As you start the year, your service is likely preparing to welcome new or returning children—you’re thinking about the program, gathering resources and organising spaces for the year ahead. But have you remembered all your operational and legal requirements? We’ve put together the following checklist to help you.
Child safety reform
With the significant reforms underway to ensure that children are safe and protected, make sure you keep informed about the
child safety reforms, which includes legislative changes, so you can incorporate them into your service’s policies, procedures and daily practices.
Committee changes
Has your committee recently changed its membership? One or more of these people may have management or control of the service so, when they leave or are replaced, the approved provider must
notify the department.
Excursions and regular outings
Excursions, including regular outings, allow children to explore the wider community, and support learning and development. Approved providers must consider the additional risks to children’s safety, health and wellbeing. Read
guidelines for developing policies and procedures for excursions (PDF, 182KB).
Fees policy
Have you changed your fees? Remember to update your
policy (PDF, 205KB) on setting and collecting fees and, most importantly, notify families within 14 days of the change.
First aid qualifications and training
There are mandatory requirements for first aid qualifications, anaphylaxis management training and emergency asthma management training. Read more about these
requirements for services.
Keep your details up to date in the NQA ITS
From time to time the Regulatory Authority will need to contact you so make sure your service’s and approved provider’s details are correct on the
National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA ITS).
Managing medical conditions
Approved providers must ensure that any child enrolled that has a
medical condition has a current medical management plan, risk minimisation plan, communication plan, and that the child is not cared for without their in-date medication.
Staff should be trained in the service’s
medical conditions policy and procedure (PDF, 234KB) and the medical management plan before they start working with the child so they’ll know what to do if a child has a medical episode.
Quality Improvement Plan
Developing a new Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) or reviewing an existing one for the first time? Complete a 3-module
online course, which includes a workbook, and outlines the requirements of a QIP, the self-assessment process and elements of continuous improvement.
Regulatory priorities
Now is the time to reflect on your service's practices. The Regulatory Authority is focused on
3 regulatory priorities for 2025-2027 financial years. Do you know what they are and why?
Sign up for product safety updates
Stay up to date on
Product Safety Australia alerts so that you always have functional and safe products at your service. Some suggested categories to monitor include: infant sleep products, bicycles, pharmacy, button batteries, art and craft, kids’ equipment, toys, kids’ furniture and asbestos in craft materials.
Staffing
Check that you have enough staff to meet the educator to child ratio across the whole day, that each staff member has an appropriate and
valid educational qualification and holds a
current blue or exemption card which is
linked to your organisation.
Subscribe to receive the latest news and alerts
Did you know you can receive—direct to your inbox—the latest news on early childhood initiatives, topics and issues to help you deliver quality education and care; regulatory information; and urgent updates? Subscribe to our A to Z of Early Childhood newsletter, read our regulatory bulletin and follow us on
Facebook and
Linkedin.
When to notify us
There are certain incidents, complaints and changes that services are legally required to notify the Regulatory Authority about. Do you know what they are? We have an interactive online tool—the National Decision Tree—that you can use to decide if and when to notify the department.