This report considers the appropriateness of a national professional practice network for teachers and educators working in early childhood education and care and outside school hours care. The report reviews existing professional practice networks and considers whether a national network would add meaningful value. It provides five recommendations.

This is the 49th national report on children’s education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF). It provides analysis and information on the profile of the sector and the quality ratings of services against the National Quality Standard (NQS).

In an effort to build understanding of educators’ experiences of work in early childhood education and care (ECEC), this study gathered basic foundational data on Australian educators’ workload focusing on educators' work hours and workload demands. The study establishes workload as a significant demand for ECEC educators, confirming that there may be a relationship between...

Intentional teaching is widely regarded as a key teaching practice within early childhood education and care settings. It involves educators making deliberate, thoughtful decisions to achieve quality learning outcomes for children. This discussion paper synthesises evidence related to intentional teaching in early childhood and highlights gaps in the evidence base.

Government-funded child care subsidies aim to increase maternal labour force participation and improve access to formal child care. This paper examined the effects of a major child care policy reform implemented in 2018, finding that it had no measurable effect on maternal labour supply and led to a limited increase in formal child care use.