Our role
The NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø works to ensure the delivery of quality early education programs and services to support child development from pregnancy up to and including the school years.
Our staff are based in central Sydney, Bankstown, Parramatta and regional NSW.
Through communication and collaboration with stakeholders and professionals who work with children in a range of early childhood education environments, we ensure the delivery of high-quality services to build a better future for children.
What we do
The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) division is responsible for ensuring all children make a strong start in life and learning and make a successful transition to school through the funding of programs to support more children to access quality ECEC across the state.
The ECO division also leads the delivery of new early learning and child development initiatives to support all children in the critical first 5 years of life.
A key focus of the division is to ensure that all children in NSW can participate in 600 hours of quality preschool in the year before school, regardless of where they live or what their circumstances are. Our responsibilities include:
- analysing, understanding and informing national policies on early childhood education and care
- funding ECEC services and organisations to implement programs that deliver quality, participation, inclusion and affordability outcomes for children and families across NSW
- identifying and developing new strategies to support positive educational changes to ensure all children have the best start to life and learning.
Early Childhood Outcomes
The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) division is responsible for ensuring all children make a strong start in life and learning and make a successful transition to school through the funding of programs to support more children to access quality ECEC across the state.
The ECO division also leads the delivery of new early learning and child development initiatives to support all children in the critical first 5 years of life.
A key focus of the division is to ensure that all children in NSW can participate in 600 hours of quality preschool in the year before school, regardless of where they live or what their circumstances are. Our responsibilities include:
- analysing, understanding and informing national policies on early childhood education and care
- funding ECEC services and organisations to implement programs that deliver quality, participation, inclusion and affordability outcomes for children and families across NSW
- identifying and developing new strategies to support positive educational changes to ensure all children have the best start to life and learning.
Regulation of the ECEC sector
The NSW Early Learning Commission was established on 1 December 2025 as the independent regulator for ECEC in NSW. Prior to this, the Commission was known as the NSW ECEC Regulatory Authority within the NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø.
The Commission reports directly to the Minister for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø and Early Learning and is responsible for regulating over 6,000 ECEC services across NSW to ensure they meet stringent standards of safety, quality and compliance.
Learn more about the Early Learning Commission.