Plain-English research summaries on the parts of the National Quality Framework that come up most often — ratios, the NQS Quality Areas and all 40 elements, the EYLF outcomes, QIP, A&R prep, key regulations, and how the Law and Regulations fit together. Free to read, no sign-up required. For deeper research with citations into your specific situation, the WIDEN Law research tool is what we built.
National ratios under Regulations 123 and 124, the working-directly-with-children rule, jurisdictional variations, common A&R findings.
The NQS in one page: its legal basis (section 5, regulation 8, Schedule 1), the 7 quality areas, 15 standards and 40 elements, how ratings are decided, how it relates to the NQF, Regulations and EYLF, and the 2012, 2018 and 2026 revisions.
All 7 Quality Areas with assessor focus areas and what evidence Assessment & Rating visits typically look for in each.
What Regulation 55 / 56 require, what assessors actually do with the QIP, common gaps that drop services to Working Towards.
Pre-visit timeline (notification to outcome), what assessors review, what they observe, and the 6-week preparation plan that works.
How the Law, Regulations, NQS, and ratings system fit together. Provider, service, and supervisor approvals. Notification timelines.
The full National Quality Standard from Schedule 1 of the Regulations: 7 quality areas, 15 standards, 40 elements, 2026 wording. Printable.
Standards, elements, the regulations behind each quality area, what assessors look for and the common Working Towards findings. Start with QA1.
The 5 outcomes and 20 sub-outcomes, 8 principles and 7 practices, and what section 168 and regulations 73 to 76 require of the program.
Full text, the national bands, the state settings that replace them, the mixed-age method and when the early childhood teacher counts.
Working directly with children defined, who counts and who does not, the state break provisions and the records that prove it.
What regulation 123 actually says, why Ministers agreed to remove the across-the-service approach, and how to roster room by room now.
The full 2026 list including digital technologies, child safe environment and child-focused complaints, with regulations 169 to 172.
Regulation 168(2)(o): child-focused complaints, harmful sexual behaviours, the 24-hour notification in section 174(2)(b) and the regulation 173 display rule.
Regulation 99: who may collect, nominees and court orders, the regulation 158 sign-in rule, uncollected and missing children.
Regulations 100 to 102: the risk assessment, every item of the authorisation, regular outings and how many educators an excursion needs.
Regulation 168(2)(i): a code of conduct on sections 165 to 167 and 166A, the responsible person, volunteers and students.
Confidentiality of records (r 181 to 183), notifications and their time limits, display, insurance and the compliance record.
Every item of the enrolment record in regulations 160 to 162, plus the authorisations and fees policies.
Regulation 168(2)(a)(iii): hazards, water play supervision, excursions near water, and the NSW and Tasmanian pool rules.
Regulations 85 to 87: the 24-hour parent notification, the record, serious incidents and retention to age 25.
Regulations 77 to 80: safe food, water at all times, nutritious food for each child, the displayed menu and allergy controls.
Regulation 168(2)(h) in 2026: the training regime, section 166A, personal devices, the National Principles and state child safe standards.
Regulation 168(2)(ha): photos of children, CCTV and the Part 6A personal device rules, section by section.
NHMRC Staying Healthy guidance beside the Victorian Schedule 7 minimums, condition by condition, and the regulation 86 to 88 duties.
Regulation 183 as a table: incident records to age 25, 7 years for deaths and CCS, 3 years for the rest; the regulation 177 list; attendance and medication records.
Compliance directions and notices, emergency action notices, staff directions, enforceable undertakings, prohibition notices, suspension and review rights.
Regulations 103 to 117: 3.25 and 7 square metres unencumbered space with the exclusions, fencing, toilets, nappy change, glass and state additions.
Regulation 84, the 2026 training deadlines under sections 162A and 162B, the records, and mandatory reporting law by state.
Part 7.3: the 1:10 ratio, the early childhood teacher scale, pools, immunisation and the NSW statutes beside the National Law.
Part 7.5: regulation 299 school-age qualifications, rest period conditions, rest pauses and short absences, blue cards.
The text, section 166 of the Law, the behaviour guidance boundary and the evidence assessors expect under Quality Area 5.
NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, ACT and NT pages with the state setting preselected and the Chapter 7 note.
Regulation 117C requirements, consent and the section 56 notice, the duties the Law places on the role, the 2026 training, records and notifications.
Section 162: who can be in charge, placing a person in day-to-day charge (r 117A, 117B), the regulation 150 record and the display.
Regulation 118, what suitably qualified and experienced means, what the role covers, what support means under Element 7.2.2.
Section 165 adequate supervision, regulation 115, the sleep checks in regulation 84B, what the plan contains space by space, and where supervision fails.
The six risk assessments the Regulations require (excursion, transport, safe arrival, sleep, emergency, FDC) with required content and review periods, and a structure for all of them.
Regulation 87 record contents, the regulation 12 serious incident test, every notification timeframe in one table, retention until 25.
Every document officers sight with the regulation beside it, what to do on the day, and after the draft report.
The five levels and Provisional, how element results roll up, reassessment, first and second tier review time limits, and the Excellent rating.
Regulations 84A to 84D: the duty, the twelve policy matters, the annual risk assessment, the bassinet ban, sleep checks and safe sleeping guidance.
Authorisation, the regulation 92 record, the original-container and two-person-check rules, anaphylaxis and asthma emergencies, the medical conditions policy.
Regulation 97 in full: the risk assessment and its review, rehearsals every 3 months, display near each exit, lockdown and the emergency bag.
Regulation 126: the 50 per cent diploma rule, actively working towards (regulation 10), the 3-month probation exception, regulation 126A absences, family day care and the ACECQA lists.
Regulations 130 to 135 by service size: access for under 25 places, in attendance hours at 25 to 59, 60 to 80 and over 80, suitably qualified persons, and covering absences.
Regulation 136: first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma training in attendance and immediately available, CPR current for a year, family day care, and regulation 89 first aid kits.
A free Quality Improvement Plan structure that meets regulation 55: service details, philosophy, strengths and key improvements with worked rows, and the annual review record.
Enter today’s children and the staff on the floor and check the ratio (r 123), the 50 per cent diploma rule (r 126), early childhood teacher hours (r 130 to 134) and first aid cover (r 136) in one pass.
Ratio calculator, roster checker, compliance calendar, QIP builder, research assistant and templates, with what each one checks and the regulations behind it.
Comparing tools and software, AI in childcare compliance research, QIP software, A&R preparation aids, and the NQF compliance stack.
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Start 30-day free trial →These guides are research summaries, not legal or compliance advice. Always verify current ACECQA guidance and your state regulator's procedures before relying on this for an actual compliance decision.