5 Reasons an Early Childhood Education Can Change Your Child’s Life

If you have heard that the rules around mobile phones and electronic devices in early childhood settings have changed, you are right. If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, these changes are already in effect.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of what changed, why it happened, and what it means for your family.

Why Did the Laws Change?

The changes were introduced as a child safety measure. In 2025, Australia’s Education Ministers agreed to amend the Education and Care Services National Law to address concerns about the potential for personal devices to be used to capture, store, or transmit images of children in care without authorisation.

The intent is straightforward: children in early learning settings deserve an environment where their privacy and safety are actively protected.

What Changed Nationally

From 27 February 2026, amendments to the national Education and Care Services National Law took effect across Australia. Under these changes, educators and staff who work directly with children are restricted from using personal electronic devices in care settings.

Before this, from 1 September 2025, all early childhood education and care services nationwide were required to have written policies in place addressing the use of digital devices.

What Changed in NSW

NSW moved ahead of the national timeline. The Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2025 took effect on 6 November 2025, applying across NSW’s 6,000 or more early learning services, including long day care centres, preschools, and family day care.

Under this order, educators and staff must use service-issued or service-authorised devices rather than their own personal devices when working directly with children.

What Counts as a Personal Device?

The definition is broad. A personal device is any device owned by an individual (not the approved provider) that is capable of capturing, storing, or transmitting an image. This includes:

Mobile phones
Smartwatches
Cameras and tablets
iPads and laptops
Hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards
Wearables such as camera glasses

Who Does the Ban Apply To?

The restrictions apply to anyone working directly with children at a service, including permanent and casual educators, students on placement, volunteers, contractors, and allied health professionals delivering programs on-site.

Parents, carers, and other visitors are not covered by the ban. In NSW, parents and carers remain free to use their personal devices during drop-off, pick-up, centre visits, and events involving their own children. There are also authorised exceptions for essential purposes, including emergencies and health or disability support needs.

What About Screen Time for Children?

These new laws specifically address staff device use, not children’s screen time. Screen time limits for young children are not mandated within childcare regulation at a national level.

The relevant guidance comes from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend no screen time for children under 2 years, and no more than 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. These are health guidelines, not regulatory requirements.

What This Means for Your Family

If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, their service is already required to operate under these rules. Any educator or staff member working directly with your child should not be using a personal device to take photos or videos. Only service-authorised devices should be used for that purpose.

If you have questions about how your centre handles digital devices or image capture, you are well within your rights to ask. Most services will have a written policy in place that covers exactly this.

At Clovel, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to know more about how we support your child across our centres, we would love to have that conversation with you.

There is often much debate on whether young children need to enter into a structured education program before kindergarten. After all, childhood is so brief, and the time children spend in school lasts until they are young adults. Is it really that important for children to experience an early childhood education between the ages of two to five?

The short answer is…yes.

The subject has been studied by some of the world’s top educational experts and the results are clear—children who receive an early childhood education, or ECE, are better prepared for the rigor of kindergarten than those who don’t.

But many parents have a hard time believing this to be true, partly because they see pre-school as a sort of glorified babysitting service. And therein lies the mistake. Early childhood education offers children a bevy of benefits that help them prepare for their future as a student. We’ve gathered a list of the top 5 ways receiving an early childhood education can benefit the life of your little learner.

1. Teaches Important Socialisation Skills

Parents and caregivers often underestimate the importance of learning socialisation skills like listening to instructions, taking turns, and learning to share with their peers. ECE teachers are masters at incorporating instruction into guided play and use music, stories, and games to teach children how to relate to one another.

Games like “I Spy” and “Simon Says” force children to hone their listening skills by carefully paying attention to descriptions or instructions. Playing simple board games like Candyland and completing puzzles together help children learn to take turns and share toys with one another.

2. Familiarises Children with the Idea of Structured Learning

Much of a child’s upper education centers around structured learning. Schools last for a set period, and students spend their day moving from one class to the next in a specific order.

ECE helps young children get comfortable with the idea of spending some time in a structured learning environment. And it just so happens that preschool-aged children love the comfort that comes from routine because it makes them feel safe, secure, and in control. Through structured learning, children begin to understand what is expected of them and learn the art of self-discipline. For example, a child may want to draw first thing in the morning but knows that art time comes right after lunch. He or she learns how to put off their own desires until the appropriate time.

3. Teaches Children How to Be Good Learners

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know we are advocates of play-based learning for preschool children, and it is through play that early childhood educators teach children the art of learning.

In an ECE environment, children are introduced to a variety of topics and concepts in a way that is fun and engaging, thereby developing a positive association with learning. Through songs, games, and play, ECE teachers lay the groundwork for a child’s future education.

4. Allows Children to Make Choices and Develop Confidence

Teachers give students the autonomy to make choices throughout the day. Deciding which book to “read” during story time, which game to play, or which food to enjoy at snack time allows children to feel as if they have some control over what happens in their day and learning to make good choices is a skill a child will use for the rest of their life.

Early childhood teachers are also masters in the art of positive reinforcement. This praise creates in children the all-important “can-do” attitude that is necessary to try new things and build confidence. Whether a teacher is praising a student’s creation (“you are a great builder with blocks”) or their effort (“you worked so hard on your block tower and never gave up”), well-placed praise gives children the confidence to challenge themselves in new and exciting ways.

5. Improves Attention Span

If you’ve spent any time with children of pre-school age you know holding their attention for any length of time can be a challenge. An important component of ECE is helping children learn how to block out noise or visual distraction and focus on the task at hand.

Learning when it is time to work and when it is time to play is an integral part of most preschool curriculum, and teachers facilitate this through the careful scheduling of the day’s routine. Expect to see learning periods broken up with activities that get children moving (like recess) or using another part of their brain (like moving from fine motor skill activities to music and dancing).

For parents, the message is clear—finding the right ECE program for your young learner means he or she will be better prepared when the time comes to enter kindergarten. Look for a facility that balances structured learning with physical activity and, most importantly, prioritises learning through play.

Thanks for reading,
Clovel Childcare
1300 863 986

Lyn Connolly

Founder and Company Director

Lyn Connolly is the Founder and Company Director of Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres, a family‑owned group of eight centres across Western Sydney established from her first service at Merrylands. Active in early childhood education since 1977, she also serves as President of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW, representing providers in state and federal consultations, media, and public hearings.