Regulating early childhood education and care
Find out how we monitor, support and regulate early childhood education and care services in the ACT.
We monitor, support and regulate early childhood education and care services across the ACT.
We do this through the regulatory authority, Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA).
CECA administers the National Quality Framework. This framework covers services that provide regular education and care to children under 13 years, including:
- long day care services
- outside school hours care services
- preschools
- family day care services.
Learn more about the obligations of early childhood education and care providers.
The National Quality Framework includes:
- Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations
- National Quality Standard
- National Learning Frameworks
- assessment and quality rating process.
Key functions of CECA
CECA's role includes:
- assessing and granting provider and service approvals
- assessing and rating services against the National Quality Standard
- compliance and risk audits of services
- investigating serious incidents and complaints
- working with the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
- supporting continuous improvement in the sector
- advancing education and care policy and regulation
- educating services and the community about the National Quality Framework
- regulating licensed children’s programs under the Children and Young People Act 2008.
CECA may investigate information about any risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of children.
The National Law and Regulations gives CECA the powers to protect children from harm and hazards or unlawful conduct through:
- compliance directions
- compliance notices
- notice to suspend education and care by a family day care educator
- suspension or cancellation of service or provider approval
- emergency action notices
- prohibition notices
- emergency removal of children
- powers of entry.
CECA may also require people to:
- attend interviews
- give evidence
- produce documentation.
Read CECA's Educate and Engage Compliance Framework [PDF 307 KB].
Promotion requests for CECA channels
CECA can share professional learning opportunities and other content through their channels, including:
- email updates, notifications and alerts
- meetings and forums
- CECA's Facebook page.
We can share content that:
- aligns with the National Quality Framework
- meets the needs of the ACT education and care sector.
Make a request
Your content must be:
- from a credible source (with permission)
- relevant to the education and care sector
- based on current research and best practice in education and care
- free or subsidised
- free from third party marketing.
Email your request to ceca.educateandinform@act.gov.au.
Include with your request:
- organisation name
- type of organisation
- contact name, phone number and email address
- author qualifications and background
- relevance to the National Quality Framework
- benefits for the education and care sector
- any costs.
Subscribe to CECA
Subscribe to get alerts, notifications and updates. Email your request to CECA@act.gov.au.
Follow CECA's Eventbrite account for updates on:
- education and care sector meetings, forums and symposiums
- professional learning opportunities.
Follow CECA's Facebook page for regular updates.
Contact us
Email
CECA@act.gov.au