For approved providers and services

Approved providers, services and nominated supervisors must comply with the law and regulations. 

The Australian Education And Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) provides the Guide to the National Quality Framework with detailed information about many aspects of operating a service.

Approved providers, services and nominated supervisors also receive communication directly from the Education Standards Board including bulletins, sector forums and email updates. Ensure that contact details in NQAITS are current to receive regulatory guidance and information. 

Provider and service approval

Before operating an education and care service, provider and service approvals must be in place. ACECQA provides detailed information regarding opening a new service which explains the process to apply to operate a service.

To apply for provider and service approval, you will need to register an account on NQAITS online system or use the paper-based forms on the ACECQA website. 

For services requiring design or renovation work, please refer to the service pre-approval checklist. 

Learn more about seeking approval for multi-storey services.

The Education Standards Board is subject to legislative timelines when assessing applications for service approvals and/or amendments. Learn more about the time frames and requirements.

Creating safe facilities: a guide to building and renovating education and care services

When designing or renovating an education and care service premises, this guide provides information on meeting requirements for centre-based services. 

Read the guide

Amendments to service approval 

Providers wishing to make a change to their approved service must apply for approval for these changes. We have a number of fact sheets to help guide you in that process: 

• Outdoor learning environments: best practice principles
• Renovation
• Verandah areas counted as indoor space

You will need to pay a fee for some changes.

Waiver applications

If a service is unable to meet the requirements of the law or regulations, they may be able to apply for a waiver. This includes meeting staff to child ratios and staff qualification requirements. 

View the waivers fact sheet or learn about the evidence required for waiver applications. 

A fee may apply to a waiver application.

Staffing ratios

The National Law sets out the minimum number of educators who need to be working with children of certain ages in certain settings. It also sets out what qualifications these educators must have. Ratio and qualification requirements are seen as critical in ensuring the best outcomes for children.

For information about ratios, see the ACECQA website.

For more information about specific requirements for South Australian services, see:

• General educator ratios and qualifications fact sheet.
• Preschool ratios fact sheet.
• OSHC ratios and qualifications fact sheet.

Compliance with the law and regulations

The Education Standards Board undertakes monitoring to ensure that providers, services and nominated supervisors are compliant with the National Law and Regulations. Our focus is our regulatory priorities and targets, while continuing to respond to other instances of non-compliance. 

Our approach to compliance and enforcement is detailed in our Compliance and Enforcement Policy, which explains how and when we take regulatory action and the regulatory tools the Board may use. 

Compliance by providers, services and nominated supervisors includes notifying the Education Standards Board of specific incidents, changes or circumstances specified in the National Law or Regulations.

Notifications, monitoring, investigations and breaches

National Quality Standard

The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a national benchmark for the quality of education and care services. It includes seven quality areas that are important to outcomes for children. Each of these quality areas are composed of a number of standards, and these standards are in turn composed of elements. 

For more information, see ACECQA’s Guide to the NQF. 

Approved learning frameworks

Approved providers and nominated supervisors are required by National Law (section 168) to ensure service's educational programs are based on, and delivered in accordance with, an approved learning framework. The learning frameworks guide early childhood teachers and other educators in planning, delivering, and evaluating quality programs in early education and care settings. 

Updated versions of the approved learning frameworks were released in early 2023. Both versions of the frameworks are approved for use by services until early 2024 to enable approved providers and services time to transition to the updated approved learning frameworks.

The new version of the approved learning frameworks will be implemented in 2024.

Original version	New version
Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) National approved learning framework under the NQF for young children from birth to five years of age.	Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) V2.0 2022 National approved learning framework under the NQF for young children from birth to five years of age.
My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia National approved learning framework under the NQF for school age children.	My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia V2.0 2022 National approved learning framework under the NQF for school age children.