A report from an inquiry into the quality and safety of Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) system. At the heart of the inquiry is a simple expectation shared by every family: when a child is placed in care, that child must be safe. The report provides 23 recommendations.

Report structure

• Chapter one: the background to the inquiry, an overview of the system and the regulatory framework, and recent federal and state inquiries into the sector
• Chapter two: examines child safety issues
• Chapter three: canvasses issues raised in evidence relating to employment and workplace conditions
• Chapter four: examines the effectiveness of the current regulatory system
• Chapter five: discusses funding the sector
• Chapter six: provides the committee’s view and recommendations.

Key findings

• The ECEC system is complex, fragmented and not meeting the needs of many Australians.
• There are too many systems with too little communication between them. 
• There are too many regulatory gaps, and overregulation with a significant compliance burden in areas that have no proven benefits in terms of improving quality and safety for children. 
• The system does not provide sufficient choice, especially for families unable to access centre-based care.
• The Australian Government appears to have focused its policy settings and funding levers on centre-based care catering to large numbers of children.