Transcript Early Childhood and Child Care Reform

National Quality Framework
Information Forum
This forum
• Provide information about the COAG
reforms.
• Update on implementation activities.
• An opportunity to hear your views.
Overview of the COAG decision
Early Childhood Initiatives
Improving Quality and Accessibility of Early Childhood Education and Care Services
Early Childhood Development Strategy
Quality
National
standards and
rating system
Early Years
Learning
Framework
Streamlined
regulation
Workforce
University
places
HECS
remission
No TAFE fees
National
strategy
Data
Support for
Parents
AEDI
National
Performance
Information
Framework &
Data
Agreement
Home
interaction
program
Increased
CCTR
Integrated
services
Better
information
For parents
Infrastructure
38 early
learning
& care
centres
Early
Childhood
Education
Indigenous
Early
Childhood
Development
Universal
Access to
Early
Childhood
education
Early learning
programs for
remote
Indigenous
children
Indigenous
Early
Childhood
Development
National
Partnership &
children &
family centres
The National Quality Framework
The new National Quality Framework agreed by the
Council of Australian Governments on 7 December
2009. It comprises:
•
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a National Quality Standard (seven quality areas)
a new ratings system to complement the NQS
streamlined regulatory system
a new national body.
Implemented progressively from 1 July 2010, the system
will be fully operational by 1 January 2012.
Evaluation of the New
System
• Early 2013: review of progress towards meeting new
qualification requirements
• 2014: review of entire National Quality Framework
• 2019 onwards: 5 yearly reviews
Who is Affected?
The new National Quality Framework applies to:
• Long Day Care (LDC)
• Family Day Care (FDC)
• Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) and
• Preschool
Budget based, MACS, mobile services and occasional care
services not included at this stage
Arrangements for preschools
within schools
• National Quality Standard will apply
• National Quality Framework will ensure inschool and LDC/FDC preschool programs
are similar
• Regulatory arrangement will acknowledge
existing school quality assurance
procedures
• Details to be advised when finalised
Issues for preschools
• Regulation
• Rating
• Specific legal provisions
– Offences
– Approved or authorised supervisor
– Second tier review of the rating
National Quality Standard
Seven quality areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
New staffing arrangements
Long Day Care and
Preschool
Family Day Care
OSHC
Age group
Educator-to-child ratio
Timeframe for compliance
Birth to 24 months
1:4
1 January 2012
25 to 35 months
1:5
1 January 2016
36 months to
school age
1:11
1 January 2016
Mixed age groups
of children
1:7
with a maximum of
four children not yet
attending school
1 January 2014
The National Quality Standard and ratings system will also apply to OSHC
but currently no national standards for educator-to-child ratios or staff
qualifications are proposed.
New Qualification Requirements
(Long Day Care and preschool)
By 1 January 2014:
• at least 50% of educators will have (or be working towards) at
least a Diploma level early childhood education and care
qualification or above
• other educators will have (or working towards) a Certificate III
level early childhood education and care qualification or
equivalent
New Qualification Requirements
(Family Day Care)
By 1 January 2014:
• Family Day Care coordinators will need to have at least a
Diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification
• All family day care educators will need (or be working towards),
a Certificate III level early childhood education and care
qualification or equivalent.
Qualifications of educators
(1)
By 1 January 2014:
• an early childhood teacher must attend Long Day Care and
preschool services with more than 25 children
• an early childhood teacher must attend Long Day Care and
preschool services with less than 25 children some of the
time
No regulations have been established for Outside School Hours
Care.
Qualifications of educators
(2)
By 1 January 2020, a second early childhood teacher
(or qualified leader) must attend:
• whenever the service is provided to more than 80
children
• for at least half the time when the service is
provided to 60 or more children.
Early Years Learning Framework
• Australia’s first national early childhood
learning framework
– a key component of the new National Quality
Agenda
– required for use in the new National Quality
Standard (Educational Program and Practice)
OSHC Learning Framework
• Will be modelled on the Early Years
Learning Framework
• Will ensure school aged children get
leisure/play-based learning experiences.
The new rating system
A five point ratings scale
• Excellent
• High Quality
• National Quality Standard
• Operating Level
• Unsatisfactory
National applied laws legislation
• National Quality Framework will be a uniform national
system
• National applied laws model introduced
– The host jurisdiction (Victoria) will pass a Bill. Other states and
territories will adopt this law ‘by reference’ to the Victorian Bill
– WA will pass its own corresponding legislation
• New legislation will replace existing state and territory
Acts and Regulations.
Implementation of COAG decision
Governance Arrangements
Regular reporting – six monthly
during transition phase
MCEECDYA
COAG
AEEYSOC
SOM
MCEECDYA ECD
Working Group
ECD Steering
Committee
Stakeholder Reference
Group
Workforce
Operations
Project Group *
Legislation
Project Group
Transition and
Establishment
Project Group *
* Project group has representation from NCAC
Stakeholder Reference Group
• Comprises representatives from key early
childhood organisations
• First met in March 2010, will meet regularly
during implementation
• States and territories will consult through their
usual Advisory Groups
• Stakeholder Reference Group will provide
feedback to ECD Working Group.
