Resources for Parents and Educators
Please note Choices Family Day Care has no control on these external sites. Parents and Educators are advised to use discretion when visiting any website listed and supervise young children using the internet at all times.
Queensland Children's Services Library
Queensland Children's Services Library website
QCSL are a not-for profit organisation, funded by the Queensland Government's Office for Early Childhood Education and Care and sponsored by the Geebung & Wavell Heights Uniting Church. Resources cover areas such as: Early Years Learning Framework, Child Development, Programming, Observation, Environment, Multiculturalism, Student Text Books, Inclusion/Additional Needs, Arts, Craft, Music, Policy, Behaviour Management, Child Protection, Training DVD's, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Grief, Children's Books, Literacy, Games, Outside School Hours Care.
National Quality Framework resources
National Law
The National Quality Framework (NQF) operates under an applied law system, comprising the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. The NQF applies to most long day care, family day care, outside school hours care and preschools/kindergartens in Australia.
National Regulations
The NQF and associated regulatory system is enacted through legislation establishing the national system. The Education and Care Services National Regulations support the legislation and provide detail on a range of operational requirements for an education and care service.
- Guide to the Assessment and Rating Process for Services Information about what services can expect in the assessment and rating process, available to download from this page.
- National Quality Framework video resources 13 videos developed for parents to explain the National Quality Framework to families and community. Providers and educators may also find these resources useful when engaging with their families and community.
- National Quality Standard Assessment and Rating Instrument Descriptions of what each element of the National Quality Standard looks like at each of the quality levels at the (Working Towards, Meeting or Exceeding National Quality Standard). Available to download from this page.
ACECQA – National Quality Framework home page General information and national guides to the National Quality Framework, National Law and Regulations, National Quality Standard and Quality Improvement Plans.
Early Childhood Australia – National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program
Quality resources to support professional learning around the National Quality Standard.
Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
Information about the National Quality Standard, and link to download the Guide in PDF.
Belonging, Being and Becoming – Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) National approved learning framework for early childhood education and care services.
My Time, Our Place – Framework for School Age Care in Australia National approved learning framework for school age care services, and link to download the document in PDF.
Resources to support engagement with the national approved learning framework available to download from this page:
- Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework
- Educators’ Guide to the Framework for School Age Care
- Developmental milestones and the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard
Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) - Good practice fact sheets for the Early Years Learning Framework
A series of 12 fact sheets to assist educators to promote, explore and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture whilst implementing the outcomes, principles and practices from the Early Years Learning Framework. Based on the findings of the report Learning from Good Practice: Implementing the Early Years Learning Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children.
Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
Information and a link to download the document.
Child Wise
Information and resources promoting the protection of children and the prevention of child sexual abuse
National Health and Medical Research Council – Staying Healthy in Child Care - Preventing infectious diseases in child care
Information about minimising the spread of infections in education and care services
SIDS and Kids
Information and resources to support safe sleeping practices for infants.
Sunsmart
Information and resources to support SunSmart programs
Starting out Safely -
Road Safety information and policy resources developed by Early Learning Association Australia.
Quality Area 3: Physical Environment
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
Information about the National Quality Standard and to download the Guide.
Not Just Fresh Air and Exercise
A short film produced by Play Australia to inspire and support education and care services to create or improve outdoor nature play spaces. A series of written resources that support the film’s messages are also available alongside Not Just Fresh Air and Exercise.
Play Australia
Not for profit organisation providing information about, and advocacy for, healthy play opportunities.
Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
Information about the National Quality Standard and to download the Guide.
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics
Used by many education and care services to guide professional practice.
Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
The majority of resources listed under Quality Area 1 are also relevant to Quality Area 5, due to the interconnectedness of relationships and pedagogy in education and care settings.
The Circle of Security: Roadmap to Building Supportive Relationships
From Early Childhood Australia’s ‘Research in Practice’ series.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
International agreement on children’s rights, to which Australia is a signatory.
