Education and Care Services Act 2013 (Qld)

Education and Care Services Act 2013

An Act to regulate the provision of education and care by particular services

Part 1 Preliminary Note— To ensure the greatest possible harmonisation for education and care services for children, this Act follows the Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) for a number of its provisions. Accordingly, this Act is not entirely consistent with Queensland's current drafting style.

Division 1 Introduction

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Education and Care Services Act 2013.

2 Commencement This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

3 Act binds all persons (1) This Act binds all persons, including the State and, to the extent the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Commonwealth and the other States. (2) Nothing in this Act makes the State liable to be prosecuted for an offence.

Division 2 Object of Act

4 Object (1) The object of this Act is to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of children attending a Queensland education and care service. (2) The ways in which the object is to be achieved include— (a) establishing a provider approval and service approval system for Queensland education and care services; and (b) regulating the way stand-alone services are conducted; and (c) setting standards for persons who provide education and care for children.

Division 3 Guiding principles of Act

5 Guiding principles (1) Queensland approved education and care services are to be conducted under the following principles— (a) the best interests of a child are the paramount concern; (b) education and care should be provided to a child in a way that— (i) protects the child from harm; and (ii) respects the child's dignity and privacy; and (iii) promotes the child's health and wellbeing; and (iv) provides positive experiences for the child; (c) education and care should be provided to a child in a way that stimulates and develops the child's creative, emotional, intellectual, lingual, physical, recreational, and social potential; (d) parents have the primary responsibility for the upbringing, protection and development of children, and should be supported in that role; (e) education and care should be planned and provided in a way that— (i) involves parents and other members of the community; and (ii) reflects the multicultural and multilingual nature of the community. (2) Stand-alone services are to be operated in a way that protects a child from harm and promotes the child's health and wellbeing.