We all know that a child's first five years are crucial to their development, and recent research into brain science has put this into sharp perspective with some genuinely stunning facts and figures.
We've made some videos highlighting these fantastic findings, which you can see here. The brain's development and long-term influence these years underline the importance of the role both parents and child care centres play.
High-quality childcare makes a real difference to children's outcomes. The evidence for this is quite clear, but the dilemma for parents when choosing a child care provider is knowing exactly what high quality looks like.
To learn more about the indicators of quality in childcare centres, we asked Goodstart's National Quality Manager, Tara Harnett, to explain how quality is assessed and what parents should look for when touring a centre.
Who's responsible for child care quality in Australia?
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and the state and territory governments are responsible for ensuring the high standard of Australia's child care centres.
In summary, ACECQA works with state and territory governments to ensure consistency in how the National Quality Framework (NQF) is applied. In contrast, the state and territory governments assess and rate individual child care services.
The NQF includes the laws and regulations, quality standards, an assessment and rating process, and the Early Years Learning Framework, which teachers and educators use daily in centres.
I know, it's complex! However, for parents, two areas of the NQF are worth knowing about when choosing a child care centre. These are:
- The National Quality Standard (NQS)
- The assessment and rating of centres
Let's take a look at them now.
What is the National Quality Standard?
The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a national benchmark in seven key 'quality areas' that make a difference in outcomes for children. These areas are:
- NQS 1 Educational program and practice
- NQS 2 Children's health and safety
- NQS 3 Physical environment
- NQS 4 Staffing arrangements
- NQS 5 Relationships with children
- NQS 6 Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
- NQS 7 Leadership and service management
Within these quality areas are two or three 'standards', each containing a handful of 'elements'. A snapshot of one quality area is below:
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
- Standard 1.2: Educators and coordinators are focused, active and reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child.
- Element 1.2.1: Each child's learning and development is assessed as part of an ongoing planning, documenting and evaluation cycle.
As you drill down from quality area to standard to element, you can see how child care centres in Australia know precisely what is required of them.
How are centres assessed and rated for quality?
When researching child care centres, you might have noticed that some say they are 'exceeding' or 'meeting' the national quality standard. But what does this mean?
Child care services are assessed against the NQS and given a rating for each of the seven quality areas and an overall rating based on these results. The full range of NQS ratings that a centre can receive is as follows:
- Excellent rating
- Exceeding National Quality Standard
- Meeting National Quality Standard
- Working Towards National Quality Standard
- Significant Improvement Required
Over the last four years, Goodstart Bathurst, Goodstart Clarinda, Goodstart Red Hill, and Goodstart Tuggerah have all achieved the coveted Excellent rating from ACECQA. You can read about the Goodstart Red Hill story and its journey to attain the highest awarded rating.
While a centre's rating indicates its overall quality level, I encourage parents to ask questions and learn as much as they can about the centre before enrolling.
What should parents ask?
It's not practical for parents to know the ins and outs of the NQF and NQS, and it's unnecessary. To be certain your child is in good hands, consider asking questions like these when you're on your centre tour:
- How does your educational program cater to the needs of children at different stages of development?
- What steps or processes do you take to ensure children's safety and well-being?
- How have you designed your environment to encourage children to participate in learning?
- How does your centre work with families to understand our needs?
- Do your staff receive regular training and professional development opportunities?
Quality is about much more than how a centre looks, and asking these questions will help you think a little deeper and go beyond your first impressions.
It's worth making a little extra effort before enrolling for the sake of your child's development and your own peace of mind.