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:

• Educational program and practice
• Children’s health and safety
• Physical environment
• Staffing arrangements
• Relationships with children
• Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
• Leadership and service management

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. The Families’ guide is also available in 20 languages. If you are experiencing difficulties accessing the translated Early Years Learning Framework Families Guide, please contact 13 36 84.

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)
Download the Continua of learning and development: Queensland kindergarten learning guideline companion (PDF, 1563 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.

National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program
The National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program (NQS PLP) is a Commonwealth of Australia initiative developed and implemented by Early Childhood Australia in 2011–2012. The NQS PLP is an expansion of the Commonwealth of Australia-funded Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program (EYLF PLP) to incorporate the National Quality Standard (NQS). The aim is to support early childhood educators to further embed the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in their daily practice as a key element in achieving the NQS.

Children's Health & Wellbeing

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.

Kids Matter
KidsMatter is a mental health and wellbeing framework for primary schools and early childhood education and care services, and is proven to make a positive difference to the lives of Australian children.

Grow & Thrive
Grow & Thrive provides information on children's learning, health and development for early childhood educators, primary teachers and parents.  It is produced by the Centre for Community Child Health and is an initiative of The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne.

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.