Recent reports, including the Four Corners investigation into Australia’s child care sector, have understandably left many parents and guardians shaken. The headlines have highlighted serious failures in some services - underqualified staff, unsafe environments, and poor leadership and oversight.
It is confronting and it reinforces why quality in early childhood education matters so much. At Footsteps By Faith, we want families to know that this is not who we are. While the media has highlighted what can go wrong, it has also created an opportunity to show what quality child care should look like in practice. We do not aim to simply comply with the National Quality Standard (NQS); we work to embed its 40 elements into the everyday life of our service. Here are some of the ways we do things differently, and why that matters.
It is confronting and it reinforces why quality in early childhood education matters so much. At Footsteps By Faith, we want families to know that this is not who we are. While the media has highlighted what can go wrong, it has also created an opportunity to show what quality child care should look like in practice. We do not aim to simply comply with the National Quality Standard (NQS); we work to embed its 40 elements into the everyday life of our service. Here are some of the ways we do things differently, and why that matters.
Qualified, Valued and Supported Educators
At Footsteps By Faith, every educator holds formal qualifications, from Certificate III and Diploma level through to Early Childhood Teacher (ECT). We recently supported a trainee to complete their Certificate III and then made the decision to retain them. Why? Because of the meaningful relationships they had built with children and families. Those relationships matter and we invest in them.
Our casual educators are also hired internally wherever possible to promote consistency of care. When agency educators are occasionally used, we apply additional safeguards: they are not left alone with children and do not carry out personal care routines such as toileting, even though the law may permit it. For us, child safety means going beyond minimum requirements where needed.
Our team regularly participates in paid professional development. This includes mandatory training such as child protection and first aid, but also high-impact learning opportunities such as *Bringing the EYLF V2.0 to Life* and behaviour training delivered onsite by registered psychologist Marina Bailey.
Staff continuity does not happen by chance. It is a deliberate part of how we operate. We pay above award, offer genuinely supported personal leave and work hard to find relief when an educator is unwell and needs to go home. We do not rely on “under the roof” rostering loopholes to make numbers work. If there are five babies in our Nursery room, we ensure two educators are working in that room, rather than moving children around simply because it is more cost-effective. Where needed, we overstaff. We also support our team in practical ways, including weekly hot lunches, paid team meetings, quarterly team events and regular non-contact time for programming.
We listen to our educators and back them. Most importantly, we lead alongside them. As Approved Providers, we step into rooms when support is needed and stay actively involved in improving standards across the service.
Our casual educators are also hired internally wherever possible to promote consistency of care. When agency educators are occasionally used, we apply additional safeguards: they are not left alone with children and do not carry out personal care routines such as toileting, even though the law may permit it. For us, child safety means going beyond minimum requirements where needed.
Our team regularly participates in paid professional development. This includes mandatory training such as child protection and first aid, but also high-impact learning opportunities such as *Bringing the EYLF V2.0 to Life* and behaviour training delivered onsite by registered psychologist Marina Bailey.
Staff continuity does not happen by chance. It is a deliberate part of how we operate. We pay above award, offer genuinely supported personal leave and work hard to find relief when an educator is unwell and needs to go home. We do not rely on “under the roof” rostering loopholes to make numbers work. If there are five babies in our Nursery room, we ensure two educators are working in that room, rather than moving children around simply because it is more cost-effective. Where needed, we overstaff. We also support our team in practical ways, including weekly hot lunches, paid team meetings, quarterly team events and regular non-contact time for programming.
We listen to our educators and back them. Most importantly, we lead alongside them. As Approved Providers, we step into rooms when support is needed and stay actively involved in improving standards across the service.
A safe, Visible and Responsive environment
Our physical environment is open-plan and designed to support visibility. Safety and flexibility go hand in hand and we regularly adjust our spaces to reflect the changing needs of the children. We do not believe in a “set and forget” approach. We also have security cameras installed throughout the service to protect children and staff and to support transparency and accountability.
Wherever possible, we maintain at least two educators in our learning spaces at all times. Even when ratios would allow otherwise, we do not believe one educator alone in a room is best practice. We value shared supervision and open, day-to-day communication between educators and management so that safety concerns can be identified and addressed quickly.
