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Nominations are now open for the 2026 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards.
Across Australia, educators, coordinators and services create nurturing environments where children feel safe, valued and inspired to learn while building trusted relationships with families and shaping children's futures.
As Australia's only national awards program dedicated to family day care, the Awards celebrate the extraordinary contribution these professionals make every day, and recognise those whose dedication enriches the lives of children and families nationwide.
By participating, you can help share these stories and help promote family day care as a valued, visible and viable part of Australia’s early childhood education and care system
You can make a nomination here.
FDCA members can also help raise awareness for family day care by spreading the word about the Awards. This can be done by sharing FDCA’s pinned post, or posting your own messages of support, or encouraging friends and families to nominate fellow educators, coordinators and services who have made a difference in their lives.
FDCA was pleased recently to announce the release of our 2026–2029 Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan sets FDCA’s direction for the years ahead and responds directly to the evidence, insights and challenges identified through a comprehensive strategic planning process.
Importantly, the Strategic Plan has been developed during a period of significant change across the early childhood education and care landscape. The sector continues to operate in an increasingly complex and challenging environment.
To view last week’s member bulletin that summarises and contains a link to the Strategic Plan, click here.
The Strategic Plan was shared with Senator the Hon Jess Walsh, Minister for Early Childhood Education, and has called on Minister Walsh to work with us, as a matter of urgency, to secure the sector’s future as a critical element in the government’s vision for universal access.
A copy of the letter sent by FDCA CEO Andrew Paterson can be viewed here.
Feedback is closing soon for the Early Childhood Education and Care Qualification Review draft training products for both the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, as part of the public consultation phase of the review. Family day care educators and services are invited to share their feedback via the online surveys available on the Early Childhood Education and Care Qualification Review website.
The consultation forms part of the public review process aimed at improving training products, delivery and outcomes across the sector. Input from the family day care sector is important to ensure that future training reflects the unique skills, knowledge and relationships that underpin quality family day care practice.
For more information and to complete the surveys, click here.
Feedback is open until Sunday 31 May 2026.
National Reconciliation Week is held from 27 May - 3 June each year. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
This year the theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.
To find out more about National Reconciliation Week, as well as access resources and find out what events are happening near you, visit the Reconciliation Australia website.
Family Day Care Services and Educators may also wish to visit the Narragunnawali website to access a range of early learning curriculum resources.
We at Family Day Care Australia acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Darkinjung People, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' continuous connection to Country, and celebrate their traditions and living cultures.
Tax time is on the horizon and navigating your way through the ins and outs of your tax obligations can be complex and time-consuming. To help support members with all things tax, FDCA will be sitting down in the coming weeks to record with FDC Tax guru, Ben Mueller.
Ben, who is the Director and Principal Accountant of FDC Tax, will be sharing his annual Family Day Care Tax presentation and answering questions from FDCA members.
As small operators, it’s essential that educators understand their tax responsibilities to ensure compliance, maximise entitlements, and support the financial sustainability of their business. Therefore, staying informed about current tax requirements is a key part of running a successful and sustainable business.
If you have any questions that you would like Ben to answer, simply click here or email your questions to marketing@fdca.com.au.
The content of this webinar will be general in nature. As we don’t know your financial needs, you should seek tax, legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any content.
The next free webinar in the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Strengthening Child Safeguarding Webinar Series, Grooming and Sexual Abuse Prevention, will be held on Tuesday 2 June from 11.00 am - 12.00 pm AEST.
The webinar series is designed to support educators and service leaders navigating increasingly complex environments, where families are understandably concerned about children’s safety and teams are facing heightened scrutiny.
There has been strong demand for registrations in the series so far, so register early to attend the webinar live. All webinars are free and recordings will be available to registered participants.
Building on the important work of the ECA Rapid Response Taskforce, this session features Catharine Hydon, Kate McGill and Jo Warneke who are both members of the Rapid Response Taskforce, which you can learn more about here.
For more information and to register, visit the Early Childhood Australia website.
FDCA would like to wish a happy Eid al-Adha to all our members who are celebrating.
Eid al-Adha is a significant annual Islamic observance for Muslim communities and is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or Festival of Sacrifice as it commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son to God.
The Eid al-Adha festival has a special atmosphere of peace, respect, giving and receiving, as well as sharing and caring. It is a special day for children because it is a day to socialise with family, friends and other children in celebrating Eid al-Adha.
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