- The Education and Care Services National Law Application Bill 2024will strengthen the regulatory oversight of early childhood education and care providers in WA
- This will ensure better support for Western Australian providers and care for children, their families and carers
- This Bill will help align Western Australia's early childhood education and care legislation with the rest of Australia
The Cook Government has taken a major step to align Western Australia's Education and Care legislation with the rest of Australia with the passing of the Education and Care Services National Law Bill 2024 through the Legislative Assembly and progressing into the Legislative Council.
The Bill will ensure stronger accountability for service providers and ongoing high-quality education and care services for children.
It comes after all Australian States and Territories agreed to develop a National Quality Framework (NQF) in 2012, which introduced a new quality standard to improve education and care across long day care, family day care, kindergarten and outside school hours care services.
The Billwill support a timelier application of modifications to the NQF, ensuring WA's early childhood and care legislation remains consistent with all Australian jurisdictions.
In Australia more than 1.4 million children benefit from early childhood education and care services and in WA 126,000 children attend an approved service.
The Cook Government is committed to continually working with the Commonwealth and other States and Territories to ensure children get the best possible start to life.
As stated by Early Childhood Education Minister Sabine Winton:
"The Cook Government is continually working to improve our early childhood education and care regulatory framework.
"As Early Childhood Education Minister, nothing is more important to me than the safety of children. I know it is also the early childhood education sector's top priority.
"Western Australia has upheld the Early Childhood Education National Quality Framework through earlier legislation, however this Bill will enable the State Government to align its legislation with that of the host jurisdiction, Victoria.
"Our Bill has been drafted in a way that will allow for modifications to reflect the unique nature of Western Australia's Early Childhood Education and Care sector.
"This is a significant milestone in what has been a long journey to create nationally consistent standards for early childhood education and care.
"I would like to thank those all of those who have helped the Cook Government reach this milestone."
