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National reforms

The Office is leading Queensland's input into the national early childhood reform agenda that is being progressed through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), including initiatives such as early childhood development, Indigenous and health reforms.

Early Childhood Development is a key focus for all Australian Governments with significant reforms occurring at the national and state levels. Governments are committed to long-term, substantial reform in the early childhood development sector to provide families with high-quality, accessible and affordable integrated services.

On 2 July 2009, COAG agreed to a wide-ranging package of reforms for early childhood, including:

A national Early Childhood Development Strategy

The national strategy Investing in the Early Years - A National Early Childhood Development Strategy is the centre piece of the key early childhood reform initiatives and will guide consideration of investment in future reforms to support around two million children aged under eight and their families.

Further information can be found online
The Early Years Learning Framework

Belonging, Being and Becoming: An Early Years Learning Framework for Australia is now available for use in early childhood settings.

The new Framework articulates the expected learning outcomes for early childhood education for children from birth to age five, providing guidance to parents and early childhood educators.

Further information can be found online

Free Information Sessions
To support the implementation of the Framework, the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care will deliver 45 Information Sessions in 25 locations from 20 October 2009 to 4 December 2009.

Early childhood education and care staff, and administrators are encouraged to attend these sessions to better understand the purpose, key messages and elements of the Framework and how it can be used in their settings. Parents, teachers in schools and others interested in children�s learning and development are also welcome to attend.

Please refer to the Schedule for Sector Information Sessions (new window) 81k to find out when a session is being held in your area.

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) for Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms

Formal consultation on the Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) that outlines a range of options, their benefits and costs for improving quality and regulation of early childhood education and care services was undertaken throughout Australia during July to September 2009.

Feedback provided during the consultation period will be taken into consideration in developing a final proposal for the National Quality Agenda for consideration and decision by COAG later this year.

Following endorsement by COAG, it is expected that the new arrangements will commence incrementally to allow the early childhood sector and families time to adjust.

Further information on the RIS and the national quality agenda, can be found online online

For more information on the national reforms, visit the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website .

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