3 September 2025

2025 Regional Educator Award Winners Announced!

Yesterday FDCA was excited to reveal this year's Excellence in Family Day Care Awards Regional Educator Winners!

Congratulations to the 73 educators that have been recognised for their outstanding work and dedication, in early childhood education and care and named as 2025 Regional Educator Winners.

You can view the full list of all Regional Educator Winners by clicking here.

Watch out in the coming weeks for media stories about our Regional Educator Winners, which we will share on our Facebook page and website.

The Awards announcements will continue coming over the next few weeks with both the Star Awards winners and National Finalists to be revealed over the next two weeks.

The celebrations will then continue with the announcement of our National Award winners on 25 October at FDCA 2025 National Conference Gala Dinner, which will take place in Melbourne.

Early Childhood Educators’ Day

Today Australia comes together to celebrate Early Childhood Educators’ Day. This national event recognises the invaluable role that early childhood educators play in shaping the lives of young children and supporting their families—laying the essential groundwork for children’s future learning, development and well-being.

It also highlights the widely acknowledged long-term benefits of early learning, recognised both within Australia and across the globe.

We at FDCA wish all our members a happy Early Childhood Educators’ Day - thank you for the contribution you make to our sector every day!

New Regulation Changes Now in Effect

The recent changes to the Education and Care Services National Regulations and National Quality Standard (NQS) took effect on 1 September 2025.

Services should now have reviewed, updated and communicated their policies and procedures to reflect these changes.

Key Changes from 1 September 2025

• Mandatory reporting timeframes for incidents or allegations of physical or sexual abuse must now be reported within 24 hours (previously 7 days).
• Services are required to have policies and procedures covering the safe use of digital technologies and online environments.
• The use of vaping devices and substances is now prohibited in all early childhood education and care settings.

More information and resources:

• NQF Child safety changes from 1 September 2025 and 1 January 2026
• ACECQA-NQF Child safety guides
• National Model Code – Information and video
• Policy Guidelines - Safe use of digital technology‍
• Guidelines - Taking images or videos of children while providing early childhood education and care

How SunSmart are Your Policies, Practices and Procedures?

Research shows that UV exposure during childhood has a significant impact on skin cancer risk later in life – but the good news is that it's almost entirely preventable with the right protection.

Under Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard (NQS): Children's health and safety, services and educators are encouraged to reflect on how sun protection and sun safety is embedded across their policies, practices and procedures. 

With warmer weather approaching, it’s a good time to reflect on how sun safety is supported within your service, including:

• Helping children learn about sun-safety in age-appropriate ways
• Communicating with families about sun safe practices
• Embedding reminders and reinforcements throughout the day 
• Acting as a positive role model for good sun smart behaviours.

Best Practice SunSmart Tips (from Cancer Council, in ACECQA’s We Hear You blog):

• Children’s clothing should cover as much skin as possible. For the best protection, choose loose clothing made from dark coloured, tightly woven fabrics. Communicate with parents and carers about the importance of dressing their children in sun-protective clothing.  
• Children should wear broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire style hats that protect the face, ears and back of the neck. It’s common for infants and toddlers to initially dislike wearing a hat. However, with time and consistency, hats become part of their outside routine.    
• Encourage children to play in the shade as much as possible. Even when in the shade, use other forms of sun protection to reduce exposure to UV radiation reflected off surfaces like sand or concrete. 
• Apply SPF50 or 50+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen on any exposed areas of skin 20 minutes before going outside. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, or more often if swimming, sweating or towel drying. Older children should be encouraged to apply their own sunscreen with supervision. Some educators find it helps to sing or play songs about sun safety when reapplying sunscreen. 
• When caring for infants, check their clothing, hat and shade positioning regularly to ensure they are well protected. The use of sunscreen on babies under 6 months is not recommended due to their sensitive skin. Instead, use clothing to protect their skin and keep them out of direct sunlight.
• If practical, slide on sunglasses to protect the eyes. Look for sunglasses that are labelled AS/NZS 1067 (categories 2, 3 or 4). They should be close-fitting, wrap-around style that covers as much of the eye area as possible. Some children’s sunglasses have soft elastic to keep them in place.
• Check daily recommended sun protection times using the SunSmart Global UV app, widget, or by visiting sunsmart.com.au or myuv.com.au. Sun protection is recommended when the UV index is 3 or above. 
• Be a role model. The children at your practice look up to you. When protecting yourself from the sun, you’re also setting an example and showing your commitment to sun safety.  

For more guidance, visit your state or territory’s SunSmart site to learn more about best practice recommendations.

Preparing for Direct Gap Fee Collection – Start with the Provider Checklist

As services prepare for the transition to Direct Gap Fee Collection (DGFC), having the right tools and guidance in place is essential. The Family Day Care Provider Checklist is an excellent starting point, offering clear and practical steps to support services through the process.

Developed as part of FDCA's suite of resources, the checklist supports providers to consider both the operational and strategic aspects of the transition. It is designed to help to maintain compliance while ensuring a smooth and well-managed process for services, educators, and families.

The checklist outlines three key stages of preparation:

• Business Considerations and Planning – understanding financial, administrative and staffing implications.
• Implementation – rolling out systems, processes, and communication strategies.
• Evaluation and Review – monitoring effectiveness and making improvements as needed.

With DGFC set to reshape service operations, using the checklist can help services feel confident and prepared. The full suite of DGFC resources is available now on the Family Day Care Australia website.