Disability Standards for education changes: what ECEC providers need to know before 1 August

Major amendments to the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) will take effect on 1 August 2026, extending the Standards to most early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for the first time.

The changes clarify how existing obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) apply across the ECEC sector, providing greater certainty for providers while reinforcing the rights of children with disability to participate in education and care on the same basis as their peers.

The amendments follow a review undertaken by the Australian Government Department of Education to ensure the Standards better reflect contemporary education settings and strengthen inclusive education across Australia. A summary of the consultation process outlines the feedback that informed the changes.

From 1 August 2026, the Standards will apply to any ECEC service that:

• receives the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), or
• is legally required to deliver an education program based on an approved learning framework, including the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) or My Time, Our Place (MTOP).

This means the Standards will extend to:

• long day care services
• family day care services
• in-home care services
• outside school hours care (OSHC) services, including vacation care.

Importantly, the amendments do not introduce new legal obligations. Rather, they clarify how existing responsibilities under the DDA apply across a broader range of ECEC settings.

The updated Standards reinforce the rights of children with disability to:

• access education and care services
• participate meaningfully in learning programs and daily routines
• receive reasonable adjustments that support inclusion
• learn in environments free from discrimination.

They also clarify providers' responsibilities to:

• make reasonable adjustments that enable children to access and participate in programs
• consult with families about children's individual needs
• identify and remove barriers to inclusion
• ensure policies, practices and environments support equitable participation.

These responsibilities have long existed under the DDA. The amendments simply provide greater clarity about how they apply within early childhood education and care.

The changes align closely with the National Quality Framework, reinforcing the importance of inclusive practice across all aspects of service delivery.

They support existing expectations within the National Quality Standard, particularly Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice, Quality Area 5: Relationships with children, and Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities, where services are expected to provide equitable learning opportunities for every child.

For many providers, the amendments will not require significant operational changes. However, they offer an opportunity to review current practices and ensure policies, environments and teaching approaches continue to support children with disability to participate fully in education and care.

To support services ahead of the commencement date, the Australian Government Department of Education has commissioned the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) to update its suite of Disability Discrimination Act resources.

The revised resources will:

• reflect the amended Standards
• explain the rights of children with disability
• clarify providers' obligations under the DDA
• provide practical guidance on reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice.

The updated resources will be published on the ACECQA Disability Discrimination Act resource hub during August.

ACECQA has also published an overview of the upcoming changes to the Disability Standards for Education, including answers to frequently asked questions for services.

With the amendments commencing on 1 August, providers may wish to use the coming weeks to review existing policies and practices. Areas to consider include:

• reviewing inclusion and enrolment policies to ensure they align with DDA obligations
• providing professional learning for educators and leadership teams
• assessing environments and routines to identify barriers to participation
• strengthening consultation processes with families
• reviewing how reasonable adjustments are planned, documented and implemented
• accessing the updated ACECQA resources as they become available.

While many services will already have strong inclusive practices in place, the amended Standards provide an opportunity to ensure these practices are clearly understood, consistently applied and well documented.

For ECEC providers, the changes are less about introducing new compliance requirements and more about reinforcing an existing commitment to ensuring every child can access, participate and thrive in high-quality early learning environments.