Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
The 40 elements of the National Quality Standard across 7 quality areas for approved education and care services, as revised from 1 January 2026, with the National Law and Regulations the ACECQA Guide links to each element. ACECQA guidance, not law.
Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) is a compliance framework from Australia: national (applied by each State and Territory) with 7 domains and 40 controls. The largest domains are Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (9 controls), Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (6 controls), Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (6 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (7)
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.1.1 | Standard 2.1 Element 2.1.1 Wellbeing and comfort |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.1.2 | Standard 2.1 Element 2.1.2 Health practices and procedures |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.1.3 | Standard 2.1 Element 2.1.3 Healthy lifestyle |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.2.1 | Standard 2.2 Element 2.2.1 Supervision |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.2.2 | Standard 2.2 Element 2.2.2 Incident and emergency management |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::2.2.3 | Standard 2.2 Element 2.2.3 Child protection and child safety |
Quality Area 3: Physical environment – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::3.1.1 | Standard 3.1 Element 3.1.1 Fit for purpose |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::3.1.2 | Standard 3.1 Element 3.1.2 Upkeep |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::3.2.1 | Standard 3.2 Element 3.2.1 Inclusive environment |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::3.2.2 | Standard 3.2 Element 3.2.2 Resources support play-based learning |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::3.2.3 | Standard 3.2 Element 3.2.3 Environmentally responsible |
Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::4.1.1 | Standard 4.1 Element 4.1.1 Organisation of educators |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::4.1.2 | Standard 4.1 Element 4.1.2 Continuity of staff |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::4.2.1 | Standard 4.2 Element 4.2.1 Professional collaboration |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::4.2.2 | Standard 4.2 Element 4.2.2 Professional standards |
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::5.1.1 | Standard 5.1 Element 5.1.1 Positive educator to child interactions |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::5.1.2 | Standard 5.1 Element 5.1.2 Dignity and rights of the child |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::5.2.1 | Standard 5.2 Element 5.2.1 Collaborative learning |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::5.2.2 | Standard 5.2 Element 5.2.2 Self-regulation |
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.1.1 | Standard 6.1 Element 6.1.1 Engagement with the service |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.1.2 | Standard 6.1 Element 6.1.2 Parent views are respected |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.1.3 | Standard 6.1 Element 6.1.3 Families are supported |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.2.1 | Standard 6.2 Element 6.2.1 Transitions |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.2.2 | Standard 6.2 Element 6.2.2 Access and participation |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::6.2.3 | Standard 6.2 Element 6.2.3 Community engagement |
Quality Area 7: Governance and leadership – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.1.1 | Standard 7.1 Element 7.1.1 Service philosophy and purpose |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.1.2 | Standard 7.1 Element 7.1.2 Management systems |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.1.3 | Standard 7.1 Element 7.1.3 Roles and responsibilities |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.2.1 | Standard 7.2 Element 7.2.1 Continuous improvement |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.2.2 | Standard 7.2 Element 7.2.2 Educational leadership |
| australia-national-quality-standard-for-education-and-care-services-acecqa::7.2.3 | Standard 7.2 Element 7.2.3 Development of professionals |
What is Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) and who does it apply to?
Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) is a compliance framework from Australia: national (applied by each State and Territory) with 7 domains and 40 controls. The 40 elements of the National Quality Standard across 7 quality areas for approved education and care services, as revised from 1 January 2026, with the National Law and Regulations the ACECQA Guide links to each element. ACECQA guidance, not law. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) actually require?
Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) has 40 controls organised across 7 domains. The largest domains are Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (9 controls), Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (6 controls), Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities – Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) (6 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) do I already cover?
Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA)?
Start your Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about Australia National Quality Standard for Education and Care Services (ACECQA) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 40 controls and track your progress.
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