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Quality ratings for early childhood services

The quality of early childhood services is measured against 7 quality areas and rated under a system called the National Quality Framework.

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The quality of early childhood services (like child care and kindergarten) is rated under a system called the National Quality Framework.

The National Quality Framework is designed to raise the quality of early childhood services. A big focus of the framework is measuring the quality of services. This information is given to families to help them choose early education and care.

There are lots of things you can do to help choose a good early childhood service. You can look up the service’s quality ratings and you can visit the service and ask questions.

Go to find children’s education and care for more information on how to choose child care and kindergarten.

How early childhood services are rated

The quality of early childhood services is measured against 7 quality areas. The table below is from the Commonwealth Government’s StartingBlocks.gov.au website and explains what the standards are and what they mean.

The standards are based on what the research shows are the most important parts of a quality early education and care service.

Measurement used to rate early childhood services

Quality areas What this area is about
Educational program and practice Your child is supported to participate in play and learning
Children’s health and safety Your child is protected from illness and hazards
Physical environment Your child plays in a safe and well-maintained environment
Staffing arrangements There are enough qualified staff to give your child the attention they need
Relationships with children Your child is made to feel supported and welcomed
Collaborative partnerships with families and communities Local community involvement and respect for the beliefs and values of families
Leadership and service management Your child is educated in a positive and well managed environment

For more information about these quality areas, visit the department’s National Quality Framework and early childhood services.

What are the ratings?

Services receive a rating for each of the quality areas and an overall rating based on these results.

Most services will receive one of the following ratings:

How do services get rated?

Services are assessed and rated regularly by authorised officers from the Victorian Department of Education and Training.

When visiting the service, the authorised officer will:

Each service is unique and the ways in which the elements and standards are met will be determined by:

How do I find out quality ratings?

Go to find children’s education and care and the StartingBlocks.gov.au websites to help you find the quality ratings of early childhood services.

Education & trainingParents & carers

Updated 26 March 2026

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