Authorities
Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
The Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is an independent national authority, based in Sydney. As the name suggests, one of ACECQA’s many roles is to educate and inform the wider community about the importance of improving outcomes in children’s education and care. ACECQA guides the implementation of the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care nationally and ensures consistency in delivery.
Office for Early Childhood Education & Care (OECEC)
The Office for Early Childhood Education and Care (OECEC), located within the Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE), is responsible for delivering the Government's key commitments on early childhood education and child care as well as guiding major national policy reform. The Office for Early Childhood Education and Care is responsible for approving, licensing and regulating early childhood education and care services in Queensland, funding services to support the early childhood education and care of Queensland children and driving national early childhood education and care reforms in Queensland.
The Department of Education, Training & Employment (DETE)
The Department of Education, Training and Employment is committed to ensuring Queenslanders have the education and skills they need to contribute to the economic and social development of Queensland. The department delivers world-class education and training services for people at every stage of their personal and professional development.
The Australian Government - Department of Education and Training
The Australian Government - Department of Education and Training brings together people and services to support the Australian Government’s agenda on education and training. Everyone in the department is working towards a vision of a productive and inclusive Australia. Through a range of services, the Department is helping to secure our children’s future by providing families with access to a world-class system of integrated quality early childhood education and affordable care.
The Department of Human Services (DHS)
The Department of Human Services (DHS) offers a range of health, social and welfare payments and services through the: Medicare program, Centrelink program, Child Support program, CRS Australia and Australian Hearing. This includes CCB & CCR payments.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
Child Care Subsidy is available to all families who are Australian Residents if the child meets immunisation requirements and parents meet eligibility requirements. The percentage of subsidy a family receives is based on their estimated combined annual income. All families wishing to access Child Care Subsidy need to complete an online Child Care Subsidy assessment through their myGov account.
Assessment asks families to provide information about:
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the combined family income estimate
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the hours of recognised activity including work, training, studying and volunteering
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the type of child care your family uses.
The subsidised hours of care to which your family is entitled will be determined by an activity test. Recognised activities that meet the Activity Test encompass a broad range of activities, including:
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paid work, including leave
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being self employed
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doing unpaid work in the family business
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training courses for the purpose of improving the individual's work skills or employment prospects
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an approved course of education or study
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volunteering
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actively looking for work
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paid parental leave, including maternity leave
Activity hours do not need to coincide with child care hours. For example, an individual undertaking work on the weekends will be eligible for child care subsidy during the week. In two parent families, both parents must meet the activity test, and subsidy hours are calculated on the lower number where parents have different levels of activity.
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Hours of activity per fortnight
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Maximum number of hours of subsidy per fortnight
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8 hours to 16 hours
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36 hours
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More than 16 hours to 48 hours
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72 hours
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More than 48 hours
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100 hours
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There are exemptions for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity test requirements. Low income families who do not meet the activity test can access 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.
The Additional Child Care Subsidy may be available to help support:
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families needing help to support their children’s safety and wellbeing
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grandparents on income support who are primary child-carers
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families in temporary financial hardship
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families moving to work from income support
Families can claim Child Care Subsidy or Additional Child Care Subsidy online by signing into their myGov and completing a Child Care Subsidy claim. If eligible, the Subsidy will be paid directly to the service on families’ behalf and we will reduce the fees owed. This can occur after our service enters families’ enrolment information online, and families confirm their enrolment information through their myGov account.
Australian Childcare Alliance - Queensland
Australian Childcare Alliance - Queensland is the peak private long day care service association in Queensland – representing more 200,000 parents and their 110,000 children. It is a not-for-profit, member-funded organisation, managed by a Management Committee and Committee Members. Key activities include: advocacy work to identify and resolve issues likely to impact on the sector; working with Governments and other authorities on regulatory and compliance frameworks; critical advice and training for members on matters including industrial relations, employment responsibilities, salaries and awards; promotion of the latest world research into policies and practices in long day care to services and the general public; media commentary on issues and public education.
Eat Safe Brisbane
Eat Safe Brisbane is an initiative of the Brisbane City Council. Eat Safe Brisbane is a rating scheme that assesses food safety and hygiene standards of licensed food businesses (including restaurants, cafes, childcare centres and food outlets), and issues a food safety star rating. As part of Eat Safe Brisbane, every licensed food business in Brisbane receives a food safety star rating, based on compliance with the Food Act 2006 and the Food Safety Standards. Food safety audits are mandatory for all licensed food businesses in Brisbane.
Brookfield Early Childhood Centre has a 5 star Eat Safe rating and undergoes regular audits by the Brisbane City Council. The Service also has an accredited Food Safety Program. A food safety program is a documented program that identifies and controls food safety hazards in the handling of food in a food business.
Curriculum Resources
National Quality Framework
The National Quality Framework (NQF) raises quality and drives continuous improvement and consistency in Australian education and care services. Established in 2012, the NQF applies to most long day care, family day care, preschool/kindergarten and outside schools hours care services. The National Quality Framework is the result of an agreement between all Australian governments to work together to provide better educational and developmental outcomes for children using education and care services.
