Making a complaint about ACT early childhood education and care services
The ACT Regulatory Authority, Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA), administers the Education and Care National Law 
and the Education and Care Services National Regulations covering approved early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in the ACT. ECEC services include long day care, preschools, outside school hours care, vacation care and family day care. CECA also regulate out of scope ECEC services for children under the Children and Young People Act 2008 .
One of CECA’s core functions is to ensure protection of children from harm and hazards when attending ECEC services in the ACT.
You may have concerns regarding the safety, health or wellbeing of children, or the behaviours and practices of staff at an ECEC service and want to make a complaint.
Raising concerns with your ECEC service
Where appropriate, complaints should initially be addressed ECEC service leaders, such as the Nominated Supervisor or Director.
ECEC services in the ACT are required to manage and respond to complaints. They must also notify CECA if the complaint alleges that:
- A serious incident has occurred or is occurring at the ECEC service. Examples of serious incidents include an injury for which a child attended hospital, or a child leaving the service unnoticed;
- That the National Law has been contravened.
It is generally best to see if your complaint or concern can be addressed with the ECEC service provider before making a complaint to CECA.
Making a complaint to CECA
If your complaint hasn’t been resolved or if the matter is not appropriate to raise with your ECEC service, you can lodge a complaint with CECA.
Your complaint may be about:
- the approved provider or licensee of the ECEC service
- any person who controls or manages the ECEC service
- or a staff member at the ECEC service
Complaints can be submitted using the CECA Online Complaints Form
If choosing to complete the form, please submit as much detail as possible, including:
- dates (or date ranges) of any incident/s
- other persons present
- any conversations you have had with ECEC service representatives regarding your concerns.
For more information email complaintsCECA@act.gov.au
When you lodge a complaint, CECA will:
- acknowledge your complaint
- contact you if we require further information
- aim to resolve your complaint promptly
- provide you with a written response that is clear and informative
- help you contact the right person if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint