7 December 2022

Sixth NQF Annual Performance Report released by ACECQA

In collaboration with all state and territory governments and the Australian Government, ACECQA has released the sixth Annual Performance Report on the National Quality Framework (NQF). 

This year marks several important milestones and achievements for the NQF, including the 10 year anniversary of the current regulatory system and, for the first time, 88% of education and care services being rated Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS) or above.

This year’s report focuses on children’s health and safety, educational program and practice, children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, workforce, and service provider perceptions of the NQF. 

Key stats

As at 30 June 2022: 

• almost 7300 providers are approved to operate children’s education and care services under the National Quality Framework (NQF), with 80% of these approved to operate a single service; 
• there are 498 family day care services currently in operation;
• almost three-quarters (71%) of all service types are located in major cities, with just over a quarter (26%) in inner and outer regional Australia, and 2% in remote and very remote Australia;
• almost three-quarters (73%) of family day care services are rated Meeting NQS or above for children’s health and safety – the highest proportion for more than seven years;
• more than two-thirds (69%) of family day care services are rated Meeting NQS or above for educational program and practice – the highest proportion since quality ratings began in mid-2012;
• most (91%) family day care services are rated Meeting NQS or above for staffing arrangements – the highest proportion for more than seven years;
• in total, almost three-quarters (73%) of family day care services have achieved an overall rating of Meeting NQS or above – the highest proportion for more than seven years;
• there were notable differences between socioeconomic areas by service type. For example, as at 30 June 2022, 42% of family day care services in Australia’s most disadvantaged areas are rated Working Towards NQS, compared with 28% in the most advantaged areas; and
• half of all service respondents reported high levels of overall burden associated with the administrative requirements of the NQF.

You can view a snapshot of the report here or read the full Annual Performance Report.‍

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Record-breaking number of searches through the Family Day Care Locator!

FDCA's Family Day Care Locator generates thousands of searches each year from families looking for family day care, with the months of October and November smashing previous records for the number of searches undertaken.

With care enquiries at an all time high, we encourage you to take the time to customise and manage your listing through the FDCA Member Zone.

How do I manage my Family Day Care Locator listing?

To manage your Family Day Care Locator listing, log in to your FDCA Member Zone and select "My Locator Listing". Inside your Locator Listing you will be able to:

• Update your Location Name (the name of your business as displayed on the locator)
• Upload a photo to your listing
• Update your vacancy information
• Enable or disable your locator listing

How can I access my Family Day Care Locator Enquiries?

To access your Family Day Care Locator enquiries, log in to your FDCA Member Zone and select "Locator Enquiries".

How will I know when I receive an enquiry from the Family Day Care Locator?

When you receive a new enquiry from the Family Day Care Locator, an email will be sent to your registered email address. This will contain a link that will take you straight to your FDCA Member Zone so that you can view the enquiry.

Updates from the Department of Education‍

CCS Helpdesk closure over the holiday period

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Helpdesk is a frontline support centre for child care providers and services seeking information on the application of CCS.

Over the holiday period, the CCS Helpdesk will be closed from 12:30pm (AEDT) on Friday 23 December 2022, to 9am (AEDT) on Tuesday 3 January 2023. Should you have any enquiries over this time, you will still be able to send an email to ccshelpdesk@education.gov.au for response after Tuesday 3 January 2023.

Emergency preparedness over summer

As we enter summer it’s a good time to make sure your business is prepared for an emergency.

Different emergencies require different planning, so the Department of Education has put together a webpage to help you prepare.

On this page you’ll find:

• what is a local emergency
• preparing for an emergency
• help during an emergency
• recovering after an emergency
• information by state and territory.
  

Inclusive ways to celebrate the holidays with Be You

The end of the year is a time to come together in celebration to review, reminisce and reflect.

Celebrations and rituals are an important part of early childhood development and help us acknowledge, understand and integrate transitions and milestones.

For many educators and services, Christmas is one of the most popular end of year events - but as we know, it is just one of many significant cultural events celebrated by the families in our communities.
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As Be You explains in a recent article, taking the time to develop inclusive plans for end-of-year celebrations provide us with opportunities to embed belonging and being in the learning environment.

Six ways to make inclusive decisions about end-of-year celebrations:

• Seek input from families, educators and children.
• Identify the purpose behind the celebration. 
• Remember who the event is for and understand your learning community’s demographics.  
• Continue 'being with' children and young people, regularly reviewing that plans reflect their voices and remain relevant and necessary for them. (Consider appropriate and meaningful ways of seeking children's and young people's input).
• Check for elements in plans that might exclude children, young people or families from the celebration, e.g. financial requirements; purpose and relevance; event timing; methods used to invite families - and then consider how to reduce obstacles. 
• Be flexible, adapting to your context and the diversity of children, young people and families in your community. 
  

Download your public liability certificate at the click of a button!

Did you know that FDCA educator members can download their public liability insurance certificate online in seconds?

It’s part of our commitment to providing fast and easy ways to access the information that’s important to you!

As an educator, you’re required to have evidence of your public liability cover available at your family day care residence, in the event it’s requested by your service or your Regulatory Authority.

You can access your public liability certificate through the FDCA Member Zone, in the dashboard section.

If you’re an educator and haven’t registered your online account yet, this is your sign to start!

To activate your account, simply visit our website and follow the instructions.