National Quality Framework

The National Quality Framework (NQF) provides a national approach to regulation, assessment and quality improvement for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services across Australia.

The NQF established a new quality standard in 2012 to improve the quality of care in education and care across long day care. The major benefits for parents and children include:

• improved educator to child ratios, ensuring children have greater individual care and attention for children
• educators with increased skills and qualifications
• better support for children’s learning and development through approved learning frameworks
• consistent, transparent information on educators, providers and services in the national registers.

The National Quality Standard (NQS) set outs 7 quality areas that early childhood services must embrace and implement as part of their early learning programs.  These are:

• QA1 – Education Program and Practice
• QA2 – Childrens Health and Safety
• QA3 – Physical Environment
• QA4 – Staffing Arrangements
• QA5 – Relationships with Children
• QA6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
• QA7 – Governance and Leadership

The NQF and NQS underpin all practices at Dandelion Early Learning Centres. For more information on he NQF and NQS go to https://www.acecqa.gov.au/