66% of family day care services meeting or exceeding standards

The proportion of children’s education and care services rated Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS) or above remains at 89%, according to the latest quarterly NQF Snapshot.

There have been significant improvements in quality ratings for family day care services over the past five years. Two-thirds (66%) of family day care services are rated Meeting NQS or above – the highest proportion since ratings were first published.

“Striving for continuous quality improvement is a cornerstone of the National Quality Framework,” noted ACECQA CEO Gabrielle Sinclair. “It’s wonderful to see the efforts of providers and educators paying off, and the subsequent rise in the overall quality in family day care services. There are many high-quality family day care providers operating services across Australia, particularly in regional and remote areas where this service type offers flexibility for these communities. Family day care can also be an attractive option for shift and emergency workers, as well as parents and carers of children with additional needs, particularly those who are looking for a home-style education and care environment”.

The Snapshot shows there are more than 17,300 services approved under the National Quality Framework (NQF). There has been consistent growth each year in the overall number of approved services including a 2 percentage point increase in the past 12 months.

Additional figures providing more detailed analysis continue to be added to the Online Snapshot, including geographic representations of the proportion of long day care services with a staffing waiver across the country.

Children’s education and care services approved under the NQF include long day care, outside school hours care and family day care services, as well as most preschools and kindergartens.