National Quality Standard
The National Quality Standard (NQS) is a key aspect of the NQF and sets a national benchmark for early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care services in Australia. The NQS consists of seven quality areas, each containing standards and elements, that children's education and care services are assessed and rated against. The seven quality areas covered by the National Quality Standard are:
Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework
Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes that are essential to support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. It is expected that each early childhood service will develop their own strategy to implement the Framework, taking their own unique context into consideration. The Framework is part of the Council of Australian Governments’ reform agenda for early childhood education and care. It is a key component of the Australian Government’s National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care. It underpins universal access to early childhood education and has been incorporated in the National Quality Standard to support consistent and quality early childhood education and care across sectors and jurisdictions. Families looking for more information on the Framework can use the Belonging, Being and Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia – Information for Families guide.
Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Program
Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Programs can be delivered in a range of settings, including long day care services. The government funds long day care services to deliver kindergarten programs to provide more choice for Queensland families and create opportunities for long day care services. Long day care services are well placed to meet the needs of families working, studying or training because they can offer before and after care as well as a kindergarten program. All services displaying the kindergarten program identifier have been approved by the Queensland Government. They provide a learning program for children in the year before Prep taught by a qualified early childhood teacher for at least 600 hours a year, such as 15 hours a week for 40 weeks. Families of children participating in a kindergarten program in a long day care setting may also be eligible for the Australian Government's Child Care Benefit and/or Child Care Rebate.
Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline
The Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) provides advice for planning, interacting with children, monitoring and assessing, and sharing information in kindergarten contexts. The guideline: is based on the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF); is an approved framework — see Quality Standard 1.1 in the National Quality Standard and helps services meet the criteria for an approved kindergarten program. For more information, contact the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care (OECEC). The Continua of learning and development is a resource that helps teachers assess, reflect and make evidence-based judgments about children's learning progress. This information is used to plan ways to promote continuity of children's learning and development.
Download the Queensland kindergarten learning guideline (PDF, 2792 kB)
Early Childhood Australia
Early Childhood Australia is the peak national, non-profit, non-government early childhood advocacy organisation, acting in the interests of young children, their families and those in the early childhood field. ECA is a knowledge broker linking quality assured early childhood knowledge and information to those who need it and a leading early childhood publisher. Early Childhood Australia works with Government, Opposition parties, and departments; early childhood professionals; parents and grandparents; other carers of young children and various peak organisations and lobby groups to secure the best range of options and outcomes for young children as they grow and develop.
Health and Wellbeing Resources
Nutrition Australia
Nutrition Australia's mission is to encourage health and well being of Queenslanders by encouraging them to make informed food choices that will promote a healthy lifestyle and well being, and help protect against chronic disease. Nutrition Australia delivers services across Queensland with individual members, organisations, corporate partners and other government and non-government key stakeholders to promote evidence based healthy living messages. Their health promotion services and strategies include a range of nutrition education and cooking skill programs and other resources for various community groups across the lifespan to promote healthy life choices in relation to healthy food selection and physical activity. Nutrition Australia Qld’s Food Foundations program is the leading nutrition and food safety program for early childhood settings across Queensland.
Staying Healthy
Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (5th Edition) provides educators and other staff working in education and care services with simple and effective methods for minimising the spread of disease. It contains ‘how to’ advice on procedures and exclusion periods.
Recommended Exclusion Periods
Some medical conditions require exclusion from school or child care to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among staff and children. This poster provides information on the recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions and will assist medical practitioners, schools, preschools and child care centres to meet the requirements of the Public Health Act 2005.
Immunisation Schedule
Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting your child against harmful diseases that can cause serious health problems and sometimes death. Immunisation will help your child stay healthy. The link above shows a complete schedule of the current recommended vaccinations.
Inclusion Support Program
Inclusion Support Agencies (ISAs) are part of the Inclusion Support Program (ISP) funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training to support the inclusion of children with additional needs in Australian Government Approved Early Childhood Education and Care Services. The Inclusion Support Program aims to remove the barriers to access for children with additional needs through provision of inclusion support.
Get Up & Grow
Get Up & Grow: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Early Childhood provides families with practical information and advice to support healthy eating and encourage physical activity in young children.
Anaphylaxis Australia
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) is a charitable, non-profit organisation established in 1993 to support and assist people affected by severe allergy and anaphylaxis. A&AA is Australia’s only national support organisation, with representation in each and every state and territory, dedicated to helping individuals and carers alike in managing severe allergy and anaphylaxis.
Asthma Australia
This website is a partnership between the Asthma Foundations of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. They provide education and training and advocate for people with asthma and linked conditions – working with schools and preschools, communities and health professionals to create asthma friendly environments.
Red Nose
The information provided on the Red Nose website has been developed and reviewed by content experts in the area of optimal infant care practices and strategies to reduce Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI).
Kidsafe
On this website you will find information about news and events, fact sheets, resources and programs to help you keep kids safe and keep them OUT of hospital! Kidsafe Qld is the leading non-government, not-for-profit, charitable organisation dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries.
BeYou
Be You provides educators with knowledge, resources and strategies for helping children and young people achieve their best possible mental health.
House Call Doctor
If you need a doctor to visit you or your child urgently, House Call Doctor provides home GP visits that are bulk-billed for Medicare or DVA Card holders. Phone 13 55 66 for more information.