Quality Area 6: Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard - information on the National Quality Standard and a link to download the Guide.
Quality Area 7: Leadership and Service Management
ACECQA Guide to the National Quality Standard
Information about the National Quality Standard with a link to download the Guide.
My Time Our Place: Promoting Collaborative Partnerships between School Age Care Services and Schools
Australian Government resource for school age care services. PDF document.
National Quality Framework Resource Links
(1) Guide to the National Quality Framework
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (approved for publication and will be formally made at a later date)
State and Territory Regulatory Authorities
Child Care Related Regulations and Information
Here we have collected a range of relevant child care related resources, in terms of regulations, documentation and general information for anyone wishing to become a Family Day Educators or even existing Educators in Brisbane and surrounding areas.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority ACECQA – Links and Resources
National Quality Framework Resources www.acecqa.gov.au
Centrelink www.centrelink.gov.au
Kidsafe Queensland is a not for profit organisation dedicated to preventing death and injury to children.
Professional Support Coordinator Queensland (PSCQ Workforce Council)
QLD Government; Poisoning Prevention – Plants and Mushrooms
QLD Government; Poisons Information Centre, around the home
QLD Government Car Safety Child Restraint Information
Australian Toy Association – Toy and Play Environment Safety
Online & Interactive Training Programs
I'M ALERT Fire Safety and Emergency Response
I'M ALERT Food Safety
Starting Blocks is brought to you by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). ACECQA is the national body, overseeing the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF), which has been developed to improve the standard of education and care.
Factsheets
- National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
- Illness in child care
- Managing children’s special health needs in child care
- Nutrition in child care
Infographics
- Why your child’s early years are important for learning and development
- The seven quality areas covered by the national quality standard
- Encouraging your child's development from birth 12 months
- Nutrition in child care
- Birth to 4 years - developmental milestones you may observe
- 4 to 8 months - developmental milestones you may observe
- 8 to 12 month - developmental milestones you may observe
- 1 to 2 years - developmental milestones you may observe
- 2 to 3 years - developmental milestones you may observe
- 3 to 5 years - developmental milestones you may observe
Other Languages -
Arabic - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Chinese - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Hindi - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Korean - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Punjabi - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Vietnamese - National Quality Framework – how can it help me?
Early Education and Care (Qld) Early Childhood Education and Care – Click Here
Early childhood development
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of the early years, brain development and how giving your child the best start can set them up for life, check out some of these links.
Australian Early Development Census
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is an Australian Government Initiative. It is a nationwide survey that shows how young Australian children have developed as they start their first year of full-time education. It highlights what is working well and what needs to be improved or developed to support children and their families. The AEDC is a census that helps create a snapshot of early childhood development in Australia. It takes place every three years and the next one will happen in 2015.
Australian Institute of Family Studies
The Australian Institute of Family Studies is a national research and information agency on children and families in Australia. Includes research, publications, online library, and further links and resources for professionals.
Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) is a national collaboration of eminent experts disseminating knowledge about problems and solutions to issues affecting children and young people.
Center on the Developing Child
The Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University was founded in 2006 on the belief that the vitality and sustainability of any society depend on the extent to which it expands opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship. They view healthy child development as the foundation of economic prosperity, strong communities, and a just society. Our mission is to drive science-based innovation that achieves breakthrough outcomes for children facing adversity.
Centre for Community Child Health
The Centre for Community Child Health is an internationally recognised centre of excellence supporting and empowering communities to continually improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of children and their families, now and for the future.
Zero to Three is a non-profit organization in the United States that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and the know-how to nurture early development. Its mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.
Regulatory authorities
A regulatory authority in each state and territory regulates and assesses early childhood education services. You can contact the regulatory authority in your state or territory if you are looking for more information about a particular service, including if you want to make a complaint. Links to regulatory authority websites are below or you can find their full contact details here. Department of Education and Training – QLD
Early Childhood Intervention Australia
Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) is a national forum for promotion of early intervention for infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families, including workshops, seminars and conferences to facilitate quality service provision.
