Category Archives: Childcare Compliance

Childcare Compliance

Embedding Child Safety: National Early Childhood Worker Register Begins 27 February 

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

There are moments in our profession where reform reminds us why our work matters so deeply.

Every day, families entrust services with what matters most in their lives — their children. They trust that the adults working with their children are safe, suitable, qualified, and supported. They trust that the systems behind the service are strong.

From 27 February 2026, one of the most significant national child safety reforms in early childhood education and care will take effect — the National Early Childhood Worker Register

The National Early Childhood Worker Register, developed by ACECQA, represents one of the most significant child safety reforms in early childhood education and care in recent years. It is designed to support regulatory authorities to monitor the workforce, identify risks earlier, and ensure safer environments for children across Australia.

This reform is not simply about administration. It is about visibility, accountability, and protection.

It recognises that safeguarding children is not just about policies — it is about knowing who is working with children, ensuring their suitability, and maintaining accurate records that follow

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Childcare Compliance

Medical Conditions Risk Management and Communication Plan Template Update on 27 January 2026 

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

n early childhood education and care, nothing matters more than the safety and wellbeing of the children entrusted to us. When a child lives with asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, epilepsy, or another diagnosed medical condition, families place an even deeper level of trust in educators and service leaders. They trust that every risk has been anticipated. They trust that every educator knows what to do. They trust that systems are strong, clear, and consistently followed.

On 27 January 2026, ACECQA released an updated template that strengthens how services plan, communicate and manage medical conditions. While this update does not change the law itself, it significantly improves how services demonstrate compliance, governance, and Exceeding-level practice.

This article explains what changed, what stayed the same, and what BEST recommends services do next.

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Childcare Compliance

More Than Compliance: Embedding ASCIA Action Plans to Achieve Exceeding Practice and Protect Every Child (2026 Update)

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Every morning, families place their children into our arms with complete trust. They trust that we will notice the small things. They trust that we will act quickly if something is wrong. And for children living with allergies and anaphylaxis, that trust carries life-saving weight. In early childhood education and care, an ASCIA Action Plan is not just a document — it is a child’s safety, a family’s reassurance, and an educator’s guide in moments where every second matters.

With ASCIA releasing updated Action Plans, introducing new devices such as Jext and Neffy, and confirming important changes around review requirements, it is essential that services understand exactly what this means for their practice, their compliance, and their responsibility to children.

This article provides a complete guide for Western Australian childcare services, including:

What ASCIA is and why its Action Plans are critical in childcare

What has changed in the latest ASCIA updates

The legal requirements under the National Quality Framework and ECRU

What paperwork is required, where to access official templates, and how often they must be reviewed

Staff training requirements and where to access approved training and trainer devices

Incident notification requirements and decision-making guidance

What families must provide, including medication and action plans

Other medical action plans childcare services may need, including asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, and eczema

Guidance on stock adrenaline and new device availability in Australia

Most importantly, this article explains how to ensure your service is not only compliant — but prepared, confident, and ready to protect every child in your care.

Because when it comes to anaphylaxis, preparation is not paperwork.

It is protection.

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Childcare Compliance

What Changed in NQS 7.1.2 Management Systems — Practical Guide to What Services Must Do Now

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

In January 2026, further significant changes came into effect under the National Quality Standard, with Element 7.1.2 – Management Systems strengthened to clearly embed child safety as a governance and leadership responsibility. Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service, included now is the phrase ‘that is child safe’.
These changes confirm that child safety must be intentionally designed, governed, monitored and continuously improved through management systems — not left to informal practices or individual judgement.
With the Guide to the National Quality Standard now spanning 692 pages, it is neither practical nor necessary for busy educators and leaders to digest every detail. What matters most is understanding what has changed, what assessors are now looking for, and what services need to do differently in practice.
BEST Childcare Consulting was proud to be part of the consultation group for the new national child protection training, providing sector-informed input into how these requirements translate into real, workable practice for early childhood services
This article provides a clear, assessment-ready breakdown of the strengthened wording in Element 7.1.2, translating each requirement into:
• practical actions services can implement immediately, and
• targeted training options to strengthen practice and evidence.

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Childcare Compliance

What Changed in NQS 2.2.3 Child Safety and Protection — Practical Guide to What Services Must Do Now

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

In January 2026, significant changes came into effect under the National Quality Standard, with the most prominent and far-reaching update occurring in Element 2.2.3 – Child Safety and Protection. These changes reflect a stronger national commitment to child safe cultures, clearer accountability for adults, and more explicit expectations around how services identify, prevent and respond to harm.

With the Guide to the National Quality Standard now spanning 692 pages, it is neither practical nor necessary for busy educators and leaders to digest every detail. What matters most is understanding what has changed, what assessors are now looking for, and what services need to do differently in practice.

BEST Childcare Consulting was proud to be part of the consultation group for the new national child protection training, providing sector-informed input into how these requirements translate into real, workable practice for early childhood services.

This article provides a clear, assessment-ready breakdown of the exact new and strengthened wording in Element 2.2.3, with each phrase explained through:

practical actions services can implement immediately, and

guidance on where to access appropriate training, if required.

At the core of these changes is a clear expectation that services maintain a consolidated, intentional approach to child safety training, where all educators, staff, relief educators, students and volunteers complete the National Child Safety Training as a baseline, supported by WA-specific mandatory reporting obligations and ongoing learning in protective behaviours, online safety, trauma-informed practice and cultural safety.

This summary is designed to help services move beyond compliance — and confidently demonstrate embedded, consistent and Exceeding-level practice under the upd

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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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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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Childcare Compliance

Promoting eSafety in Early Childhood Education to Earn Exceeding Rating

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

In today’s connected world, even our youngest children are growing up surrounded by digital devices, streaming content, and interactive toys. For children under five, technology can open doors to creativity, connection, and discovery — but only when guided by safe, respectful, and intentional practices.

As educators, we hold a powerful role in shaping children’s early experiences with technology. By modelling balanced, mindful, and secure digital use, we help children build lifelong habits of safety, kindness, and confidence online. The eSafety Commissioner’s Early Years program is an invaluable national resource supporting this journey (www.esafety.gov.au).

For services striving for an Exceeding rating under the National Quality Framework (NQF), embedding proactive and reflective online-safety practices is not only a compliance measure — it’s a statement of care, leadership, and excellence. When we nurture digital wellbeing alongside emotional, physical, and cultural safety, we empower children to explore their world — both online and offline — with curiosity and confidence.

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Childcare Compliance

Promoting Psychosocial Safety to Earn an Exceeding rating

Posted on by Jennifer Scafidas

Do Childcare Centres Need to Consider Psychosocial Safety?
Absolutely — and it’s now both a legal obligation and a marker of high-quality care.
Psychosocial safety refers to creating a workplace and learning environment that protects everyone’s mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It ensures educators, children, and families feel respected, supported, and free from bullying, overwork, or emotional harm.
Under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) and WorkSafe WA’s Code of Practice: Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace, all early childhood education and care (ECEC) services must identify, assess, and manage psychosocial risks. These requirements sit alongside your obligations under the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations.
A psychosocially safe service isn’t just compliant — it’s calm, consistent, and connected. When educators feel valued and supported, children thrive in emotionally secure environments that foster learning and belonging.

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