Inquiry-based STEM education in the early years is a collaborative process, which encourages children to raise questions and explore their interests.

What is STEM and why is it important?

Educators in services may take or record images or videos to document and communicate with you about your child’s learning and participation in early learning experiences. 

Taking images

Three children playing soccer outside

Quality programs for school age children and young people in services such as outside school hours care (OSHC) settings, are developed to support and guide children and young people in all areas of their wellbeing, learning and development.

Educational programs for children and young people in school age care

Information on quality services, from how to choose a suitable service to what to expect when your child enrols.

This article is a brief guide to the assessment and rating process for approved early childhood education and care services across Australia.

The assessment and rating process

You can search for a children’s education and care service using the 

 and compare services vacancies, fees, National Quality Standard (NQS) quality ratings and inclusions.

How can our Find Child Care tool help you?

 to estimate your out-of-pocket costs and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) entitlements.

This quick and easy tool takes less than 2 minutes to use.

How can our Subsidy Calculator tool help you?

 resources provide information on our national regulatory system, service quality ratings, health and safety, educational programs, what to expect and transition to school.

 resources provide information about supporting your child's early years learning and development, parenting, health and safety. 

How can our resources help you?

 helps you find the service types regulated under Australia's National Quality Framework (NQF):

What types of services can we help you find?

 sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services in Australia.

 and see its NQS quality rating in the results. 

The government regulatory authorities in states and territories assess and rate services against these seven NQS quality areas:

6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Services are given ratings for each of the seven quality areas as well as an overall service quality rating, and we display all of these.  

How can you find NQS service quality ratings?

If a service is rated Working Towards NQS, it is providing safe education and care on its journey to higher quality in one or more NQS quality areas.

To ensure the health and safety of children, our national regulatory system sets a high bar for services to be rated Meeting the National Quality Standard (NQS).

 is not a pass-fail system, it encourages every service to keep getting better and better. 

What does a service rating of Working Towards NQS mean?

 search results include service phone numbers and email addresses, so you can call or email them to book a visit.

How can you book a service visit?

You can email us a question or feedback anytime.

Under our Customer Service Charter, we work hard to answer your questions as quickly as we can and the response time is often less than 5 days.

How can you ask us for help using our tools and resources? 

You can contact your state/territory regulatory authority. 

They’re responsible for approving providers and services, assessing and rating services, compliance and promoting continuous improvement.

How can you complain about a service?

 to help children with additional needs participate in early childhood education and care. It provides tailored support and funding to services to address barriers to inclusion.

 in each state and territory deliver the program. These agencies provide support and advice to early childhood education and care services to help them address barriers to inclusion.

How can services help children with additional needs?

The Child Care Subsidy has increased. Visit childcaresubsidy.gov.au for details.

This factsheet contains tips to keep in mind to encourage reading with a toddler. Have fun together enjoying stories and books.

Reading with toddlers

It’s never too early, or too late, to start reading with your baby.

Talking and reading with babies

Birth to 4 months

From the day your baby is born their brain is growing and developing. Find out how you can encourage your baby's physical and social development at home.

Birth to 4 month olds

Information and guides on parenting, from your child’s development to what to do at home.

Learning through play is one of the most important ways children learn and develop. Children’s success as learners depends on developing strong foundations from infancy, and play based learning supports this. 

Resources

Attending a service

Your child's development

Frequently Asked Questions