February Foreword from the Acting Registrar

In our January Bulletin, we provided an overview of our approach to compliance monitoring and highlighted our regulatory priorities. In the weeks since then, there has been public interest in compliance action taken by us against an early childhood education and care (ECEC) service. While the Education Standards Board (ESB) doesn't comment on specific matters, it is a timely reminder to ECEC providers and services that our objectives include:

• ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of children in ECEC services
• improving the educational and developmental outcomes for children in ECEC services
• promoting continuous improvement in the provision of quality education and care
• establishing a system of national integration and shared responsibility between other jurisdictions and the Commonwealth
• improving public knowledge and access to information about the quality of ECEC services.

Children and young people should always have access to high quality education and care in safe, well-governed and well-managed services. I encourage all providers and services to ensure that they are regularly reviewing the Guide to the National Quality Framework and familiarising themselves with their obligations.

Information about ECEC services, including information on their rating is published on Starting Blocks and current and historical compliance action taken by us can be found on our website.

I also encourage staff, parents and caregivers or members of the public to report any concerns or complaints about their ECEC service through our complaints process at any time, or by contacting us on 1800 882 413 between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

In this month's bulletin, we provide an overview of reviewable ECEC regulatory decisions and the process to seek a review, as well as appropriate discipline in ECEC and resources to support cultural responsiveness.

The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) have published their National Quality Framework Snapshot for Quarter 4 2024.

To close out my update for this month, I have an update on recent changes within our Board with Mr Martyn Campbell and Mr Christos Tsonis both recently departing as Board Members. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mr Campbell and Mr Tsonis for their significant contributions to the Education Standards Board throughout their time as Board Members and wish them both all the best for the future.

Sean Heffernan
Acting Registrar
Education Standards Board