Childcare & ECEC glossary

National Quality Framework (NQF)

The national system that governs early childhood education and care (and outside school hours care) in Australia. It sets the legal requirements, the National Quality Standard, and the assessment and rating process that services are measured against.

National Quality Standard (NQS)

The benchmark for quality across seven areas, including educational program and practice, children’s health and safety, the physical environment, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, partnerships with families, and governance and leadership. Services are assessed and rated against the NQS.

ACECQA

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, the national body that oversees the NQF, guides the regulatory authorities, and maintains national registers and qualifications lists.

Regulatory Authority

The government body in each state or territory responsible for approving, monitoring and rating education and care services under the National Law. The relevant authority depends on where your service is located.

Provider Approval

Approval under the National Law that authorises a person or entity to operate education and care services. It is the first approval you need before you can run a service, and it applies nationally.

Service Approval

Approval that authorises a specific education and care service to operate at a specific premises. You need a Service Approval (in addition to a Provider Approval) before a centre can legally open.

Assessment and Rating (A&R)

The process by which the regulatory authority assesses a service against the National Quality Standard and assigns an overall rating. The rating is published and strongly influences family confidence and enrolment.

Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

A document each service must have that identifies the service’s strengths and areas for improvement against the NQS, and sets out how it plans to improve. It is a key reference during assessment and rating.

Nominated Supervisor

A person nominated by the approved provider and responsible for the day-to-day management and supervision of a service. The role carries specific responsibilities under the National Law.

Long Day Care (LDC)

Centre-based education and care, typically operating for extended hours across the working week, for children from birth to school age. The most common type of centre new operators develop.

Educator-to-child ratios

The minimum number of educators required relative to the number of children, which varies by the children’s ages and by state or territory. Ratios are a core compliance requirement and a major driver of staffing cost. Specific ratios depend on your location.

Development Application (DA)

An application to the local council for approval to use and/or build on a site for a particular purpose, such as a childcare centre. Approval (and any conditions) can significantly affect a centre’s viability and timeline.

Licensed places

The maximum number of children a service is approved to have in attendance at any one time, determined largely by the premises (indoor and outdoor space) and approvals. Licensed places are the foundation of a centre’s revenue capacity.

Occupancy

The proportion of a centre’s licensed places that are actually filled. Occupancy is the single biggest driver of a centre’s financial performance and a primary focus of performance optimisation.

Some requirements (such as ratios and fees) vary by state or territory. For advice specific to your situation, get in touch.