Education and Care Services Act services

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​There are thousands of services that make up the early childhood education and care sector in Queensland. Most are approved and regulated under the National Quality Framework (NQF)​. However, some Queensland education and care services are not captured under the NQF and are instead regulated under the Education and Care Services Act 2013 (Qld) (ECS Act). These services include:

• limited hours care funded by the Queensland Government
• occasional care
• services that, as at 30 June 2018, were receiving funding under the budget-based funded program administered by the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training and were not approved under the family assistance law
• early childhood education and care services that are also disability services under the Disability Services Act 2006 (Qld)
  
• stand-alone services.

The ECS Act supports quality outcomes for children and adopts elements of the NQF for these services, especially those in rural and remote areas.

This section provides information about setting up and operating for a service under the ECS Act.

Non-regulated care types: adjunct care and other services

Some types of early childhood education and care do not require an approval under the ECS Act or NQF. These include but are not limited to:

• adjunct care, where the parent or guardian is on the premises (such as at a shopping centre or gym) and care is only for a short time
• personal arrangements, such as hotel and resort care shared by parents or provided by family members
• care in a child's home
• activity-specific classes, coaching or tuition
• disability or early childhood intervention​ services
  
• hotel or resort care
• conference, sport facility or shopping centre care
• mobile services
• transition to school programs
• vacation care offered for not more than 4 weeks a year
• care provided by nannies or babysitters.

Read this fact ​sheet for what to consider when setting up an adjunct care service. For more information on other casual care options, visit the Queensland Government website.