Roles and responsibilities

This page provides information for services captured under the National Quality Framework and the Education and Care Services Act 2013 (ECS Act).

Roles and responsibilities – NQF services

Early childhood education and care services must meet a range of staffing requirements under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The NQF sets out the minimum qualification and educator to child ratio requirements for children's education and care services. This includes the number and type of roles required in a service.

Nominated supervisor

As part of an application for service approval, approved providers must identify the nominated supervisor/s (PDF, 127KB) for the service.

Educational leader

Approved providers must designate, in writing, an educational leader (PDF, 2.2MB) at the service.

The role of the educational leader is to:

• collaborate with educators and provide curriculum direction and guidance
• support educators to effectively implement the cycle of planning to enhance programs and practices
• lead the development and implementation of an effective educational program in the service
• ensure children's learning and development are guided by the learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework and/or the Framework for School Age Care or other approved learning frameworks.
  

Transitional provisions

Some transitional provisions (PDF, 139KB) in the Education and Care Services National Regulations relating to staffing and qualifications arrangements which were due to end before the end of 2019 have been extended to 2022.

Important information about transitional provisions ending 31 Dec 2021
From 1 January 2022, educators will need to have completed their qualification to be considered an early childhood teacher (ECT). To help services and educators understand and prepare for the change, visit the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority website.
Registered teachers will need to complete their approved early childhood diploma before the end of 2021 to continue to be recognised as an ECT from 2022.

Educators who hold the following combination of qualifications will be recognised as ECTs by ACECQA for two more years:

• a primary teaching qualification that includes at least a focus on children aged 5 to 8 (e.g. a qualification with a focus on children aged 3 to 8 or 5 to 12)
• teacher registration in Australia (known as ‘accreditation’ in New South Wales)
• an ACECQA-approved diploma-level (or higher) education and care qualification.

For services in remote and very remote areas:

• educators who have been continuously employed by the same centre-based service for at least 15 years prior to the NQF will continue to be included in the educator-to-child ratios
• centre-based services will still be able to access an ECT via information communication technology (ICT).

Working with children check

Approved providers must also ensure that individuals operating or working in their service have undertaken a working with children check (PDF, 273KB) (DOCX, 43KB).

In Queensland, this check or card is commonly referred to as a blue card or an exemption card for teachers or police officers.

Related information

Policies, procedures and operational requirements resources
Access resources, forms and fact sheets related to operating a service, including staffing requirements.

Roles and qualifications
Learn about the qualifications required for each type of role in an early childhood education and care service.

Roles and responsibilities – ECS Act services

Approved providers

An approved provider must conduct an approved service in a way that has sufficient regard to the guiding principles of the ECS Act and ensures the safety, health and wellbeing of children educated and care for by the service.

Nominee

All services must have a nominee to act as the point of contact with the department. The nominee is appointed by the approved provider.

Approved providers must provide the name and contact details of the nominee for each approved service to the department in writing. This includes changes to nominee contact details.

Learn more about: Nominee notification form (PDF, 342KB).

Supervisor

An approved provider must appoint a supervisor.
A supervisor must:

• be present 75% of the time and most of the time during peak care periods if operating for less than 10 hours per day or 7.5 hours each day and as much as possible during peak care periods if operating for more than 10 hours per day (this does not apply to school age services or a service with a capacity of not more than 30 children for any part of the day) 
• ensure children are adequately supervised, protected, educated and cared for 
• ensure educator-to-child ratios and qualification requirements are met 
• prepare and maintain policies
• help communication between staff and parents. 

There is no limit to the number of supervisors in a service.

Staff

Staff required to meet educator-to-child ratios must be at least 18 years old and hold (or be actively working towards) an approved qualification.