Choosing early learning? Here’s what quality really looks like – and why it matters

With more than 16,000 early learning services across Australia, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming for families. Australia’s largest not-for-profit early education provider, Goodstart, is working to help all parents identify high quality, safe centres for their children – whether they attend a Goodstart centre or not.

“Early learning is one of the best investments families – and governments – can make in a child’s future,” Dr Ros Baxter, CEO of Goodstart says.  

“We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to research on the immediate and long-term benefits of high-quality early learning.  

And while the recent Productivity Commission review confirmed that not-for-profit providers are more likely to deliver high quality education and care – because their funding priorities are different – we know that there are high quality providers across all parts of the sector. 

“Quality in early childhood education and care really comes down to the relationships – first and foremost between educators and children. These bonds are essential as they’re where the magic happens: children arrive to see familiar faces, form strong connections, and feel safe through trust – creating the foundation for their learning and development,” Ros said.

To help families navigate their options, Goodstart has partnered with the Raising Children’s Network to promote a new check list to support families in identifying high quality early education and care for their child. Families can download the checklist here.

“At Goodstart, every dollar we earn is reinvested into children’s learning and development,” said Ros.  

“That means better paid educators, more support for children with additional needs, and more professional development – all of which drives quality.” 

According to George Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, Australia’s leading families advocate group, identifying quality requires looking beyond aesthetics.

“It is absolutely the case that in early learning it might not be the shiniest most brand new designer building – and toys – that indicate the highest quality.” 

To assess a centre, Georgie shares some simple steps. 

“Look up the National Quality rating. Every service should have a rating and it’s worth looking at as a good starting point,” Georgie said.

“Walk into an early learning service and take it all in. Now we’ve all had that experience of going into a café, and just feeling like something’s not quite working. It’s exactly the same with early learning. If you walk into an early learning service, you want it to feel good. Have a look around. What are the children doing? How do you feel? If you are in an environment where it’s feeling good, it probably is good. Intuition absolutely matters.” 

“The other thing we always say to parents is to be thinking about and asking how long the educators have been employed. How long has the team been working together? When there’s a really high rate of staff turnover, it can be a red flag. So, it’s something to be mindful of.” 

International early childhood expert and Goodstart’s Chief Children’s Officer Sue Robb OBE agrees parents should trust their instincts and not be afraid to ask questions - especially to better understand how educators and teachers are being supported, and support for children. 

According to the Australian Early Development Census, one in five children starts school developmentally vulnerable - in areas like communication, social skills and emotional wellbeing. 

“Quality is important because the evidence and research tells us that good quality makes a difference to children's outcomes in the moment and it lasts then until at least the age of sixteen if not beyond,” Sue Robb OBE says.  

“Listen: Is the centre calm? Are children focused and engaged? Are you hearing the buzz of busy children? 

Look: Are children deeply engaged with their educators in learning? Are activities based on their interests? 

Ask questions of both centre management, and educators and teachers: 

• How long have the educators been part of the team? When speaking to educators, ask, ”How long have you been in this room?” and “What do you enjoy most about teaching and learning with this age group?”  
• What kind of professional development do educators receive? Ask educators, “What support do you get to keep learning from your employer?” and “Do you get help to support children who may need a bit of extra assistance?”
• How are children with additional needs supported? Find out how the centre ensures every child is included and receives the support they need to thrive.

Feel: Is the environment welcoming, joyful and respectful? 

Smell: Have a smell of the centre – are delightful smells like fresh tomato sauce wafting through the centre? Great nutrition is strongly linked to wellbeing,” Sue said.

According to the Australian Early Development Census, one in five children starts school developmentally vulnerable - in areas like communication, social skills and emotional wellbeing. 

While families play a vital role in choosing quality, experts say more consistent government oversight is essential.  Georgie says many early childhood and care services haven’t been assessed in years. 

“In Australia we’ve actually got a world leading national quality framework but what we haven’t got is regulators that are funded to carry out the checks as regularly as they’re needed so we know there are services that haven’t been assessed for 5 years and that’s just not optimal.” 

Not-for-profit providers like Goodstart consistently outperform for-profit services on quality. According to the latest national data, 99% of Goodstart’s nearly 700 centres meet or exceed the National Quality Standard. 

“Because our priority is children – not profits – we can invest more in the things that matter: our people, our centres and our families,” said Ros. here.