Key design features of new system
from January 2012
• A simpler, streamlined system which promotes
national consistency
• Services will maintain their relationship with
state and territory authorities
• Reduced regulatory burden
• Focus on both quality improvement and
mandatory minimum standards
• Consistent across settings, while recognising
diversity (e.g. preschools in schools)
The underlying principles
• Key principles behind the new system include:
- ongoing quality improvement
- minimum standards
- clear obligations and responsibilities
- transparency of assessment and ratings
- participatory and evidence based approach
- reducing administrative burden
- consistency across locations and settings and
through use of the Early Years Learning Framework
Key milestones for Transition
COAG Announcement
7 December 2009
Development of joint strategies for quality
assurance and licensing during transition
February/May 2010
Testing of assessment process
June 2010
Commence provisional assessment
From July 2010
Legislation passed
Mid 2011
Preparation for NCAC hand-over to new body
From mid 2011
New system formally commences, new body fully
operational
1 January 2012
Transition period provides
opportunity to:
• Involve the sector to test and refine the
assessment process
• familiarise the sector with the National
Quality Standard
• identify current practices that will need to
change prior to implementation
Establishing the infrastructure
Key infrastructure activities include:
• National body fully operational by 1 January 2012
– 13 member Board - 1 member nominated by each State and Territory; 4
members nominated by Commonwealth; 1 independent Chair
• National information technology system established by 1 January 2012
• manage the transition of responsibility from the current accreditation
arrangements to the new regulatory framework (including ceasing the
operations of the National Childcare Accreditation Council and the
Accreditation Decisions Review Committee)
New National Body
(1)
The new National Body will:
• guide the implementation of the integrated national
regulatory system
• advise the Ministerial Council on the National Quality system
• ensure uniformity in the application and enforcement of the
Standard and rating levels
• determine the approval, rating assessment, audit, compliance
and sanction regimes
• reduce unnecessary regulatory burden
New National Body
(2)
• undertake research evaluation activities
• Undertake education awareness raising
• maintain a national register of approved providers,
services and supervisors/key contacts;
• maintain data on assessment and regulation of
services;
• Drive continuous quality improvement.
Moving to a new system
Moving to the new system –
first steps
• assessment and rating against the National
Quality Standard begins 1 July 2010
• Meeting this commitment requires:
– developing an assessment and ratings process
– developing a strategy for implementing the
assessment and ratings process from 1 July 2010
Proposed High Level Process
Brand
new
service
3-6
months
later
Applies for
provider
approval
Applies for
service
approval
Elapse time
Operating 1yr
NQS 2yrs
High Quality 3yrs
Notifiable
event
Existing
service
Full
assessment
and rating
process
Complaint
Risk trigger
To continue to have Service approval a rating of
Operating level or higher is required
Applies for
supervisor
approval
Granted
approval for
Operating
level
No
Intervention
Required? Yes
Examination
of information
may lead to
no action
Spot
Check?
Targeted
Campaign
Visit?
Applications
for provider,
service and
Supervisor can
be submitted
simultaneously
To continue
operating
services must
have all three.
Even if there
are no
notifiable
events
services may
receive a spot
check or be
part of a
targeted
campaign
Services have the opportunity to have assessments
and ratings reviewed and may appeal outcomes
Earned autonomy and the
risk based approach
• ‘High quality’ services will be assessed every three
years
• ‘National Quality Standard’ services will be
assessed every two years
• ‘Operating Level’ services will be assessed annually
• Spot checks and targeted campaign visits will occur
across all quality levels.
Assessment and ratings process
• Initial focus - developing assessment guidelines for
seven quality areas
• Quality Improvement Plan
• Advice provided by Australian Council for Education
Research
• Initial focus on Long Day Care services
• Assessment of Family Day Care, Outside School
Hours Care, Long Day Care and preschool settings
from 1 July 2010
Proposed Assessment and rating process development
Regular update on
progress to services
FAQ website updated
Support materials available for review
via website to those not involved in
direct consultation
Stakeholder forums
Dec
2009
COAG
Decision
March
2010
SRG
SRG
SRG
SRG
X
X
X
X
April
2010
May
2010
Development of draft
process with expert
consultants
June
2010
July
2010
Field
test
Further consultation with SRG
Nov
2010
Begin assessment of
services starting with
LDC and gradually
including FDC,
OSHC and
Preschool – 200 to
300 services
Determine
arrangements for
regulation/rating of
preschools in
schools
March
2011
Review
Refine
Finalise
July
2011
Training and support
material developed
Jan
2012
Training and
development of
assessors and services
provided with
information and support
to ensure fully aware of
obligations and
assistance available
New National Body gradually in place
ready for commencement of system
New
System
in place
Field testing the
new System (1)
• From June 2010, 20 volunteer Long Day Care
services to trial draft assessment process,
including:
– Self assessment
– Quality Improvement plan
• Additional key focus - minimising
administrative burden
Field testing the
new System (2)
• Services will receive
– a provisional rating
– an assessment report outlining how they compare
with the National Quality Standard, description of
strengths and areas of improvement.
• Feedback provided by services will inform final
assessment process beginning in July 2010.
Provisional assessment
begins July 2010
• Assessment and rating against National Quality
Standard begins in July 2010;
• Starts with volunteer Long Day Care services Family
Day Care, Outside School Hours Care and preschools
to follow
• National Quality Standard not enforceable until 1
January 2012. All services must continue to meet
state and territory licensing requirements before
this.
From January 2011 to June 2011
• July - November 2010 – Analysis of
assessments used to refine process
• March 2011 – process finalised
• Training and support material developed for
assessors and services
From July 2011 to 1 January 2012
• Training for assessment and regulation staff
• Information and support materials provided
to services
More information
More information on the National Quality Framework
can be found at:
www.mychild.gov.au
www.deewr.gov.au/earlychildhood
You can provide comments and ask further
questions via our Enquiries email at
[email protected]
Questions, comments