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WA aligns with National Law in significant step for early childhood regulation

Article

Fiona Alston

Mar 30, 2026

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Western Australia has taken a significant step toward strengthening its early childhood education and care (ECEC) system, with the passage of the Education and Care Services National Law Application Bill 2025.

The reform brings the state into closer alignment with the national regulatory framework, positioning Western Australia to respond more efficiently to emerging priorities in safety, quality and workforce development.

The change reflects growing demand for consistent, high-quality early learning environments, with more than 130,000 children in Western Australia accessing ECEC services.

The new legislation reduces regulatory fragmentation by aligning Western Australia more closely with the Education and Care Services National Law applied across other jurisdictions.

This alignment is expected to:

support greater national consistency in regulation
enable faster adoption of future legislative amendments
reduce complexity for providers operating across multiple states
create a more predictable regulatory environment

Historically, delays in adopting national changes have created challenges for implementation in Western Australia. The new framework addresses this by enabling more timely integration of reforms.

The legislation establishes a more agile approach to regulation, allowing Western Australia to keep pace with national developments.

This includes the ability to more quickly implement changes relating to:

child safety and safeguarding requirements
workforce qualifications and capability
staffing ratios and service delivery standards
compliance, monitoring and enforcement powers
transparency and reporting obligations

For a sector that continues to evolve, this responsiveness supports more effective risk management and continuous improvement.

The Western Australian Government has positioned the reform as a critical step in strengthening safety and wellbeing outcomes for children.

The legislation supports the ongoing work of the Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU), enhancing its capacity to:

monitor and assess service performance
respond to risks and incidents
support providers to meet regulatory obligations
oversee Family Day Care arrangements
communicate regulatory updates to the sector

ECRU is expected to provide further guidance on implementation and timelines as the reforms are operationalised.

For approved providers, nominated supervisors and service leaders, the reform brings both clarity and heightened expectations.

Key implications include:

greater consistency in regulatory requirements across jurisdictions
earlier access to national reforms and policy changes
potential updates to compliance, documentation and reporting practices
improved alignment for multi-jurisdiction providers
reinforced focus on child safety and continuous improvement

While the legislation primarily establishes a structural framework, its practical impact will be realised through subsequent regulatory updates and guidance.

For families, the reform supports a more consistent and responsive system of early childhood education and care.

This includes:

strengthened safeguards for children’s safety and wellbeing
more consistent standards across jurisdictions
improved oversight of services
a system better equipped to respond to emerging evidence and expectations

The passage of the Bill represents a broader shift toward nationally consistent, evidence-informed regulation in early childhood education and care.

By aligning more closely with the National Law, Western Australia strengthens its capacity to contribute to and benefit from coordinated national reforms.

As implementation progresses, the sector will look to further guidance from the regulator to understand how these changes will translate into practice.

Source: Western Australian Government, New law a significant milestone for early childhood sector.

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