Author Archives: Jennifer Scafidas

Childcare Compliance

What you need to know about the Gender Undervaluation Determination (10 December 2025)

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

On 10 December 2025, the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision that deeply resonated across the early childhood education and care sector. It formally acknowledged what educators, leaders and families have known—and lived—for decades: the work of caring for, educating and protecting young children has been systematically undervalued, in large part because it is a female-dominated profession.

Known as the Gender Undervaluation Determination, this landmark decision brings long-overdue recognition to the skill, responsibility, emotional labour and professional judgement embedded in children’s services. It introduces formal changes to the Children’s Services Award 2010, reshaping classification structures and increasing minimum pay rates over time.

For early learning services, this moment represents far more than a pay rise. It is a meaningful step toward fair recognition, workforce sustainability, and the professional respect that educators deserve for the vital role they play in shaping children’s lives, families’ trust, and our broader community.

This article contains and explains all you need to do to get ready for the changes next year and QIP write ups you can use to demonstrate your exceeding practices.

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Childcare Compliance

What Childcare Centres Need to Know About the New Infant Sleep Safety Standards Before 19 January 2026

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Every baby deserves to drift into sleep in a space that is safe, stable, and carefully designed to protect them. In childcare, families trust us with their child during their most vulnerable moments—when they are resting, sleeping, and unable to advocate for themselves. As educators and leaders, we do not simply provide sleep environments; we provide reassurance, confidence, and peace of mind to families.

From 19 January 2026, all infant sleep equipment used within education and care services must meet new national safety requirements. These changes are not minor—they are about preventing suffocation, entrapment, overheating, falls and other tragic outcomes.

Moving early, planning with intention, and training our teams ensures that we honour the responsibility families place in us. By upgrading equipment, updating policies, and embedding safe-sleep practice into everyday routines, we do more than meet compliance—we actively protect children.

This article explains what has changed, what your service must do, and how to prepare confidently.

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Exceeding the NQS BEST tips

Exceeding Outcomes for Every Child: Integrating the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention with Building Bridges for Inclusive Education for Hearing Impaired Children

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Creating genuinely inclusive early childhood environments requires more than good intentions — it requires evidence-informed practice, meaningful family partnerships, universal design, and a deep understanding of each child’s communication and developmental needs. The National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention (NBPF-ECI) gives educators the clarity, consistency and guidance needed to support children with developmental concerns, delays or disabilities within their everyday settings. When paired with practical tools such as Building Bridges, services are empowered to deliver high-quality, culturally safe, strengths-based, bilingual and accessible support for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. This article shows you exactly how to bring the Framework to life in childcare — demonstrating what inclusive practice looks like, how it benefits all children, and how these actions lead directly to Exceeding-level outcomes across all seven Quality Areas.

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Exceeding the NQS BEST tips

Embedding Respect, Fairness and Dignity in Early Childhood Education to Earn an Exceeding Rating 

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Every smile, every kind word, every shared toy — these are small but powerful expressions of human rights in action. On Human Rights Day 2025, we celebrate the idea that dignity, fairness, and equality are not lofty ideals; they are everyday essentials. They exist in the way we listen to children, support their safety, and include every family in our care community.

For children under five, human rights are lived through the comfort of belonging, the joy of being heard, and the security of being cared for. As educators, we bring these rights to life through play, conversation, and compassion. This year’s theme — “Our Everyday Essentials” — reminds us that human rights are positive, essential, and attainable. They are the building blocks of safety, happiness, and connection.

When early childhood educators teach children about kindness, fairness, and inclusion, we are not just nurturing values — we are shaping a culture of respect that lasts a lifetime.

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Childcare Compliance

The 3 Day CCS Guarantee — Supporting Families, Educators, and Services for January 2026

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

From 5 January 2026, the Australian Government will introduce the 3 Day Guarantee, giving all CCS-eligible families access to a minimum of 72 hours of subsidised early childhood education and care (ECEC) per fortnight, regardless of their activity-test hours.
This is one of the most significant CCS reforms in years — and it will affect families, educators, operations, finances, CCS processing, session structures and occupancy.
This comprehensive BEST article explains everything childcare services need to know about the 3 Day Guarantee starting 5 January 2026. It covers:
• What the changes mean for families, educators and services
• What families must do before January 2026
• What services need to do now and in January
• How to prepare your childcare software for CCS changes
• Whether new CWAs are required (yes, for most families)
• How to use these reforms to increase occupancy
• Full QIP entries for QA6 and QA7, already written and ready to insert into your service’s QIP

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Assessments and Ratings Planning BEST

Earning Exceeding Through Fostering Disability-Inclusive Early Childhood Education

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Each year on 3 December, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across the world pause to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) — a day that reminds us of the incredible strength, resilience and uniqueness of every individual. It is more than just a date on the calendar; it is a powerful call to nurture environments where every child feels seen, valued and supported to reach their full potential.

The day shines a light on understanding, inclusion and respect for people with disability, and encourages all of us to remove barriers so that everyone can participate fully — not only within our services, but within the heart of our communities.

In 2025, the global theme “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress” calls on us to turn inclusion from an idea into everyday action — something that lives in our teaching moments, relationships, policies, and play.

