're new to the children's education and care sector or looking to refresh your knowledge, ACECQA's free National Quality Framework (NQF) eLearning modules provide a practical introduction to key aspects of the NQF.
Topics include:
The self-paced modules can support educators and service staff in strengthening their understanding of regulatory requirements, quality practice and their roles and responsibilities within the sector.
Services may also find the modules useful as part of educator induction and ongoing professional development.
Explore the NQF eLearning modules on the ACECQA website.
A reminder that all educators, coordinators, staff members and volunteers working or volunteering in an early childhood education and care service regulated under the National Quality Framework (NQF) must complete the mandatory national child safety foundation training through Geccko by 27 August 2026.
If you haven't already completed the training, now is a good time to:
Approved providers may also wish to check in with educators, coordinators, staff and volunteers to ensure everyone is on track to complete the training before the deadline.
Advanced Child Safety Training
The advanced child safety training modules are expected to be released from July 2026 and will build on the foundation modules. The advanced training will only be mandatory for specific roles within the early childhood education and care sector.
If your role requires the advanced training, further information on eligibility, timeframes and completion requirements will be shared as it becomes available.
For further information, support resources and access to the training are available through the Australian Government Department of Education Website and ACECQA.
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