Early Learning Association Australia
Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) is a not-for-profit, peak membership organisation representing the voice of parents and early learning providers. ELAA represents over 1200 early childhood services, including stand-alone kindergartens, cluster managers, integrated services, long day care centres, local government, government and independent schools, and before and after-school care providers, and provides a range of resources, advisory, training, and advocacy services.
Family Day Care Australia is a national peak body which supports the strength and continued growth of the sector in Australia.
Good Beginnings builds better outcomes for children in vulnerable communities through effective early intervention programs. Good Beginnings provides free early childhood and practical parenting programs for children and families across Australia, based at their Early Years Centres or home visits.
Inclusion and Professional Support Program
The objective of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) is to promote and maintain high quality, inclusive education and care, for all children, including those with ongoing high support needs, in eligible child care and early learning settings. This is achieved by increasing the knowledge and skills of educators, and the capacity of services, through providing professional development, advice and access to additional resources and inclusion support.
Mychild is Australia’s online childcare portal containing information for families, carers and providers. The website provides information about children’s early learning, care and wellbeing. It includes information on different types of child care, how to access help with the cost of child care, a searchable database of local child care services, other relevant links and support.
Playgroups Australia - Playgroup Australia is the national peak and representative body for playgroups in Australia.
Department of Human Services - The Department of Human Services is responsible for the development of Australian Government service delivery policy and offers a range of social, health and other payments and services. Support is available through Medicare, Centrelink, the Child Support program, CRS Australia and Australian Hearing. You can go directly to the Medicare program or the Centrelink program.
Department of Social Services - The Department of Social Services (DSS) is responsible for helping to support Australian families and children. The Families and Children section of this website provides detailed information on the various forms of assistance available including programs, services, benefits and payments.
Family Assistance Office - Family Assistance Offices have been set up in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centres across the country, offering a range of payments to support families with their work and family responsibilities. It gives Australian families better access to government services. Instead of going to different agencies to get family assistance, families are able to get all their payments from just one place – the Family Assistance Office. Financial assistance includes the Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate and Baby Bonus. The Family Assistance Program is the responsibility of the Department of Social Services.
Mychild.gov.au – My child is Australia’s online childcare portal containing information for families, carers and providers. The website provides information about children’s early learning, care and wellbeing. It includes information on different types of child care, how to access help with the cost of child care, a searchable database of local child care services, other relevant links and support.
Parenting help
If you are after assistance with parenting issues such as breastfeeding, managing behaviour or irregular sleep, you may find help here.
Raising Children Network - The Raising Children Network website provides tips and tools for everyday parenting from pregnancy to teens.
Health and nutrition –
Cancer Council Australia - As Australia's peak national non-government cancer control organisation, Cancer Council Australia advises the Australian Government and other bodies on practices and policies to help prevent, detect and treat cancer. Cancer Council Australia launched the national Sun Smart Schools program in 1998. The program has grown rapidly and there are now more than 2500 SunSmart schools and 3500 SunSmart childcare centres across the country. http://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/
Department of Health - The Department of Health and Ageing is responsible for supporting better health and active ageing for all Australians. Information is available on a wide range of conditions and diseases, education and prevention, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues and topics relevant to ageing and aged care.
KidsMatter - KidsMatter is an Australian mental health and wellbeing initiative set in primary schools and in early childhood education and care services – like preschools, kindergartens and day care centres.
Nutrition Australia - Nutrition Australia is an independent, member organisation that aims to promote the health and well-being of all Australians.
Cultural Resources
Cultural Connections Booklet - This cultural connections booklet has been created to help you engage in some of the key topics surrounding ‘respect of diversity’ and ‘cultural competency’ in the early child hood education and care sector.
Diversity in Australia - A KidsMatter Early Childhood information sheet. Why culture matters for children’s development and wellbeing.