Here in Western Australia, the local theme “Celebrating Our Unity” beautifully captures the spirit of togetherness — reminding us that when communities, families and educators work hand in hand, we build stronger, more compassionate societies where all people, regardless of ability, belong and thrive.

For ECEC services, this observance offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on how we create inclusive, respectful learning spaces that truly celebrate diversity. It’s a moment to honour the voices of children and families, to showcase inclusive practice in action, and to weave the principles of equity, accessibility and belonging throughout your Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) — ensuring that inclusion is not something we do for a day, but something we live every day.

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Assessments and Ratings Planning BEST

Celebrating Christmas and the End of Year in Early Childhood Education

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

As the year draws to a close, the air fills with excitement, gratitude, and a gentle sense of wonder — especially for the children in our care. In early childhood education, this time of year offers a magical opportunity to pause, celebrate, and connect — to recognise growth, nurture joy, and honour the diverse traditions that make each child, family, and educator unique.

At BEST Childcare Consulting, we believe the spirit of Christmas and the end of the year isn’t just about tinsel and gifts — it’s about belonging, kindness, and community. It’s the sparkle in a child’s eyes when they create something meaningful with their own hands; it’s families coming together to share their cultures, foods, and stories; and it’s educators taking a quiet moment to reflect on the difference they’ve made.

When planned with care, end-of-year celebrations can keep the magic of Christmas alive for children while honouring the rich cultural diversity of Australian communities — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, and global traditions of light, renewal, and gratitude. These moments can be both joyful and deeply respectful, helping services demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusion, sustainability, and the Exceeding themes of the National Quality Standard.

This guide answers every question you’ve ever had about celebrating the festive season in early childhood — ethically, inclusively, and beautifully — while preserving the wonder and warmth that make childhood magical.

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Exceeding the NQS BEST tips

Earning Exceeding Through Inclusion: Connecting, Collaborating & Celebrating Every Child

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

In our early childhood services, every child deserves to feel seen, heard and valued — not just for one week, but every day. Social Inclusion Week invites us to pause and reflect: How inclusive are we really? It encourages us to strengthen our communities, bridge differences and honour the richness of every child’s story.

This year’s theme — “Connect, Collaborate & Celebrate!” — is a powerful call to action for educators, families and children alike. It’s not just about recognising inclusion; it’s about actively building it, working together, and celebrating what makes each person unique. 

In parallel, the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention (NBPF-ECI) provides a robust, evidence-informed guide that services can draw on to enhance inclusive practice, particularly for children with developmental concerns, delays or disability — helping ensure every child truly belongs.  

By embedding both the ethos of Social Inclusion Week and the framework’s guidance, educators can ensure children’s voices, rights and participation are central — and thereby support Exceeding-level practice across the entire service.

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Exceeding the NQS BEST tips

Achieving Exceeding by Embracing Children’s Rights

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Every smile, question, and idea a child shares is a glimpse into the future we are shaping together.
World Children’s Day, celebrated globally on 20 November, is more than a date — it is a promise. A promise to listen to children, to see the world through their eyes, and to ensure their voices help guide the decisions we make today.

This year’s theme — “Listen to the Future. Stand up for Children’s Rights.” — reminds us that children are not just the hope for tomorrow; they are citizens of today, with ideas worth hearing and rights worth protecting.

The day also honours the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which enshrines every child’s right to play, to learn, to be safe, and to be heard. For those of us in early childhood education and care, these principles are lived out every day — in the way we listen to children’s stories, respond to their emotions, and make space for their creativity and voice.

World Children’s Day 2025 invites educators, families, and communities to pause and reflect:

Are we truly listening? Are we creating environments where every child feels valued, empowered, and understood?

When we say “Listen to the Future,” we are recognising that children’s voices are not background noise — they are the melody that guides us toward a more compassionate, equitable world.

Learn more about the global campaign and UNICEF’s call to action here: UNICEF – World Children’s Day 2025

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Exceeding the NQS BEST tips

Achieving Exceeding Through the Munch & Move Program

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

In early childhood education, every shared meal, outdoor game, and joyful movement holds the power to shape lifelong habits. The Munch & Move program reminds us that when we nurture healthy bodies, we also nurture healthy minds and confident learners.

For services in Western Australia striving to demonstrate excellence under the National Quality Standard (NQS), Munch & Move provides far more than a set of health messages — it offers a whole-of-service approach to wellbeing, family connection, and reflective practice. It is a gentle yet powerful reminder that quality care extends beyond education — it lives in the everyday choices we make to help children eat well, move often, and feel good in their bodies.

Originally developed by the NSW Ministry of Health, Munch & Move is a free, evidence-based initiative designed to build children’s healthy eating habits, physical literacy, and fundamental movement skills. While it is not formally accredited outside New South Wales, it has become a nationally recognised best-practice model — one that WA services can confidently adopt, adapt, and celebrate as part of their journey toward Exceeding practice.

When educators, leaders, and families unite around these principles, the result is more than compliance — it’s culture. Munch & Move becomes a living reflection of what “Exceeding” truly means: a service where children thrive, families feel empowered, and educators lead with purpose and pride.

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