New childcare director: your first 90 days

Last reviewed: 10 November 2026. Each step is tied to the provision of the Education and Care Services National Law or National Regulations it comes from, checked on 10 November 2026. The 90-day order is a suggested sequence; only the deadlines marked as legal are set by law. General information, not legal advice.

Quick answer

A new centre director usually becomes the nominated supervisor, so a few deadlines are legal and fixed. The nomination needs written consent and notice to the regulator (s 56, r 35). The name must be displayed (r 173). Child protection and foundation child safety training is due within 14 days, or before working directly with children if that comes first (r 128B, r 128D). Advanced child safety training is due within 3 months (r 128E). After that, a sensible order is: in the first month, check the records, policies, notifications and emergency drills; in the second, test supervision, ratios, qualifications and health procedures in practice; and in the third, update the QIP and set up the compliance calendar.

A 90-day plan for a new childcare centre director or nominated supervisor, built around the legal deadlines that start on day one and the records an authorised officer checks first.

Day 1 to 14: the legal deadlines

Task	Deadline	Source
Written consent to being the nominated supervisor; the provider notifies the regulator	Before or on appointment (notice under s 56)	r 35; nominated supervisor
Your name displayed as nominated supervisor, and the responsible person displayed at all times	Immediately	r 173
Child protection training (the jurisdiction’s course on the ACECQA website) and foundation child safety training	Within 14 days, or before working directly with children if earlier	r 128B, r 128D
Advanced child safety training	Within 3 months of appointment	r 128E
Your details, qualifications, training and working with children check in the staff record	On appointment	r 146
Know who can be the responsible person on every shift, with written consents for persons in day-to-day charge	Before your first roster	s 162; r 117A; responsible person

Days 15 to 30: records and paperwork

Staff records: check each staff file for working with children checks, qualifications, first aid and training currency, and that rosters show who worked directly with children (r 145 to 152). See staff records.
Policies: check every regulation 168 policy exists, is current and is available (r 168, r 171). Any significant change needs 14 days’ notice to families (r 172). See regulation 168 policies.
Notifications: review the service’s notification log against the 24-hour and 7-day deadlines (r 176). See NQA ITS notifications.
Emergency procedures: confirm when the last rehearsal took place and schedule the next within the 3-month cycle. Check that the risk assessment has been reviewed in the past 12 months (r 97).
Compliance history: read the service’s rating report, any conditions, and any open compliance actions. See compliance history.

Days 31 to 60: practice on the floor

Supervision: walk each room and outdoor zone at transitions, rest and meal times against the supervision plan (s 165). See supervision plan.
Ratios and qualifications: check rosters, including breaks, against ratios (r 123), the 50% diploma rule and working-towards evidence (r 126, r 10), and early childhood teacher attendance (r 130 to 134). See ratios and ECT requirements.
Health procedures: check medical management plans, medication records and the authorisations (r 90 to 96), and the sleep and rest risk assessment (r 84C).
Interactions: watch for practice that could amount to inappropriate discipline or conduct (s 166, s 166A), and make sure every educator knows how to report a concern (r 84).

Days 61 to 90: plan and embed

QIP: update the quality improvement plan with what you found. It must be reviewed at least annually and kept at the service (r 55, r 56). See QIP guide.
Calendar: enter every recurring deadline. See compliance checklist by frequency and the compliance calendar.
Assessment readiness: work through the assessment and rating checklist, including the governance evidence for Quality Area 7.
Educational leader: confirm the written designation and agree how the role is supported (r 118). See educational leader.

Frequently asked questions

What should a new childcare director do first?

Confirm the legal appointment: written consent as nominated supervisor, notice to the regulator, the name displayed, a responsible person available on every shift, and child protection and foundation child safety training within 14 days.

How long does a new nominated supervisor have to complete child safety training?

Child protection and foundation child safety training within 14 days of engagement or before working directly with children, whichever is earlier, and advanced child safety training within 3 months (regulations 128B, 128D and 128E).

What records will an authorised officer check first?

Typically staff records and rosters (regulations 145 to 152), the attendance record, incident and medication records, emergency rehearsal records and the current policies and QIP.

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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.