Families place enormous trust in early learning and care services, and with that trust comes a shared responsibility to stay informed about changes that affect children's care, safety and wellbeing.
Recently, a number of regulatory reforms were introduced across the early childhood education and care sector in NSW. While these changes are broad and technical in nature, we believe it's important for families, both those currently with us and those considering care, to understand what they mean in practice.
Below is a high-level overview of four key changes that were introduced and how they support safer, more transparent early learning environments.
1. Children's rights and best interests are paramount
The reforms clarify that the rights and best interests of each child must be the most important consideration in all decision-making and daily practice within education and care services. This reinforces a child-centred approach, ensuring children's wellbeing, dignity and safety remain at the forefront of everything services do.
2. Clearer definitions around inappropriate conduct
A new offence of "inappropriate conduct" has been introduced to better define behaviours that are not acceptable in education and care settings. This provides clearer guidance around professional boundaries and expectations, strengthening safeguards for children and supporting consistent practice across the sector.
3. Increased penalties for breaches
Penalties for breaches of the Law have been significantly increased, with different penalties applying to different offences. The intent of this change is to strengthen accountability and reinforce the importance of compliance and high standards across all services.
4. Greater transparency for families
Services are now required to present compliance history information in a clearer and more consistent way. This change is designed to support families to access information more easily and make informed decisions when choosing care.
At Futuro, these reforms closely align with the approach we already take. We view strong governance, transparency, and child-focused practice as essential foundations of quality education and care.
We recognise that regulatory change can raise questions for families, and we believe that sharing information openly supports understanding, confidence, and trust.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at: enquiries@futuro.nsw.edu.au