Policy management software for an Australian education and care service has to do five things the Regulations require: hold a complete set of the policies in regulation 168 (and regulation 169 for family day care), keep the current version readily accessible to staff and educators and available for inspection (regulation 171), show the approved provider took reasonable steps to have them followed (regulation 170), and support the 14-day notice to parents before significant changes (regulation 172). Storing the documents is the easy part. What a regulatory officer tests is whether the content matches the Regulations and what happens in the rooms. Compare tools on both.
What childcare policy software must do under regulations 168 to 172, the four ways services handle it, and where WIDEN Law fits. Written for approved providers and family day care schemes.
| Requirement | What it means for software | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures on each of the listed matters | A register of every required policy, so gaps are visible | r 168 |
| Family day care: 8 more, including assessing residences and venues, engaging and registering educators, the educator register, monitoring and supervising educators (including remote locations), assessing educators, assistants and residents, visitors, and training | A separate set for the scheme, linked to its registers and visit records | r 169(2) |
| Take reasonable steps so nominated supervisors, staff, volunteers and (in family day care) educators follow the policies | Evidence: who has read each policy, induction and training records | r 170 |
| Current copies readily accessible to supervisors, staff, volunteers and educators, and available for inspection at the premises whenever children are in care or on request | One current version, easy to reach on site, with old versions archived | r 171 |
| Tell parents at least 14 days before a change that may significantly affect a child’s care or the family’s ability to use the service, or that affects fees or how they are collected | A change log with the date parents were notified | r 172 |
The detail of each required policy is in our guide to regulation 168 policies and procedures. For family day care, see family day care regulations.
Free and flexible. It works for a single service with a disciplined director. The weak points are version control (several “final” copies), no record of who has read what, review dates that live in one person’s head, and no check that the content still matches the Regulations after an amendment. Our free policy review tracker covers the dates part without software.
The platforms used for bookings, attendance, Child Care Subsidy and family communication often include a document area, and some let staff acknowledge a policy. If you already pay for one, check what its policy module does before buying anything else. These platforms store and distribute your documents; they do not, as a rule, tell you whether a policy meets the Regulations. Ask the vendor.
A consultant or peak body supplies the policies and updates them when the law changes. This saves writing time. The risk is a policy that describes someone else’s service: an officer will compare the policy with your practice, your premises and your children. Every template needs adapting, and the adaptation needs checking.
This is where WIDEN Law sits. It does not store your policy library or replace your management platform. It checks content: upload a policy and get a gap analysis against the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, with a citation for each point, and ask follow-up questions in plain English. Most services pair it with option 1 or 2.
Uploaded documents are encrypted at rest, used only for your analysis and deleted after 30 days. WIDEN Law is a research assistant, not a compliance certifier: the regulatory authority decides compliance, and the decisions stay with you.
Policies and procedures on each matter listed in regulation 168 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. A family day care service also needs the 8 additional policies in regulation 169(2).
Yes, at least 14 days before a change that may significantly affect the care of an enrolled child or the family's ability to use the service, and before any change to fees or how they are collected. If the notice period would put a child at risk, parents must be told as soon as practicable after the change (regulation 172).
Current copies must be readily accessible to nominated supervisors, staff, volunteers and family day care educators, and available for inspection at the premises whenever children are being cared for, or on request (regulation 171).
No. WIDEN Law checks policy content against the National Law, Regulations and NQS with citations. Uploads are deleted after 30 days. Keep your policy library in your own drive or management platform.
WIDEN Law answers National Quality Framework questions with inline citations to the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, so you can check the source provision yourself.
14-day free trial, no card →This page is a research summary, not legal or compliance advice. It is written in our own words from the sources linked on the page; confirm the position with your regulatory authority before relying on it for a compliance decision.