Our leadership team stays closely informed. For example, if a child arrives with an unexplained scratch, our Nominated Supervisors are notified. We notice these things and we follow them up.
Families notice this too. They often comment on their child’s sense of belonging within the service. Their artwork and thoughtful displays fill our spaces, not as decoration, but as genuine reflections of children’s creativity, identity and connection to the service.
Wherever possible, we maintain at least two educators in our learning spaces at all times. Even when ratios would allow otherwise, we do not believe one educator alone in a room is best practice. We value shared supervision and open, day-to-day communication between educators and management so that safety concerns can be identified and addressed quickly.
Our leadership team stays closely informed. For example, if a child arrives with an unexplained scratch, our Nominated Supervisors are notified. We notice these things and we follow them up.
Families notice this too. They often comment on their child’s sense of belonging within the service. Their artwork and thoughtful displays fill our spaces, not as decoration, but as genuine reflections of children’s creativity, identity and connection to the service.
A Curriculum That Belongs to the Children
We do not deliver a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Our program is play-based, child-led and informed by Montessori and Reggio Emilia principles. It is shaped by children’s interests, informed by educator reflection and regularly discussed by our leadership team.
For us, curriculum is not about producing documentation for compliance. It is about knowing each child deeply - their rhythms, preferences, strengths and challenges - and planning in response to that. Because our educators are consistent, children are known well and that allows learning to be genuinely individualised.
School readiness, in our view, is not about worksheets or stencils. It is about confidence, curiosity, resilience and strong social and emotional foundations. Our environments shift with the children, because that is how meaningful learning happens.
For us, curriculum is not about producing documentation for compliance. It is about knowing each child deeply - their rhythms, preferences, strengths and challenges - and planning in response to that. Because our educators are consistent, children are known well and that allows learning to be genuinely individualised.
School readiness, in our view, is not about worksheets or stencils. It is about confidence, curiosity, resilience and strong social and emotional foundations. Our environments shift with the children, because that is how meaningful learning happens.
Relationships With Children and Families That Mean Something
Our educators are familiar faces each day. The same people greet children, help them settle and support their learning. That consistency helps children feel safe and safety is the foundation for trust and mutual respect.
Communication with families is not treated as a formality. It is part of our culture. We talk, we listen and we work in partnership. Families know how their child’s day has been, what challenges or wins arose and are included in meaningful conversations and decisions from the beginning.
Communication with families is not treated as a formality. It is part of our culture. We talk, we listen and we work in partnership. Families know how their child’s day has been, what challenges or wins arose and are included in meaningful conversations and decisions from the beginning.
Leadership That is Present, Faith-led and Accountable
Our service is shaped by our values, which you can read about here. Although we operate as a secular service, we are Christian owners and our faith influences how we lead: with kindness, empathy, community and integrity.
Since November 2022, we (Val and Dan) have been physically present in the service most weekdays and occasionally on weekends as well. We do not lead from a distance. That consistent presence has helped transform Footsteps By Faith from a struggling service into one that is calm, connected and committed to continuous improvement.
Since November 2022, we (Val and Dan) have been physically present in the service most weekdays and occasionally on weekends as well. We do not lead from a distance. That consistent presence has helped transform Footsteps By Faith from a struggling service into one that is calm, connected and committed to continuous improvement.
In summary
The issues raised in the media are deeply concerning, but they also serve as an important prompt for families to ask better questions and expect more from early childhood services. At Footsteps By Faith, we welcome that.
We are not just working to meet the National Quality Standard; we are building a service that aspires to exceed it across all seven Quality Areas. In future blog posts, we will share more about how we work towards each area of the NQS through real examples and reflective practice. For us, transparency is not optional. It is part of the standard we set for ourselves.
Want to see it for yourself? Book a tour and discover what quality early education can look like.
We are not just working to meet the National Quality Standard; we are building a service that aspires to exceed it across all seven Quality Areas. In future blog posts, we will share more about how we work towards each area of the NQS through real examples and reflective practice. For us, transparency is not optional. It is part of the standard we set for ourselves.
Want to see it for yourself? Book a tour and discover what quality early education can look like.