May 22nd, 2026
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The NSW Parliamentary Committee released its report on NSW's early childhood education and care sector on 20 May 2026.
ACA NSW's submission was officially considered. And ACA NSW's testimony at a parallel public hearing conducted by the same NSW Parliamentary Committee shows ACA NSW to be on the record as agitating for much needed and overdue reform.
While the sector awaits the NSW Government's response on the Committee's findings, recommendations and the report, the following extracts are some that would be of interest to ACA NSW members:
Page ix: "This report makes clear that systemic reform is required. We need a fundamental shift in how early childhood education and care is valued, funded and governed."
Page xii: "Recommendation 6 - That the NSW Government investigate models of regulating rents in the early childhood education and care sector."
Page xiv: "Recommendation 7 - That the NSW Government take action, where possible, to increase transparency around the rokle of the real estate sector in the early childhood education and care sector, including requiring the release of information about the proportion of fees and government subsidies paid by providers towards rent."
Page xiv: "Recommendation 8 - That the NSW Government call on the Australian Government to fully investigate other models of public funding (such as direct funding for services, or subsidies being limited to services with fee caps and/or profit caps) as an alternative to the current early childhood education and care funding mechanisms."
Page xiv: "Recommendation 11 - That the NSW Early Learning Commission review their assessment and rating process to ensure ... consistency and measurability, including through raising assessor qualification and experience standards and/or creating an audit of the assessor workforce to improve the qualifications and experience of ratings assessors..."
Page xiv: "Recommendation 13 - That the NSW Early Learning Commission publish internal risk ratings of early childhood education and care services along with an explanation of how those risks ratings are derived."
Page xv: "Recommendation 20 - That the NSW Government as a matter of priority continue to work with the Australian Government, and peak bodiesm, to introduce pay parity with school teachers for early childhood education and care educators and teachers."
Page xv: "Recommendation 21 - That the Early Learning Commission review whether requirements to photograph children to send to parents or carers is an unnecessary task that detracts from the core roles and responsibilities of early childhood education and care staff and to consider whether to prescribe the manner and extent to which photographs of children shoulkd be required by a service to be taken in order to distribute to parents and carers."
Page xvi: "Recommendation 27 - That the NSW Government ensure all staff in early childhood education and care receive adequate training to support children with disability or additional needs, including children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds."
Page xvi: "Recommendation 28 - That the NSW Government investigate the viability of a database to hold information about reported problematic behaviours of early childhood education and care staff, which may be held by NSW Police or another appropriate body."
Page xvii: "Recommendation 29 - That the NSW Government introduce a requirement that at least two staff members are in line of sight of each other at all times when interacting with children at early childhood education and care services."
Page xvii - "Recommendation 32 - That the NSW Government implement a single reporting line for early childhood education and care staff, and others, to make child safety reports which will notify relevant agencies on the reporter's behalf."
Page xvii - "Recommendation 34 - That the NSW Early Learning Commission refer all matters which may constitute a criminal offence and an offence under the Education and Care Sevices National Law Act 2010 or Education and Care services National Regulations 2010 to NSW Police in the first instance."
Page 143 - "The committee recognises that the assessment and rating process of ECEC services can be overly subjective, lack consistency, and be infrequent and unreliable."
Interestingly, the Report tends to refer to results and metrics yet does not articulate or specify what they should be.
For any further information/clarification/assistance, members can contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.
PUBLISHED: 22 MAY 2026
