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This Saturday, 25 October, 2025 we will be celebrating the incredible achievements of educators, services, service staff and coordinators from the past year who have been recognised in the 2025 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards.
Taking place at the Pullman Albert Park, the Excellence in Family Day Care Awards Gala Dinner, will see the presentation of a range of awards, including Regional and Star Awards, along with the National Finalists presentations and announcement of the Coordinator, Service and Educator National Winners.
For updates and to watch the live stream of the National Winner announcements, please head over to the FDCA Facebook page, National Winners will be announced at approximately 9.25pm AEDT.
A massive congratulations to everyone who was nominated in this year's Awards, and good luck to everyone on the night!
For the full list of award winners, please visit our website.
The FDCA 2025 National Conference begins tomorrow, with registrations opening at 2.30pm and our Welcome Function taking place from 6pm.
All delegates have received emails with important details about the conference, a link to the Official Conference Digital Hub and the much anticipated Gala Dinner.
If you are attending the conference, don't forget to join the official Conference Facebook group via the links in recent email bulletins to connect with fellow delegates.
We'll be sharing all the excitement of the Conference on the FDCA Facebook page so make sure to keep an eye out!
Some services may mistakenly classify a family day care residence or approved venue as being in a rural or remote area. To avoid errors, it is important to verify the classification of each residence or venue using the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) map before granting or continuing approval for exceptional circumstances. This ensures the location genuinely meets the criteria outlined in Regulation 124 – Educator to child ratios (exceptional circumstances applicable to family day care). According to the Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF):
“Services in a ‘remote’, ‘very remote’ or ‘outer regional’ area under ARIA may be considered rural or remote. In some cases, a postcode may be classified as both ‘inner regional’ and ‘outer regional’. Where this arises, the regulatory authority may consider a family day care educator operating within this postcode as being in a rural or remote area for the purposes of Regulation 124.”
Important reminder:
Being located in a rural or remote area does not automatically justify an exemption.
To meet the requirements of Regulation 124, the family day care residence or approved venue must be located in a rural or remote area and have no alternative education and care service available in the area.
Services should keep clear documentation to demonstrate how both criteria are met if they approve an educator to exceed ratio limits under Regulation 124. This approval must be given in writing by the approved provider and supported by evidence that exceptional circumstances apply.
As the year draws to a close, it is the perfect time for family day care services and educators to review enrolments and identify which children will soon be considered ‘school age’. It’s also important to check whether any children may have their Child Care Subsidy (CCS) eligibility end due to age or the commencement of high school.
When does a child become school age?
Under Regulation 4 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations, a child over preschool age means a child who:
In practice, this means a child is considered school age in the year they are due to start primary or formal schooling. While this milestone is consistent across Australia, the first year of school is referred to differently depending on the state or territory in which you live:
From 1 January each year, children who start school that year can be recognised as a child over preschool age for the purposes of ratios, enrolments and CCS claims. Services should ensure that educator-to-child ratios and enrolment records are updated accordingly once this change takes effect.
What happens when a child turns 13 or starts secondary school?
When a child in care turns 13 years old or starts secondary school, they are no longer eligible for CCS, unless their family provides evidence to apply for and is granted an approved exemption.
Why it matters?
Regularly reviewing age classifications and subsidy eligibility helps services maintain compliance, ensure accurate record keeping, and plan effectively for upcoming enrolment changes.
As highlighted by the Australian Government Department of Education (the ‘Department') in their 16 October 2025 newsletter, a pilot program of unannounced spot checks will soon commence across early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.
As part of this pilot, from October 2025 spot checks will be conducted at approximately 40–45 services across both regional and urban areas in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia.
The pilot follows new legislation passed on 31 July 2025, which gives the Department new powers of entry to:
What's the difference?
There has been some confusion between these Department-led spot checks and the unannounced visits already conducted by regulatory authorities.
It's important to note that:
Why is the pilot being introduced?
The Department has emphasised that these visits are not about penalising services, but rather about lifting standards across the sector. As the Department noted, the vast majority of services already demonstrate strong commitment to quality and safety.
For more information see the Department’s announcement on on-site spot checks for the early childhood sector to start or visit the Department’s spot checks webpage.
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