All children deserve the best start in life – including places and relationships where they can be safe
and happy, with opportunities to reach their health, learning and social development potential. This is
important for children, families and the future of our nation.
For many, Early Childhood Education and Care services have a major role to play. The need for quality improvement in these services is widely acknowledged, including by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) – download the Regulation
Impact Statement.
At its meeting on 7 December 2009, COAG met to decide the future for
quality in Australia's Early Childhood Education and Care services. Thank you to all our members, subscribers and everyone who supported the Hands Up for Quality Campaign!
Campaign outcomes
Special campaign editions of ECA WebWatch
Media releases and campaign news
Background information on the campaign
During the Hands Up for Quality campaign, more than 1,200 'Hands Up for quality' e-cards were sent to Premiers and Chief Ministers and copied to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Kate Ellis, many of them sharing personal experiences, to demand they put their hands up for quality at COAG. We also received support from a range of organisations who were willing to lend their names to this important issue, joining us in putting their names to this letter to the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers.
Early Childhood Australia's president, Margaret Young, wrote a letter of thanks to all the supporters of this campaign.
Outcomes decided at the meeting were:
- ratios of 1:4 for children aged from birth to 24 months by 1 January 2012, 1:5 for children aged from 25 months to 35 months and 1:11 for children aged from 36 months to school aged by 1 January 2016
- all staff either having qualifications (Diploma or Certificate III) or actively working towards qualifications by 1 January 2014, with most services required to have an early childhood teacher whenever a service is being provided.
For those who have not yet seen it, you can download the full COAG Communique.
Find campaign news and updates in our special editions of ECA WebWatch, devoted solely to the Hands Up for Quality campaign:
Read the letter about the COAG outcomes from ECA President Margaret Young: A win for young children at COAG!
Read about the COAG Outcomes: Children the winners in national quality reforms of childcare.
Read the article, published on The Age website, by Early Childhood Australia CEO Pam Cahir: A child's education begins before the first day at school.
Press release: Launch of the Hands up for quality campaign
Read the latest media release from the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth, Kate Ellis: Demand for quality care and education for young children.
Read our media releases:
24 November: Senate inquiry report endorses urgent need for quality childcare.
2 November: Government urged to stand firm on childcare quality.
Download the ECA Report on quality care in Australia.
This report summarises the results of questions asked in the weekly Essential Report omnibus. The questions are related to early
childhood education and care, specifically funding of the services and issues of importance in terms of service provision.
Download the Quality poll report here.
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