The Sector

This article discusses the death of a child in early childhood education and care. Support contacts appear at the end. Humpty Doo Community & Child Care Centre and a former nominated supervisor have pleaded guilty to offences under the Education and Care Services National Law in proceedings following the death of 22-month-old Ebony Thompson in 2023.

The campaign directs families to StartingBlocks.gov.au, a free government website where they can find services, compare information and learn how quality and safety are assessed. ACECQA says the campaign aims to build understanding of the national regulatory system and the safeguards that support children’s learning, safety and wellbeing. It will run across digital, social, video and community channels. ACECQA’s campaign information sets out how services can participate.

Embark Early Education Limited (ASX: EVO) has increased its voting power in Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX: MFD) above 50%, marking a further development in the ownership relationship between the two early childhood education and care providers. In a board-authorised announcement dated 29 September 2026, Embark confirmed it had acquired 250,000 ordinary shares in Mayfield. The company reported that the purchase increased its total voting power from 49.80% to 50.04%.

According to the NSW sector update, a safe sleep practice in family day care microskill developed in partnership with TAFE NSW is now available. All family day care staff will be required to complete it by 30 March 2027. The course is listed on TAFE NSW’s training platform, although further access and implementation details are expected from the NSW Government.

The research, published on 16 September 2026 in Frontiers in Education, examined sessions at one Melbourne preschool. A trained Vietnamese-speaking facilitator delivered 176 sessions across 29 weeks, with children who had Vietnamese at home alongside children learning it as an additional language. Researchers analysed speech from a facilitator and 41 children using samples of recordings across the program. The distinction between hearing a language and using it is central to the findings.

Artificial intelligence can help a training provider develop resources, adapt learning materials and support students. It can also make it harder to establish whether an assessment reflects a student’s own knowledge and skills. That distinction is central to the five principles for the responsible use of AI in vocational education and training released by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) on 30 July 2026.

South Australia is promoting new pathways into early childhood education as its Flying Start three-year-old preschool program expands. The state’s early childhood careers hub brings together information for school students, career changers and existing educators who want to gain a qualification or progress to teaching. The push is tied to a substantial workforce task. Three-year-old preschool began rolling out in 2026, with access expanding in stages.

New ELV centres are set to open in Cohuna, Avoca, Nicholson and District, Newborough East and Meeniyan, offering long day care and integrated kindergarten programs for children from birth to six years of age. Ahead of the openings, ELV will hold a series of Recruitment and Enrolment Information Evenings, giving local communities an opportunity to learn more about enrolments and employment opportunities at the new centres.

Regional early childhood education and care (ECEC) services face a connected challenge: they need qualified staff to operate, while families need access to childcare to take up work and training. Both sides of that challenge appear in Jobs and Skills Australia’s Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia – Phase 1. Published in July 2025, the roadmap examines how regional communities can develop skills, meet workforce demand and address barriers to participation.

A study published on 20 September 2026 in Education Sciences describes one response. Chris Speldewinde and colleagues worked with three bush kinder educators to design and try the Bush Kinder Assessment Tool, or BKAT. The tool was shaped by the educators’ experiences and linked to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), Australia’s curriculum framework for the early years. The work is a small participatory action research project.