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Public consultation is now open on proposed regulatory and non-regulatory policy options intended to further strengthen child safety in education and care services regulated under the National Quality Framework (NQF). These proposed changes respond to the recommendations from the 2023 Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework, led by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
To help FDCA members add their voice an email bulletin was sent to all members yesterday with details about the process and how you can have your say on the National Child Safety Review Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS), which is proposing some significant changes to the National Law and the National Regulations, many of which have considerable implications for the family day care sector, particularly regarding personal device use and access to premises.
The bulletin also included information on a member survey that FDCA is conducting in order to present a united position on the proposed changes, on behalf of the family day care sector nationally through a formal submission.
For more information on the survey, please see the bulletin sent to members yesterday.
For more information about the National Child Safety Review Consultation and instruction on how you can have your voice heard, please click here to view yesterday’s email bulletin.
It is important that your voice is heard!
The first round of nominations in the 2025 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards have been released. FDCA members that were nominated between the dates of 13 - 20 May have been sent their official nomination notification emails, with the lists of nominees available to view here.
The second round of nominations will be released this Friday and will include members that have been nominated between 21 - 27 May.
Over 2,000 nominations have already been received in what us the only national awards program for family day care that celebrates the wonderful work done by educators, coordinators and services in the family day care sector to deliver high quality early childhood education and care to children across Australia.
To help promote the Awards, you can access a range of resources via the FDCA website that will assist you to spread the word and build awareness of the Awards and family day care.
With the mandatory direct collection of gap fees coming into effect from 1 January 2026 (subject to the passage of legislation), many services that haven’t yet transitioned are now beginning their planning and preparation. The key to a smooth transition is to lay the groundwork early.
Here are some practical steps to help get you started:
Need Help?
For direct support, you can contact FDCA’s sector support team on 1800 658 699 or enquiries@fdca.com.au.
FDCA have also developed resources to help guide you through the transition:
Did you know that transporting children without proper authorisation is one of the most common breaches in family day care? Regulation 102D - Authorisation for Service to Transport Children outlines the requirements that services and educators must follow before any child is transported.
Whether it is a school drop off, excursion or regular run, the approved provider, nominated supervisor and educator all have shared responsibility. A child must not be transported by the service or on transport arranged by the service unless written authorisation has been obtained by a parent or an authorised nominee on the child’s enrolment record.
These authorisations must clearly state the purpose of travel and include all relevant transportation details. They help maintain clear communication with services, families, and educators about a child’s movements.
Key Points to remember:
Educators must ensure that every transportation activity is covered by a valid, signed authorisation. Services should have systems in place to monitor compliance and ensure policies for transporting children and risk assessments are up to date and accessible.
Additional Resources:
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, Bridging Now to Next, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future.
Bridging Now to Next calls on all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.
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.
The Commonwealth Department of Education has recently released a new course to their Geccko online learning platform.
This course is specifically designed for those working in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECEC) sector.
The First Nations Cultural Awareness course will help you:
All Geccko courses are self-paced and are accessible via tablet, computer/laptop or mobile phone. On completion, you can download a certificate for your professional development records.
To access this course or to find out more about other free online courses provided by Geccko, you can register here.
The Australian Government Department of Education has declared several local government areas (LGAs) in NSW as a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) period of emergency from 19 May 2025 to 23 May 2025, due to the impact of storm activity and flooding.
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Provider Helpdesk will be closed for a public holiday in the ACT on Monday 2 June.
The helpdesk will re-open at 9 am AEST on Tuesday 3 June 2025.
You can contact the helpdesk anytime at CCShelpdesk@education.gov.au and they will respond during business hours.
CCS payments may be affected by the public holiday.
The Australian Government Department of Education has declared several local government areas (LGAs) in NSW as a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) period of emergency from 19 May 2025 to 2 June 2025, due to the impact of storm activity and flooding.
If services, families or educators have been affected by a natural disaster recently, please visit the Department of Education website to view the most up to date list of declared regions and timeframes.
Providers, services, and families in affected areas can access emergency support for the specified dates. The department will continue to monitor emergency situations and update the list as needed.
For further information about the support that is available in the affected regions, click the links below:
Did you know that FDCA has an Incident Reporting protocol for when incidents occur in your family day care business? Did you also know that FDCA's Member Zone allows you to lodge an incident report online with the click of a button?
Below are some examples of the types of incidents and the time frames in which you are required to notify FDCA:
Category A
These are severe incidents where a claim is likely to occur. These types of incidents must be reported to FDCA within 48 hours of the incident. Some examples of a Category A incident are:
Category B
These incidents are less severe but a claim may still occur from the incident. These types of incidents must be reported to FDCA within 30 days of the incident. Some examples of a Category B incident are:
Category C
These incidents are not severe and can be managed and dealt with straight away. There is no need to report a Category C incident to FDCA. Some examples of a Category C incident are:
These timeframes must be followed to ensure protection under your insurance policy, in the event that the incident leads to a claim in the future.
How to report an incident?
You can either complete FDCA’s incident report form which is available here or you can complete an online incident report from which is located in the Insurance section of your FDCA Member Zone. Hard copy incident report forms, once completed, can be emailed to memberservices@fdca.com.au.
For more information on incident reporting, please click here.
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