Regulatory priorities

Regulatory priorities emerge from the Regulatory Authority’s environmental scan which, collaboratively with sector stakeholders, explores emerging issues, root causes and risk factors.

The Regulatory Authority expects to see providers comply with their responsibilities. Supporting resources for the 2025–2027 priorities are outlined below.

Child safety

Why this is a priority

Child safety is of paramount importance and is being strengthened through updates to the National Quality Framework (NQF) resulting from the Child Safety Review, as well as Queensland's Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme. Ensuring children’s safety is essential so adequate controls need to be in place to prevent serious incidents and protect children.

Approved providers play a vital role from recruitment onwards, by ensuring that educators consistently follow thorough, child safe policies and procedures. As more children display complex needs and behaviours, educator must engage with all children in ways that are positive, respectful and safe, because every interaction counts.

Consider

• Staying informed of, and implementing, new legislative requirements and child safety initiatives keeps children safe and protected.
• Training and consistent application of policies and procedures helps to protect children; ensure you regularly review and update to meet the latest requirements.
• The steps you take to prevent and respond to inappropriate interactions; educators' positive interactions with every child enhance their relationships and children’s wellbeing.

More information

• New requirements and guidance—stay informed about upcoming legislative amendments to further protect children in education and care and access resources, including new Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) ​child safety guides.
• Statement of Shared Commitment—adopt this in your service to ensure every interaction counts, and find out about free training to support positive interactions.
• Child safety and child protection requirements—understand what your obligations are to protect children at your service, including mandatory training requirements.
• Positive relationships with children—read about key considerations and access resources.

Staffing

Why this is a priority

Competent, capable and well-supported staff are critical to the delivery of high-quality education and care. Compliance and service quality are compromised when staff are not appropriately qualified and experienced, adequate in number and familiar with the service’s practices and the needs and interests of the children they are working with.

Ensuring child safety starts right from the point that staff are recruited, so be sure your screening processes are robust. Effective leadership should be in place to ensure that staff are properly inducted, adequately supported, and effectively overseen in their practice.

Consider

• Staff the service with people who have appropriate skills, qualifications and experience.
• Provide comprehensive induction and ongoing training for all staff, including agency staff.
• Consistent monitoring of staff practices to ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement.
• Strengthen leadership of nominated supervisors, responsible persons, and coordinators so they can manage compliance, quality, and operational requirements effectively.

More information

• Understand the 6 reasonable steps to ensure staff follow the policies and procedures.
• Understand working with children checks and ensure all staff blue cards are linked to your organisation’s blue card portal.
• Refresh your knowledge about staff qualification requirements.
• Stay up to date on regulatory action taken by the Australian Skills Quality Authority to ensure all staff qualifications are valid.
• Understand the critical role educational leaders play in achieving quality outcomes by reading ACECQA’s Educational Leader resource.
• Find out about the workforce strategies to grow and retain your staff.

Outdoor space

Why this is a priority

Most incidents in early childhood settings occur in outdoor areas, including accidents and incidents of children leaving the premises. Thoughtful outdoor design supports active, child-led play and enables staff to supervise effectively. When combined with quality educational programs that make full use of outdoor environments and natural elements, these spaces can positively influence children’s behaviour and engagement.

The focus on outdoor spaces should begin in the design phase before a service commences and extend into ongoing operation and maintenance.

Consider

• Outdoor spaces designed to allow children to explore and experience nature and active play support children’s wellbeing and aid supervision.
• Risk management, upkeep and functionality are essential to ensure children’s safety in outdoor spaces.
• Quality programming for outdoor spaces helps keep children meaningfully engaged, reducing the likelihood of incidents and children leaving unnoticed.

More information

• Read our ​unencumbered indoor and outdoor space guide to review outdoor space requirements.
• Incident prevention and management—prevent children leaving the service unnoticed from the outdoor spaces.
• Risk assessment and management—effectively manage risks to ensure children’s safety in outdoor spaces​.​