Child care agencies glossary

Short, plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet when choosing a child care agency provider in Perth Metropolitan.

What is a certified supervisor?: A certified supervisor is a qualified staff member designated to take responsibility for a child care service during the approved provider's absence, as required by child care regulations.
What is a diploma-qualified educator?: A diploma-qualified educator is a child care worker who has completed a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (or equivalent) and is recognised under Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards to work in regulated child care settings.
What is a Family Day Care Coordination Unit?: A Family Day Care Coordination Unit is an accredited service that registers, monitors, and provides support to family day care educators who operate independently from their own homes across a region.
What is a nominated supervisor?: A nominated supervisor is the person legally accountable for the daily operation and regulatory compliance of a child care service under the Education and Care Services National Law.
What is a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)?: A QIP is a self-assessment document that child care services in Perth must maintain, identifying their current performance against the National Quality Standard and setting out planned improvements.
What is a responsible person in child care?: A responsible person is an approved provider, nominated supervisor, or certified supervisor who must be physically present and in charge of a child care service at all times during operation.
What is a Working With Children Check (WA)?: The Working With Children Check (WWC) is a mandatory background screening process in Western Australia that assesses an individual's suitability to work or volunteer with children in care settings.
What is ACECQA?: ACECQA (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority) is the national regulator responsible for assessing and rating the quality of early childhood education and care services against the National Quality Standard.
What is an approved provider?: An approved provider is an organisation or individual who holds formal approval under the Education and Care Services National Law to operate a childcare or early education service.
What is an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT)?: An Early Childhood Teacher is a bachelor-degree-qualified educator meeting regulatory requirements to lead and teach in licensed child care services in Perth.
What is an Inclusion Support Program?: A federal program providing grants and professional development to help mainstream childcare services, schools, and early education facilities include children with disabilities and additional needs alongside their peers.
What is assessment and rating?: Assessment and rating is the formal ACECQA evaluation process that measures child care services against the National Quality Standard, resulting in ratings of working towards, meeting, exceeding, or excellent.
What is Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?: Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a direct payment from the Australian government to childcare providers that lowers the out-of-pocket fees families pay for approved services.
What is educator-to-child ratio?: The legally mandated proportion of qualified educators to children in a child care setting, set by age group under Western Australian regulations to ensure adequate supervision and developmental support.
What is in home care (IHC)?: In home care (IHC) is a form of child care where a qualified educator delivers one-to-one or small group care in the child's own family home, funded through government subsidies for eligible families.
What is kindergarten in Western Australia?: Kindergarten in Western Australia is a government-funded early learning program typically attended by 4-year-olds in the year immediately before pre-primary, delivered by licensed services as part of the structured school pathway.
What is outside school hours care (OSHC)?: Outside school hours care (OSHC) is supervised childcare provided before and after school hours and during school holidays for children attending primary and secondary school.
What is pre-primary in WA schooling?: Pre-primary is the first year of compulsory schooling in Western Australia, usually attended by children aged four, distinct from the informal kindergarten and preschool settings used in other states.
What is the activity test for Child Care Subsidy?: The activity test is an assessment used by the Department of Social Services to establish the maximum number of subsidised child care hours a family qualifies for, based on the combined work, study, training, or approved volunteering activities of both parents or carers.
What is the CCS percentage hourly rate cap?: The CCS percentage hourly rate cap is the maximum hourly amount the Australian government uses to calculate Child Care Subsidy payments to services, set independently of what a provider actually charges.
What is the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)?: The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia's national curriculum framework that guides educators' practice in early childhood settings by articulating five key learning outcomes and the foundational concepts of belonging, being, and becoming.
What is the National Quality Framework?: The National Quality Framework is Australia's federal system that sets and enforces minimum quality standards for child care services, assigns star ratings to providers, and is administered by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.
What is the National Quality Standard?: The National Quality Standard (NQS) is an Australian regulatory framework that sets out 7 quality areas against which approved early childhood services are assessed and rated by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.
What is vacation care?: Vacation care is a supervised childcare program operated during school holiday periods for primary school-age children, featuring structured activities, games, and excursions throughout the day.