The Australian Government has introduced legislation to strengthen regulation of the early childhood education and care sector.
The proposed legislation ensures quality and safety is a paramount consideration when assessing Child Care Subsidy (CCS) provider approval applications and for ongoing approval.
The amendments make it clear that the government expects all CCS-approved providers and services to be providing high quality and safe care as a condition of gaining and maintaining approval to administer the CCS.
The changes include:
- when assessing applications for CCS provider approval or to add additional services, considering:
- a provider’s commitment to high quality education and care
- a provider’s quality, safety and compliance history
- taking compliance action against existing providers on quality and safety grounds, including the option to cut access to CCS funding in the most extreme cases
- preventing providers who persistently fail to meet minimum standards and repetitively breach the National Law from opening new CCS approved services
- publicising compliance actions taken against providers to improve transparency for families
- enabling Australian Government authorised officers to conduct unannounced service visits and spot checks
- delegating powers to apply for monitoring warrants to appropriately qualified departmental staff
- appointing qualified and experienced experts to conduct independent audits of large child care providers
- requiring all Family Day Care and In Home Care providers to collect CCS gap fees directly from families rather than via educators (unless an exception has been granted).
The changes are subject to the passage of legislation.
Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, said:
“The government has no higher priority than keeping our children safe, which is why we are pushing through this legislation.
“This bill gives the Commonwealth the power to take away the funding of centres that aren’t up to standard.”
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Senator the Hon Dr Jess Walsh said:
“These changes are necessary to tighten up an industry which has at its centre, the most precious people in our lives, our children.
“The government is determined there will be no corners cut when it comes to their safety.”
Providers can find out more about how to improve their quality and safety by contacting their state or territory regulator or visiting the ACECQA website.
For more information, read the Ministers' media release.