Families of children with disability will benefit from greater clarity and consistency in early childhood education and care, with the Disability Standards for Education expanding to include early childhood services from 1 August 2026.
Following a national review and public consultation, the Standards have been updated to apply to early learning services that are approved to administer the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), or are legally required to deliver an education program based on an approved learning framework. This includes centre based care, family day care, in home care and outside school hours care services, including vacation care.
These changes mean the Standards now cover all education providers, from early childhood to universities.
Under the Standards, children with disability have the right to:
- access and participate in education on the same basis as children without disability
- receive reasonable adjustments
- be protected from mistreatment.
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